‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ premiere review: Tamra Barney vs. Vicki Gunvalson

“The Real Housewives of Orange County” is back … and so is the drama. You probably saw the latter part of this coming, and the first episode of the new season did a pretty fantastic job of introducing us to newcomer Lydia McLaughlin, while at the same time reminding us that in this California culture, time does not heal all wounds. (As a matter of fact, it sometimes doesn’t heal any wounds at all.)

So what are some examples of that? Let us count the ways. First and foremost, we had Heather Dubrow making a decision not to invite Alexis Bellino to what was a ritzy clambake party at her absolutely fabulous mansion. Granted, the place did not feel nearly as beautiful once the party actually started, as Tamra Barney and Vicki Gunvalson chose to go at each other in a feud that actually started up last season.

While from a drama standpoint this is great, we don’t always love it when it comes to entertainment. When it comes to this show we like often to see a sort of fresh feeling of rebirth to kick off a season, mostly because we see them often dwell on fights during a season for longer than they really should. It makes things boring. This is what made last season’s premiere so exciting, as we saw growth between Tamra and Gretchen Rossi, and this made things much more dynamic since we were given the opportunity to taste a different sort of flavor.

On a more positive note, we’re glad to see that Vicki has moved on from Brooks, her boyfriend last season … though she really didn’t need all the plastic surgery. We also have her embracing a new stage of her life as a grandma.

Did you enjoy the season 8 premiere, even if some of the drama felt like a bit of  re-hash? Be sure to share your thoughts below, and you can also read more on the next cast member by heading on over to the link here.

Photo: Bravo