The Real Housewives franchise has grown into a behemoth over the years, and represents some of the best reality shows on the air. A new series just premiered on Bravo (and streaming with a Peacock subscription): Rhode Island. And while I was originally just dipping my toes in the water thanks to New Jersey's Dolores Catania being a "friend of", these newbies ended up hooking me with just two episodes.
While Dolores disappointed me on The Traitors, I've been watching RHONJ since Day One, and have a ton of love for Ms. Catania. I obviously had to tune in to her new gig on RHORI, even though she'll thankfully be back on the new season of New Jersey. But surprisingly, Rhode Island is already a quotable instant classic. Let's break it all down.
RHORI Managed To Hook Me Immediately
RHONJ didn't get a reunion last season, and the show was put on pause until just recently. But Dolores hasn't had any time away from the camera thanks to The Traitors and now Rhode Island. Her involvement in the latter had me curious enough to tune in to the newest Real Housewives series, but these women are already making delightful TV that should please fans of the franchise.
To start, the cast's accents are incredible. They sound like a mixture of Tony Soprano and Peter Griffin, and I can't get enough. This quirk only makes everything the women say even more effective; this includes funny moments and when things get heated.
Everything Alicia Carmody says makes me laugh, including her hating driving and lamenting that she "ran over a woman" once. There's also a ton of mixed-up words in the first two episodes, and moments of endearing cluelessness from Alicia and the rest of the ladies.
Then there's Jo-Ellen Tiberi, who is seemingly being set up to be the main villain of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. She seems like an excellent Housewife, thanks to her ability to be frank and pop off when needed. And seeing the way the rest of the women navigate around her has been fascinating.
Two episodes in and there's already plenty of drama in RHORI. There's chatter surrounding Kelsey Swanson's relationship(s), including allegations of polyamory. Then there are cheating rumors that are surrounding Rulla Nehme Pontarelli's husband, with photos to boot! It's all narrated by Liz McGraw, who basically looks like Dolores' twin.
Every main cast member is already bringing it, and in fact, Dolores has had a very small role so far. And while RHORI clearly doesn't need her in order to be entertaining, I can't wait to see the Traitors winner get more involved before eventually returning to New Jersey alongside Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga.
New episodes of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island air on Sundays on Bravo as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And I'll definitely be tuning in for the rest of the season.
