Eight years into its run on Bravo, Summer House is having its best season yet. But what exactly has made Season 8 of the Hamptons-set reality show can’t-miss TV? There are a lot of factors that, when added together, have collectively given the series the essential balance of fun, drama, romance and tumult that it needs to succeed.
It’s necessary to point out that it doesn’t hurt that this season of Summer House came amid a down period for Bravo’s flagship Real Housewives empire. For the first time since Obama’s presidency, not a single Housewives franchise was airing for several weeks in April after The Real Housewives of Potomac wrapped a poorly-received season and before The Real Housewives of New Jersey kicked off a season that fans are hesitant about because of Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice’s agreement to merely coexist and not engage with one another, lest viewers get yet another season centered on their years-long feud. There was an opportunity for another show to capture the attention of Bravo viewers, and Summer House did just that.
Going into this season, there was already pointed intrigue around Lindsay Hubbard and Carl Radke’s broken engagement, which Carl had reportedly ended on-camera after allegedly calling producers to their shared apartment to capture the conversation. News of their breakup leaked immediately last September, but despite a handful of interviews given by Lindsay sharing her side of the story and some tense moments from BravoCon, viewers would have to wait until the season premiered to see what really happened. As we’ve seen with many a Bravo show, having that ripped-from-the-headlines appeal to a season’s central storyline almost guarantees a certain level of success both in terms of ratings and word of mouth popularity. That element is what the Kardashians have dined out on for years: Watch the show to get the real story behind the headlines.
And what really happened between Lindsay and Carl, as far as the cameras have demonstrated, was a rollercoaster of behind-closed-doors fighting that had viewers ping-ponging back and forth between Team Lindsay and Team Carl. Ultimately, a lot of fans have landed on Team Just Glad They Didn’t Get Married, but that hasn’t made watching the unfurling of their relationship any less compelling for viewers. It’s given the audience something to debate and change their minds about with each passing episode. What’s going to happen next between them? You’ll have to tune in next week to find out, because there have been more than a few genuinely surprising developments that viewers hadn’t previously been privy to.
But that’s not the only storyline that’s proven to draw people in. Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula continue to deal with hurdles in their relationship — both romantic and business — on camera. The complicated intermingling of their marriage and their company, Loverboy, has come to a head this season, resulting in a lot of emotional arguments between the couple. Summer House has followed their romance from its inception, and viewers have seen them make things official, overcome a cheating scandal, move in together, start a company with one another, get engaged and then married, all of which makes them feel intimately invested in whatever goes on between them. The stakes are high for all involved, and their relationship continues to make for captivating reality TV.
There’s also the dual additions of West Wilson and Jesse Solomon, a dynamic duo who echo some of the early appeal that Kyle and Carl had, but with a more sensitive and self-aware twist. They’ve brought fresh energy to the house, a single-and-ready-to-mingle approach to the summer that felt needed in a group dominated by couples and a brewing bromance for the ages complete with genuine emotional support and refreshing honesty between the two of them. Bravo hasn’t introduced new male cast members this exciting to a show for years.
Their convivial outlooks seemed to be infectious, too. Most of the parties this season felt like ones you wanted to be invited to. Everyone appeared to be having fun, which brought the group together in unexpected ways. Lindsay and Paige DeSorbo, a confessional artist and voice of the people for the ages, ended up on the same page this summer, while Danielle Olivera and Lindsay were able to rebuild their friendship after it crumbled last season. The other women also rallied around Gabby Presscod during an emotional hookup-related breakdown during another wild party.
And then there’s West’s summer fling with Ciara Miller, who has long proven herself to be an incredible reality star. While viewers have seen Ciara mix it up romantically with men on Bravo before, the way things panned out between her and Southern Charm’s Austen Kroll left her more closed off to pursuing another on-screen love interest. But, this season, West’s BDE and irresistible sensibility proved too much to resist, and viewers were onboard almost immediately. In contrast to two long-featured couples who were going through it, West and Ciara gave the audience something to root for. They were cute and exciting, and West made Ciara giddier than we’ve ever seen her. And, while it seems as though they might not end up together — at least for now — it’s been a fun and relatable ride with them this season.
Speaking of relatable, that’s the quality that ultimately allows Summer House to maintain its core appeal. It’s relatable! Sure, many of the cast members on this show are probably making more money than you, and spending the summer in the Hamptons isn’t exactly the most accessible way to vacation. But, unlike Vanderpump Rules, this doesn’t yet feel like a reality show about reality stars. Within the variety pack of relationship hurdles they’re dealing with on season 8, there’s a high chance that every single person watching Summer House sees themselves in one of those issues. They’ve been there, or they are there now. And, after all, amid all of the noise and conversation and theories and speculation around these shows, isn’t that why we watch? Because they’re real?
Gibson Johns is an award-nominated entertainment journalist, host, podcaster, and reality TV commentator known for his Bravo hot takes, celebrity interviews and prolific tweeting. His work has appeared in Esquire, Men’s Health, Betches, Yahoo! and more. He’s conducted hundreds of interviews with top celebrities like Khloe Kardashian, Matt Damon, Chrissy Teigen, Kate Hudson and Gabrielle Union, as well as interviews with over 80 “Real Housewives.” He’s appeared as a moderator at multiple BravoCons, hosted premiere panels for Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Potomac and Dancing Queens, and been a guest on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy.
