Jo was the first Housewife to explore her musical pursuits, kicking off one of our favorite trends in the franchise.
Drew's claim to fame in season 13—her first, and currently, only—was shrewdly putting Friend of (and frenemy) LaToya Ali in her place during the South Carolina girls' trip by presenting her biggest fan with an autographed headshot. Her end-of-season "Delilah spirit" attack on LaToya, however, felt strangely misogynistic. So a few points detracted for that.
The franchise's first and only practicing Wiccan, Carlton was quite a character. Unfortunately, she never really seemed to want to be around any of the other women. At all. Bye, witch!
Kelly's foul mouth and strong opinions usually got her in big trouble, causing lots of drama and typically making for great TV. However, her wild and ferocious ride on RHOC really lost its charm in season 15 when she made fun of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, mocked the Black Lives Matter movement, called co-star Braunwyn Windham-Burke a "fake alcoholic" and called boss Andy Cohen "anti-American to his face at the reunion (she also shouted "I'm Black!" at the same reunion). She was fired and dropped many spots on our ranking list.
Peggy came in as a friend of Alexis Bellino and immediately revealed she once dated her husband. What a pal!
Whitney's bad timing in telling Jen Shah rumors at her husband's birthday party pretty much ignited all of RHOSLC's season one drama. Despite causing beef, Whitney's kind heart and good intentions were more than endearing and fans enjoyed watching her friendship with Heath Gay grow throughout the season. Oh, and her father's tough battle with addiction tugged at the heartstrings of viewers all season long.
Jennifer wasted no time leaving her mark on RHONJ, from clashing with fellow new addition Jackie to picking fights with Margaret Josephs and Melissa. She's unpredictable in all the right ways for good TV.
Remember the time that Ramona Singer threw a wine glass at her face?
Michaele is the only reason anyone even remembers RHODC. Unfortunately, that's because she and her then-husband Tarek crashed a state dinner at the White House on camera. The White House!
Lauri's time on RHOC was often consumed by her kid's brushes with the law, but her villainous return in season eight was very entertaining.
Points for being willing to go toe-to-toe with Danielle Staub. Points subtracted for being unwilling to fault BFF Siggy on just about anything she did.
Alex never really felt like a part of the group, nor did she seem to have the mettle to wrestle with the big dogs. Remember the way she always broke out into hives during confrontations?
Kathy always seemed a little too well-adjusted for the family drama that consumed her time on RHONJ.
Taylor's time on Beverly Hills took a remarkably dark turn when her husband Russell committed suicide between seasons one and two. It was all just a little too real for reality TV.
Jeana was always a reliable source of drama, but she was never the star of the show.
Alexis was one giant walking contradiction and it got old, fast. But wherever she walked, she left drama behind her.
Between seasons 10 and 11, Sutton was promoted from "friend of" to bonafide Beverly Hills Housewife. And while many fans were on the fence about her at the start, her staunch questioning of Erika Jayne's legal troubles and shocking divorce stories (Sutton was not afraid to go there!) made her the captain of a wild season full of twists, turns and horrifying allegations, proving herself a worthy opponent to Erika's combativeness. Oh, and she uttered the immortal phrase, "Jealous of what? You're ugly leather pants?!"
The franchise's first former carny, LeeAnne's temper was unlike anything we'd ever seen before. It gave us some of RHOD's most memorable moments thus far. Unfortunately, as we learned in season four, it also came with a side of racist tendencies and she was shown the door.
As RHOBH's first Asian Housewife, Crystal embraced her Chinese-American heritage in a way that made fans want to celebrate right alongside her. When she found herself facing off against Sutton Stracke over the topic of race at the start of season 11, she was clearly on the right side of the debate. And when the Crystal-Sutton beef came to a head, her "ugly leather pants" earned their place in Housewives history. We can't wait to see more Crystal Kung Minkoff.
The first blonde in the Garden State since Dina Manzo, Margaret quickly revealed herself to be no sufferer of fools. She's quick to clash and very real, which makes for great entertainment.
Joining in season five, Dr. Moon was saddled with the emotional labor of introducing the Lone Star State ladies to her Chinese culture following Brandi's racist controversy. It couldn't have been easy, but she handled it with grace and dignity. And that closet of hers, with its fingerprint scan entry? An aspirational dream.
Joining the cast in season 14, Braunwyn's resume proved more than promising for a first-time Housewife new to the OC scene. Wacky mom? Check! Hot husband with an affinity for giant Hawaiian necklaces and threesomes? Check! A smokin' hot bod after having seven children? Check! But it was Braunwyn's willingness to stand up to OC OG Vicki amid her nasty digs that proved the newbie was a firecracker and a force to be reckoned with.
While Leah's first season on RHONY felt a bit like watching her babysit her eccentric aunts, the newbie brought an energy to the Big Apple that kept everyone on their toes. One of the most successful debuts in recent franchise history, if we're keeping score. (And we are.)
Our only complaint about Garcelle, who made history as the RHOBH's first Black cast member when she joined in season 10, is that her busy schedule kept her from really getting into the mix. She sure does class up the joint when she's around, though.