The Real Housewives of Potomac Season 9 started off with a bang or, should I say, a swerve. The over-the-top reenactment of Karen Huger’s DUI caught me off guard. It highlighted the issue’s severity while simultaneously mocking it. The video wasn’t for a D.A.R.E campaign. But rather a light-hearted way for Bravo to deal with their second Real Housewives’ drunk driving issue within one year. Karen has always been a pillar of the series, but she needs to seriously course correct if she is hoping to save the title of Grand Dame.
Karen Huger needs to admit she made a mistake twice
As viewers learned from the season premiere, this was not the first time the mother of two had gotten behind the wheel while intoxicated. The arrest shocked viewers and costars who thought of all people Karen would know better. The reenactment showed that Karen left a dinner on March 19, 2024, and started her drive home. One month later, Karen hadn’t left her house and seemed uncomfortable about the whole situation. Mia Thornton said what pretty much everyone was thinking: “Endanger yourself, not society. You’re Karen Huger, darling, call a car.” Perhaps the most atrocious part of the entire incident is that Karen is a repeat offender. As she stated in a 2018 confessional, “Maryland has a zero-tolerance policy.” Yet she forgot that law, opting for convenience over safety.
It seems odd that Karen, who prides herself on being a mother, wife, and businessperson, once again puts herself in situations where her character could be called into question. Karen’s lackadaisical confessionals, in which she noted that “Accidents happen,” didn’t exactly sit well with me as a viewer. I felt like she was diminishing her part in the car wreck. Karen touched on her own injuries but never mentioned anyone else she could have harmed while behind the wheel.
Karen Huger needs to embrace those around her
I’ve loved watching Karen for all these years on the Real Housewives of Potomac. Between readjusting her wig on camera and shading the women behind their backs, Karen makes for good TV. And I think many of her co-stars truly care about her. But Karen has a way of icing people out as she withholds information. It makes her feel unapproachable and turns people off from helping her. During the season premiere, Karen and Gizelle Bryant stopped by a pizza joint where the manager made it known that Karen had never drank while at his establishment. The conversation felt forced and icky.
I think if Karen were able to be a little more honest with those around her, she would go further. For once, Gizelle genuinely seemed concerned about her friend. But instead of opening up to her, Karen clapped back with the statement, “You can read.” By the look of Gizelle’s face, you could feel her shutting down and retreating. It’s okay to admit you need a friend to lean on, but I don’t think Karen has gotten the memo yet since she is still trying to maintain her spot on the pedestal.
Karen Huger can’t be the victim
I understand that the Grand Dame might want to play the victim, but she should really be turning herself into the antihero of her own story. Shortly after the premiere Karen went on Watch What Happens Live to vent her own frustrations with the rest of the cast. She noted that watching the episode “took me back to that time, and it’s still ongoing, and it just was so painful to watch it because I lived through it.” But Karen’s biggest peeve was with how the women aired their concerns. Karen took a dig at Ashley, noting, “I mean, you know I care for these women, and all I wanted them to do was be patient and wait because it’s an ongoing case.”
She added, “But you know Ashley saying what she said — and let’s be clear, Ashley needs to be concerned about her relationship with alcohol the way she sucks down the Coronas. I’m just saying.” Instead of deflecting and attacking the other women, Karen could give back to the community by sharing her story. If Karen could harness her powers, she really could make a difference and show that, yes, while she made a mistake, she is willing to help others learn from it.
Real Housewives of Potomac is streaming on Peacock.
