For 15 seasons, fans of the Real Housewives of Orange County have seen the cast members get divorced, find love, balance work and family, and in many cases, get into big arguments with each other. While some cast members have left, each new season always promises a long list of dramatic scenes that fans are eager to see.
Over the years, RHOC featured some great trips and many friendships that fell apart. No matter which season fans are watching, from the most recent to the early years, there are some solid storylines that are drama-filled yet still feel emotional and honest.
Tamra's Fitness Competition
Tamra Judge got upset in many scenes on RHOC, so it was nice that in season 11, she had something positive going on in her personal life.
Tamra entered a fitness competition, which meant so much to her as it was the culmination of decades of tough times, as she went through two divorces and a lot of tension with her children. This storyline was even better because Tamra won, and the other ladies were there to lend support and cheer her on.
Emily's Desire To Have Another Child
Emily Simpson has had tension with some cast members, and her time on RHOC has also involved getting deep and personal.
In one season, Emily shared her desire to have another child, and this storyline got to the root of some problems in her marriage to Shane. She didn't have to air that on TV, but she chose to let viewers see what was really going on. Shane was finished having kids, but Emily wanted to have another daughter, and this allowed fans to get to know her on a different, more relatable level.
Heather Becoming An Actress Again
Heather Dubrow has had some tension with Kelly Dodd recently, and she often stood up for herself when she was a cast member on RHOC. But it was her family life that fans really became invested in.
In the seventh season, Heather realized that she wanted to get back into acting, as this is something that she used to love to do. She started working again and realized that balancing work and family was definitely tough. This was one of the best RHOC storylines as it focused on something more than just arguments.
Slade Smiley's Tension With Vicki
There was always a lot of conflict between Slade Smiley and the other cast members on The Real Housewives of Orange County. In one memorable storyline, Slade compared Vicki to Miss Piggy in a stand-up show, which was so mean and hard to watch.
Vicki talked to Gretchen about it and asked, "Did you know that he was going to talk about people? Does he think it's funny to hurt people?" This was one of the best storylines on the series because it brought up an important point: that everyone has feelings that can be hurt and insulting a woman's looks is always a cruel thing to do. It sparked an important conversation.
Tamra's Divorce From Simon And Falling In Love With Eddie
While Tamra has been part of some wild fights, she had another storyline that was much happier: divorcing Simon and falling for Eddie.
It was definitely enjoyable seeing Tamra shine after getting out of a bad situation. She and Eddie get along so well and it was clear from the start that they were the real deal. As Tamra and Eddie furthered their commitment to each other by getting married, fans saw a softer side of Tamra, and she started wanting to step away from the drama and tension that made up her friendships.
Laurie's Comments About Vicki's Sex Life
Vicki Gunvalson is known for her fights on RHOC and one memorable one took place in season eight.
The cast members went to Whistler and former cast member Lauri Peterson said she heard that Vicki had been involved in some threesomes. Vicki got really upset and yelled, "I've never been with multiple partners in my life!" This was a classic moment on the show and explains why people watch reality TV: to see a wild moment that is full of emotion.
Kelly And Tamra's Fight In Ireland
Tamra has had a difficult time in her personal life as after her divorce from her second husband Simon, her daughter didn't talk to her for years.
In season 11 of RHOC, the women went to Dublin, Ireland, and Kelly and Tamra got into a huge fight. Kelly got super personal and said that Tamra was a "liar" and "No wonder why her daughter doesn’t talk to her." This was really harsh and while no one wants to watch people fight, this was one of the more dramatic storylines on the series, as it brought up the reason why Tamra is so relatable to so many fans. She may have starred on a reality show for years, but she has gone through a lot.
Watching Gina Rebuild Her Post-Divorce Life In Season 15
Gina Kirschenheiter had a storyline in the most recent season of RHOC that was full of highs and lows. On a positive note, she found love again with her boyfriend Travis Mullen. They live in a sweet townhouse together with their six children, and viewers are so happy for her.
On a sad note, Gina went to court to deal with her ex-husband Matt who was allegedly abusive toward her. Gina is a strong and solid cast member on RHOC because she proves that moving on from divorce and pain is possible. Fans like getting a glimpse into her everyday life as she keeps it real.
Tamra And Jeana's Bad Blood
In the season six finale of RHOC, Tamra thought that Jeana had been speaking to the media about her.
While IRL, people don't always want a confrontation, the cast members of the Real Housewives franchise don't often shy away from it. Tamra marched over to Jeana and threw wine in her face. It's not something that fans could forget about, all these years later. Tamra was going through her divorce from Simon and she really didn't want people talking about her, especially not people who she thought were friends.
The Fake Cancer Storyline
When Meghan King Edmunds look into Vicki's partner Brooks and realized that he didn't have cancer, it was a super dramatic storyline that goes down in RHOC history as the most compelling one.
Fans wanted the best for Vicki and hoped that she could find love since she had gone through a tough divorce from Don, but no one was sure that Brooks was the right person for her. There was a lot about their romance that seemed fishy or just not right, and when it turned out that Brooks wasn't really sick, fans were shocked.