Say what you will about reality television, but season 10 of Keeping Up With the Kardashians is the best. The long-running cable series catapulted the blended Jenner-Kardashian clan into instant fame.
This instant fame was, in large part, due to the many campy scenarios and outgoing personalities of its family members. Season 10 takes a lot of the humor and tabloid fodder of the previous seasons and substitutes it for real-world issues that rarely get televised. Not only that, but viewers finally get to see the Kardashians collectively come into their own as moguls, pop culture icons, and more importantly, as a family in crisis. Episode 1, which aired on March 15, 2015, opened with a quick recap of Kim Kardashian's third wedding, this time to rapper Kanye West. Episodes 2-5 introduced fans to Kris Jenner's new beau Corey Gamble, made Rob Kardashian come to terms with his emotional issues and rapid weight gain during a family intervention, and demonstrated Kim's impressive knowledge of mobile marketing at a Silicon Valley tech convention.
Episode 5 showed besties Mallika Haqq and Khloe Kardashian experiencing growing pains within their friendship. On a trip to Solvang, CA, the women hash it out over Khloe's on-again, off-again relationship with rapper French Montana. They even pop into a wine bar and sip vino served to them by actor Kurt Russell's younger sister Jami (the proprietor). Episodes 6-9 gave us Kourtney's nude pregnancy photo shoot, Kim addressing her infamous Paper magazine cover photo, and a vague explanation of Kylie Jenner's newly sprouted full lips.
Still, it's the transition of Bruce Jenner into Caitlyn Jenner that truly makes the season worth watching. After a marital separation that played out in season 9, Kris and Bruce's troubles come to a head. By episodes 10 and 11, the world knew Bruce's secret, and the entire family grappled to understand, be compassionate, and support Caitlyn's entrance into the world. E! Network (which airs the series), even extended the season and dedicated a two-part special to shed light on the family's gender identity saga.
Episodes 12-15 gave the Kardashians the chance to pick up the pieces by taking a vacation to Montana, followed by one to Armenia. Kim and Kanye baptized their daughter North West in Jerusalem, and it seemed for a minute that this family's trials and tribulations made it a stronger unit after all. Then... the Vanity Fair feature with Caitlyn Jenner proclaiming to the world, "Call Me Caitlyn," changed everything forever.
As the season drew to a close, Scott Disick's old issues with drinking, depression, and partying made a comeback, testing the limits of Kourtney's patience in their union. Her uncertainty was compounded by the stress of giving birth to their third child together, Reign. Not since PBS' groundbreaking reality series, An American Family, has the drama been this real. The pain, the honesty, and the togetherness is what makes season 10 of Keeping Up With the Kardashians a must-see.