There are so many great seasons of The Real Housewives of Orange County, it can be difficult to choose the best ones. The Real Housewives of Orange County has 17 seasons chock full of lavish vacations, girl talk, relationship problems, and fabulous ensembles. Whether you're a show purist, or a new fan, there are bound to be seasons that speak to you below. Perhaps you prefer the early seasons, with O.G. cast members, like Kimberly Bryant, Jo De La Rosa, and Jeana Keough. Some cast members, like Vicki Gunvalson, appear throughout the long-running reality TV series. Personalities like Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, and Braunwyn Windham-Burke joined the show in later seasons. If crazy drama and big confrontations are your thing, seasons 6, 10, 11, 13, and 14 all have their share of explosive arguments. There's plenty of piping hot tea to be shared in season 17, as well, with the return of Tamra Judge, which caused tension between the group, because of her conflict with Shannon. Read more about all 17 seasons below, and be sure to vote up the ones you think are best. Check back to see if other fans agree with your rankings!
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In season 11 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Kelly Dodd, a businesswoman, joined the housewives, replacing Meghan King Edmonds. The season showcased Kelly's volatile marriage, along with her clashes with the other women. Shannon and David renewed their vows, while Vicki tried to mend fences with the other housewives.
Meghan King Edmonds, a former model, joined the housewives in season 10, replacing Lizzie Rovsek. The season focused on Meghan's stepmother role, and her conflicts with Vicki. Season 10 also followed Shannon and her husband David, as they worked on their marriage after his infidelity, and showcased how Brooks’ cancer diagnosis created controversy among the women.
Shannon Beador, a stay-at-home mom, and Lizzie Rovsek, a former Miss Kentucky, joined the housewives in season 9, replacing Lydia McLaughlin and Gretchen Rossi. The season highlighted Shannon's marital issues and Lizzie's struggle to balance her career and family. Other memorable moments included Tamra's fitness studio struggles, and Heather building her dream home.
In season 7, Heather Dubrow, a former actress, joined the women, replacing Peggy Tanous. This season concentrated on Heather's attempts to fit in with the housewives, along with her husband's plastic surgery business. Gretchen proposed to Slade, which caused quite the stir among the women. Alexis faced bullying accusations from the other housewives.
Season 12 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, which premiered on July 10, 2017, continued its focus on the lives of the affluent women residing in one of America's wealthiest communities. Key moments included the ladies' trip to Iceland, Tamra and Vicki's renewed friendship, Shannon grappling with issues in her marriage, and Peggy revealing more about her personality.
The 13th season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, which premiered on July 16, 2018, introduced two new housewives, Emily Simpson and Gina Kirschenheiter. The main plot lines revolved around the women's individual ups and downs, including Gina's divorce and Shannon's emotional year. Other memorable events included a confrontational trip to Jamaica, drama over a game of telephone, Vicki's quest to get her partner Steve to propose, and a shocking face-off between Vicki and Kelly.
Peggy Tanous, a former model, joined the housewives in the sixth season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, replacing Lynne Curtin. The season highlighted Peggy's past relationship with Alexis' husband, and her postpartum depression. In season 6, Vicki finalized her divorce with Donn, and started dating Brooks, which created tension among the group.
Alexis Bellino, a stay-at-home mom, joined the housewives, replacing Jeana Keough. This season focused on Alexis' struggles to fit into the group, as well as her marriage issues. Viewers also saw as Gretchen began dating Slade, causing friction among the women. Vicki dealt with her failing marriage, while Tamra filed for divorce from her husband, Simon.
In season 8, Christian author and OC heiress Lydia McLaughlin joined the housewives, replacing Alexis Bellino. The season showcased Lydia's efforts to bring the women together, as well as her conflicts with Slade. Other memorable plot points included Vicki focusing on her business after splitting with Brooks, and Tamra getting engaged to Eddie, and opening a fitness studio.
Season 17 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, which premiered on June 7, 2023, saw the return of Tamra Judge, which stirred tension, as she accused Shannon of ghosting her. The ladies found themselves dealing with various personal issues, such as Emily adjusting to being a full-time mom, Heather preparing for her kids going to college, and the introduction of new housewife Jennifer Pedranti. A significant portion of the season focused on the ladies' adventure to a ranch in Montana, covering ranch-hand tasks, fly-fishing, and white-water rafting, leading to various friendship highs and lows.
Season 14 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, which debuted on August 6, 2019, revolved around various significant events in the ladies' lives, such as Gina's growing friendship with Shannon, Tamra's therapy sessions, and Vicki dealing with Kelly during their trip to Arizona. A major plot point was Vicki's explosive arguments with Kelly. There were memorable moments like Emily's shocking medical diagnosis, Vicki's farmhouse chic engagement party, and a drama-filled trip to Florida, along with a post-season incident involving Gina and the police.
In the second season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Tammy Knickerbocker joined the group, replacing Kimberly Bryant. The season showcased Vicki's expanding business, and her strained relationship with her son, Michael. Meanwhile, Jeana's real estate career took a hit due to a slow market. Tammy tried to adjust to a simpler lifestyle after losing her multimillion-dollar fortune.
The first season introduced viewers to the opulent lives of Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough, Lauri Peterson, Jo De La Rosa, and Kimberly Bryant, and how they navigated their personal and professional lives in the affluent community of Orange County. Vicki is a successful insurance agent, while Jo struggles with her engagement to a wealthy businessman. This season also showed Kimberly grappling with a skin cancer scare, and Lauri dealing with a messy divorce.
Gretchen Rossi is introduced in the fourth season, following Lauri's departure. The season revolves around Gretchen coping with the death of her fiancé, Jeff. Viewers also see how Jeana's real estate business continued to struggle, while Tamra's son Ryan moved back home. Vicki and Donn tried to rekindle their romance with a vow renewal ceremony.
Tamra Barney, a real estate agent, joined the housewives club, replacing Jo De La Rosa. In season three, Vicki and her husband Donn faced marital problems, while Jeana's family underwent significant changes with her son going to college, and her husband moving out. Lauri married George, a wealthy businessman, and Tammy faced difficulties raising her daughters alone.
The 16th season of The Real Housewives of Orange County followed the turbulent friendship between Gina and Shannon, Noella's struggle with her divorce, and the women questioning Noella's narrative about her divorce. The season also delved into Dr. Jen's marital issues, and showed Emily dealing with unresolved trauma from her childhood. Additionally, the group faced numerous altercations during their trip to Aspen, and Emily and Shane celebrated their marriage with their dream wedding photoshoot.
In season 15 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Braunwyn Windham-Burke, a mother of seven, joined the housewives, replacing Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Barney. The season centered on Braunwyn's sobriety journey, as well as her coming out as a lesbian. Shannon battled COVID-19, while Kelly planned her wedding amid the pandemic.
