The majority of the so-called “rich kids of Beverly Hills” share three characteristics that have changed very little over the course of the show's two previous seasons.
The first is an obsession with material wealth, which seems genuine. The second is a proclivity to stir up drama to gain more screen time, which could not feel more contrived. The third is a degree of narcissism so high that it is paralleled by few other reality television personalities.
The cast is also completely boring. Morgan Stewart has one of the most intriguing yet annoying abilities on screen: “Motor Mouth” Morgan is able to speak so continuously and quickly without ever saying anything substantial that it seems her mouth has its own mind. For instance, she tells her boyfriend — Brendan Fitzpatrick, the only grounded cast member on the show — how excited she is to work on a video blog at New York Fashion Week. Brendan acts the way any normal person would by nodding along and yawning. Although initially comic, Morgan's incessant chatter becomes very wearing.
Meanwhile, EJ Johnson and Taylor-Ann Hasselhoff meet to catch up on each other's personal lives. Very quickly their conversation turns into babbling about wanting to step out of their famous parents' shadows, all while bragging about how famous their parents are. Interactions such as theirs highlight the show's greatest weaknesses: the characters’ focus on the self makes every interaction feel extremely narrow, and the cast gives the impression they are playing for the cameras. The aforementioned conversation between EJ and Taylor seems to be an attempt at a storyline, especially considering that instead of shying away from the topic of their parents, the two revel in it.
The rest of the premiere episode features petty drama played out unconvincingly. It is entertaining to watch, but to many, not particularly believable. Since each cast member is trying to maximize personal screen time while minimizing damage done to interpersonal relationships, the drama is highly predictable.
Roxy Sowlaty, who may be easy to overlook due to her petite size, is the one to notice. She engineers all of the show's drama by passing pieces of inflammatory information to the other cast members and watches them blow things out of proportion. Already, conflict is brewing between her and Taylor about something that happened in high school — even though one would hope that in their mid-twenties, they had moved on by now.
This season of “#RichKids of Beverly Hills” brings very little new material to reality television. Those looking for truly unscripted drama are better off looking elsewhere. However, for those who have had a long week and are in search of an anesthetic to numb the mind, “#RichKids of Beverly Hills” could not be a better choice.
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