When we lose a Real Housewives star, it can be devastating. But some go by the wayside literally under the radar. More often than not, I think back to old seasons that had some of the best women on them and find myself wondering, where did they go? Sometimes, they get too big for their britches, and other times, Bravo has a shake-up. But whatever went down, it is important to remember where each franchise came from. Most of the time, it was on the backs of these women who were no longer on the show.
Jill Zarin – Real Housewives of New York
Jill Zarin had the New York City vibe with the Long Island accent. God, I loved her but felt Bethenny Frankel usually overshadowed her. During Season 1 and Season 2, she had an obsession with socializing. Jill was the connector and mother hen who felt like the heart of the show. But her downfall was pretty rocky as Season 3 showed her making fun of Ramona Singer, but fairness, the Singer Stinger wasn’t always the nicest.
Jill was the perfect mix of delusional and Upper East Side caricature. The best thing about Jill is she literally can’t stop herself. I think back to the moment she interrogated Cindy about her twins and just wanted to shout, “Stop talking!” Recently, fans saw her reemerge on Below Deck, and boy was it bad. But so bad, it was good, if that makes sense. Jill just complained and bossed around everyone, which made me think she needed a second chance on the RHONY reboot.
Teddi Mellencamp – Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
All right, all right. Before the trolls come after me about this pick, hear me out. When Teddi Mellencamp first entered the Real Housewives arena, I liked her. She was drop-dead gorgeous but had no idea how to work with her looks and seemed pretty rational. Most of the time, her good advice was overlooked by louder costars who just wanted to stir the pot. What makes her underrated is exactly what makes people dislike her. She often acted as if she was unflawed and pretentious. I don’t think viewers understand how much Teddi had a hand in causing drama. She was right up front when it came to puppygate, and she went hard for Denise Richards. I wager Teddi deserves another chance on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, especially because she inserts herself so much into the Bravo world.
Meghan King Edmonds – Real Housewives of Orange County
I am a Meghan King Edmonds Biden Owens Cuffe enthusiast! Perhaps one of the most underrated Real Housewives of her time, she was the Nancy Drew fans deserved. She spent an entire season of the Real Housewives of Orange County investigating Brooks Ayers’ cancergate. Not to mention, she spent the entire girls’ trip walking around Ireland trying to find relatives (truly the least productive way to do this.) Both instances genuinely make me cackle. The best part about Meghan was she was one hundred percent right about Brooks and Vicki Gunvalson lying about his cancer.
Perhaps the most overlooked storyline was her marriage to Jim Edmonds. To outsiders, it was clear he detested the blonde. But for some reason, she tried her best to make it work, even when coming across as excessively needy. In the end, I found myself rooting for Meghan.
