The Deep Dive — Sep 20, 2026

RHONY Is Back, and So Is Carole

I'll admit it. I was late to the RHONY party, and I still haven't watched the two seasons leading up to this one. But it feels good to finally be in the conversation. Season 16 premiered September 8, and the biggest headline is Carole Radziwill's return, eight years after she left the show following Season 10. She's back as a "friend," not a full Housewife, and her actual episode debut landed September 15.

Carole was definitely a favorite of mine from the OG NY franchise, so it will be a good change to see her with this new group. I'm not locked in on the other storylines yet (returning full timers are Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva, and Jessel Taank, with newcomers Hailey Glassman, Erika Hammond, and Daisy Toye), but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I'm all caught up. Ultimate Girls Trip helped with that clarity too.

Salt Lake City Returns for Season 7

RHOSLC came back September 16 with the full Season 6 cast returning. Lisa Barlow, Mary Cosby, Heather Gay, Angie Katsanevas, Meredith Marks, Bronwyn Newport, and Whitney Rose, plus friend Britani Bateman and newcomer Ashley Quai. This season carries more weight than usual. Production paused in February after Mary Cosby lost her son, Robert Cosby Jr., and resumed the following month without her involvement at first. Her husband, Robert Sr., stepped back in front of the cameras this season to support her.

I think they did a great job of honoring Mary's son and showing how she dealt with the situation. It was amazing to see, especially if you have lost a loved one. But let's be honest, even a grave loss is not going to stop this group from causing a scene when cameras are around. This has always been one of my favorite Real Housewives shows, so it is hard to disappoint me. One crossover worth flagging: Bronwyn is heading straight into The Traitors Season 5 castle after this, so we will get to see her play a very different kind of game soon.

Potomac Welcomes Back a Legacy Face

RHOP Season 11 premieres October 11 on Bravo. I am excited for Potomac to be back. I am sorry to say it is the franchise I forget about when it is not on the air, but this season has real fuel behind it.

Karen Huger returns as a full time Housewife, and her comeback carries a lot more history than a normal cast return. Karen was convicted on DUI and related charges tied to a March 2024 car crash in Maryland and served jail time before entering a recovery program. She made her public return at BravoCon in November, where she got a standing ovation presenting an award, and she is set to sit down with Andy Cohen to tell her full story during the Season 11 finale. Finding out how the show handles that arc is a big part of why I am tuning back in.

The other storyline I am watching closely is Wendy Osefo and her husband Eddie. The couple was arrested in October on multiple felony insurance fraud charges tied to a burglary claim from their Maryland home, with prosecutors alleging that items reported stolen were later found to have been returned to stores before the claim was filed. That is still working through the courts, so how much of it makes it into this season is one of the bigger questions going into the premiere.

Rounding out the cast: Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Stacey Rusch, and Tia Glover all return, newcomer Courtney Ajinça joins the group, and Robyn Dixon and Monique Samuels are back as friends.

The Traitors Just Locked Down Its Future

Peacock renewed The Traitors for three more seasons, taking it through Season 8. The timing makes sense. The show just swept the Emmys, winning all seven categories it was nominated in, including Outstanding Reality Competition Program and a third consecutive win for Alan Cumming as Outstanding Host, the most Emmy wins in a single year for any competition series. Season 4 viewership was up 72 percent over Season 3, so the renewal was less of a question and more of a formality.

Before any of that, though, Peacock dropped the Season 5 cast, and it is stacked. Kristin Chenoweth, Dominic Monaghan, Bianca Del Rio, Chloe Kim, Craig Conover, and Joey Graziadei are all heading to the castle, alongside a heavy dose of the Bravo universe: Bronwyn Newport from Salt Lake City, Gizelle Bryant from Potomac, Cynthia Bailey from Atlanta, and Emira Despain from Next Gen NYC. Twenty-three players total, no official premiere date yet, but Peacock is promising 2027. NBC's all civilian spinoff, The Traitors: New Blood, already premiered September 17 to hold fans over in the meantime.

Jeff Lewis Is Back on Bravo

Still Flipping Out premieres September 28, eight years after the original Flipping Out ended. Being a fan of Bravo only for the last few years, I don't know much about Jeff Lewis except for his friendship with Andy Cohen and his appearances on Watch What Happens Live. I don't know if this show will score the same ratings as the other franchises, but it's giving passion project energy. I will be curious to see the ratings. The new season follows Jeff and his circle, chief of staff Shane Douglas, social media manager Annie Sharp, radio producer Jamison Scala, and housekeeper Aurora Chavez, with a rotating cast of guests, including a cameo from Andy Cohen himself.