If Tennessee Williams were still alive, he’d be chainsmoking cigarettes and throwing crystal ashtrays at the wall, fuming with envy that he couldn’t manage to write a Southern family drama as gripping as the one airing on Season 14 of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
For a series that doesn’t often veer from the flashy and frothy lives of the women in one of America’s wealthiest zip codes, the multi-episode arc in the middle of this season was a welcome change of pace. Thorny family trauma has been a “Beverly Hills” staple since the franchise’s inaugural season in 2010. The first handful of seasons were replete with dark, twisted turns playing out in front of the camera. Cast members navigated onscreen blow-ups between two child star sisters and offscreen abuse that resulted in the death of one housewife’s husband after his cruelty was broadcast for millions to see.
