After season 13 of The Real Housewives of New York City aired without a reunion, Bravo announced that it would be splitting the reality series up into two shows. Andy Cohen told Variety that there would be a new series with cast members who fans haven’t seen before, along with a show with returning stars who viewers will definitely recognize. Cohen said, “We’re at a crossroads for RHONY.” It’s the perfect time to look back on the city and see which episodes fans have liked the most. The highest-rated episodes on IMDb have featured big arguments, fancy vacations, and some moments that viewers still talk about as the most unforgettable from the reality series.
Updated on August 11th, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras: While the future of The Real Housewives of New York City seemed uncertain for a while, fans have learned that there will now be two different shows to look forward to. Viewers are waiting on news and details, and in the meantime, fans have voted on their most loved episodes from this city in the popular Bravo franchise.
“Reunion” (S1, E8): 8.0
The first season reunion episode was the highest rated one on IMDb, and this allowed the cast to talk about what had happened during those episodes.
Alex McCord, Bethenny Frankel, Ramona Singer, Jill Zarin, and Luann de Lesseps were the original group, and Jill wore a “Team Jill” t-shirt, which is in sharp contrast to the fancy gowns that the Real Housewives are known for wearing to reunions.
“Reunion: Watch What Happens – Part 1” (S2, E13): 8.2
There are many forgotten conflicts on RHONY that fans are reminded of when they look back on the series. Season 2’s reunion was split up into two parts, and the first one got a rating of 7.7. Season 1 of RHONY feels very innocent now, as the cast went shopping and spent time with their families or partners, and as season 2 progressed, the drama definitely heated up. There was a lot to talk about, as season 2 saw the introduction of Kelly Bensimmon, who would have trouble getting along with Bethenny. Ramona was also upset that Luann talked about her having “crazy eyes.”
“Sun, Sand And Psychosis” (S3, E12): 8.7
Kelly’s “Scary Island” RHONY quotes are some of the most famous from the show, and it makes sense that fans would rate this unforgettable episode so highly. When the cast wanted to have a nice, tropical vacation, conflict ensued between Bethenny and Kelly as Kelly began saying things that made absolutely no sense. While Bethenny thought Kelly should get a good night’s rest, Kelly talked about candy and feeling terrified, and to this day fans aren’t sure what happened.
“Video Killed The Countess” (S4, E15) – 8.2
Season 4 saw the cast heading to Morocco, and Luann also recorded a video for her song “Chic C’est La Vie” during this season. In this episode, which earned an 8.2 out of 10 rating from fans, Luann asked the others to be in the video. It’s interesting to look back to this early season since later on, Luann would upset Bethenny by talking about cabaret a lot. The episode also saw some typical drama, as Sonja wanted to try to bond with Cindy Barshop, but when Sonja asked her to come over for breakfast, Cindy talked on the phone.
“Pirate Booty Call” (S5) – 8.9
Fans remember a lot about this famous season 5 episode: Luann inviting a “pirate” who looked just like Johnny Depp back to her room and Carole spending time with Russ, her boyfriend at the time.
There was a lot of gossip about Luann as she tried to sneak around and keep this a secret, but of course, everyone found out what was going on.
“The Last Leg” (S6 , E20) – 8.6
Aviva Drescher throwing her leg in season 6 is one of the most memorable Real Housewives scenes and it happened in this episode. Aviva was incredibly upset with her co-stars and even yelled that she wasn’t fake but her leg was. It’s hard to remember anything else that happened in this episode as this wild moment was super distracting.
“Conch Blocked (S7, E14) – 8.8
In this highly-rated season 7 episode that took place in Turks and Caicos, Bethenny and Ramona couldn’t see eye-to-eye as Bethenny wanted to make a nice lunch for everyone and Ramona said that going to a restaurant would be a better idea. This was definitely mean of Ramona as it meant a lot to Bethenny to cook for the group. This episode is also memorable because the cast danced at the Conch Bar and Ramona tried to hit on the person who owned the bar.
“Invitation Interrupted” (S8, E11) – 8.7
This season 8 episode featured a lot of ups and downs in the cast’s personal lives. While Luann was newly dating Tom and thrilled about it, Jules Wainstein was stressed out because her marriage wasn’t going well and her then husband left her most of the childcare responsibilities. The RHONY cast’s big secrets included Bethenny learning that Tom was unfaithful, but at this point on the show, Luann was in love and thought that everyone would work out just fine. It’s interesting looking back on this episode and how much things have changed since then.
“Tequila-Thon” (S9, E17) – 8.4
In this season 9 episode, Bethenny hosted a Mexico trip and wasn’t sure that she should invite Ramona since she was concerned about how she would behave. This trip was off to a dramatic start before it even began.
The cast enjoyed many drinks and had some fun, but there was also tension, as Ramona was upset that Bethenny wasn’t happy with her and did her best to get along with Bethenny once again.
“Ship Happens” (S10, E17) – 8.7
Every season of RHONY often has a wild episode that stands out amongst the rest, and this season 10 episode featured the cast going on a boat ride that ended up being scary and dangerous. While many co-stars were fighting during their Colombia trip, it was the boat ride on rocky waters that is unforgettable. Sonja Morgan actually peed in her bathing suit and while she kept saying that something seemed off, Tinsley Mortimer was totally calm.
“Life Is Not A Cabaret” (S11, E15) – 8.7
Out of Bethenny’s biggest RHONY arguments, fans recall this one the most: when Bethenny yelled at Luann “life is not a cabaret!” and told her to stop bringing it up at every single opportunity. Yelling at someone is rarely the best way to get a point across but Bethenny was so frustrated that she just screamed at her co-star for a long time, while Luann looked on totally shocked and confused. Luann and Bethenny’s friendship was definitely in a tough spot in season 11.
“Remember Your Blue Stone Manors” (S12, E14) – 8.1
RHONY fans love any episode set at Dorinda’s Blue Stone Manor home, but there’s often more drama than good times. This was a tough episode to watch, as Dorinda upset Luann so badly that she wanted to go home, which is definitely a big deal when everyone is supposed to get together for a fun Berkshires getaway. Dorinda tried to take credit for Luann’s “Feelin’ Jovani” song, and Luann wasn’t thrilled with that.
The cast had one last night at Dorinda’s house, and Leah was mad because she invited a bartender named James over but Dorinda was telling him many stories. This wasn’t the most stand-out season of the series, but this was an entertaining if wild episode.
“The Dopplegang’s All Here” (S13, E17) – 7.5
Season 13 had some low ratings on IMDb, and in the highest-rated episode of season 13, the cast members celebrated Galentine’s Day, as they got some body art and had a lot of fun. This episode had a serious moment too, as Leah talked her situation with Rob, who she shares a daughter with and who she has always been very close to.
