The crème de la crème

The Real Housewives Beginner’s Guide: What To Watch First

RH is the best reality TV series, and I have the receipts, proof, timelines, and screenshots to prove it!

Written by Emily Weaver

19 hours ago

Ariela Basson/Scary Mommy; Getty Images

Sponsored Reality Bites Package

My Roman Empire is watching The Real Housewives of Orange County star Shannon Storms Beador lie in a makeshift grave while her crummy then-husband, David Beador, reads aloud a prepared eulogy: "Here lies Shannon." The morbid and slightly awkward "healing" exercise occurred in Season 10, during which Beador revealed that David had an affair. And to answer your question, yes, the episode was extremely uncomfortable to watch — but I'll forever be a Shannon stan until the day I die (no pun intended).

It's cringey yet vulnerable scenes like these that make Bravo's Real Housewives the best reality TV series ever conceived. The franchise began with RHOC in 2006, followed by The Real Housewives of New York City and The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2008, and The Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2009 — all of which are traditional episodic shows that are still airing new episodes to this day.