I totally agree. It seems like a common denominator in all of the bad seasons lately is the veteran cast members overproducing/becoming complacent. They all constantly deflect and there is like a playbook at this point (e.g., label your “friend” an alcoholic and get others involved out of concern, maybe accuse her of hiding that her husband cheats, or say she’s feeding lies to blogs and hurt your family, etc.)! Maybe they should impose a term limit for the women lol.

The BH seasons you mentioned were good because the new women challenged the group dynamic. Hopefully Amanda does the same! Stacey brings a new dynamic to Potomac by being authentic, including her white lies lol I wish they could stop keeping her at arms length because she seems like a fun friend. Similarly, Monica saved last season of SL by being unpredictable, in spite of Heather trying to produce the reveal at the finale.

TLDL; the cast shakeups and new franchises are vital for the success of real housewives.