Episode 5 of The Real Housewives of Potomac Season 8 brought us elaborate pie analogies, more Nigerian shrine shenanigans, and a trip to Austin, Texas. With the season’s first all-cast vacay now underway, things are sure to heat up in the Lone Star State. While Ashley may love the city’s “Keep Austin Weird” energy, something tells me that these girls would make it weird wherever they go.
Now as we do every week, BetMaryland.com took a beat from Maryland sports betting and has power ranked the cast of the Real Housewives of Potomac to find out where the ladies slot in based on their online popularity. Check out the results below along with our RHOP recap and analysis.
Methodology: BetMaryland.com developed the following formula to determine power rankings: Each character starts with a base score calculated by Instagram followers divided by 100,000 (+) Twitter followers divided by 10,000. As the show airs, each will be awarded points based on followers gained or lost (+/- 1), and where they place on Google Trends (+8 for most searches - +1 for the least) over the course of the week.
*Robyn’s Twitter has since been deleted and is not taken into account for the ranking
Although there are no major shifts in our rankings since last week, it’s worth noting that several RHOP cast members saw their social media numbers explode over the last seven days. Karen, Candiace and Charrisse all gained followers on Twitter. Meanwhile Gizelle, Ashley, and Karen (again) gained plenty of Instagram followers.
But with no changes in the rankings, now is a good time to break down the standings of these ladies more holistically by breaking them into “tiers” based on their standing within the long running Bravo series.
The top tier of RHOP includes the show’s unquestionable superstars: Gizelle Bryant and Karen Huger. The Grand Dame seemed to acknowledge the pair’s privileged status this week while using their tumultuous relationship as a prime example of how cast members can overcome their differences. As two of the OG cast members, Karen and Gizelle have been through lots of petty drama — and they both know that another season and another pay day is reason enough to make up and move on.
The next group of Potomac Houswives includes three movers and shakers; that is, cast members who’ve got serious side pursuits that have helped buoy their RHOP fame. Candiace Dillard, of course, has her music. Dr. Wendy has her professorship, TV news show punditry, and YouTube series. And newly single Ashley Darby has a new boob job and, as a burgeoning drag show host, may be on the cusp of becoming a gay icon.
But before we move onto the next tier, a quick word on the number 4 housewife in our rankings, Wendy. It would seem that this week Dr. Osefo has been caught in a web of her own lies! The producers brought receipts in the form of unseen footage of Nneka’s sister attending a party for Wendy’s daughter. Obviously, Wendy knows more about Nneka than she’s letting on.
Robyn Dixon and Mia Thornton represent two cast members on widely different trajectories, with their respective screen time interesting to compare and contrast this week. For her part, this is Mia’s third season on the show, and she has welcomed the production into a truly intimate storyline involving her marriage, her financial troubles, and a tragic incident involving a lawyer who was caught scamming her family and subsequently committed suicide — which has had a profound emotional impact on Mia.
On the other hand, Robyn Dixon has been a part of this show since day one, but she’s kept the delicate aspects of her and Juan’s relationship at arm’s length from the audience this season. In fact, you’d learn more about the Dixon family by reading People Magazine than you would by watching the series Robyn’s starred in the show for the last seven years. Of course, it’s understandable that Robyn doesn’t want to answer questions about her husband’s alleged infidelity, but her laissez-faire attitude just comes across as inauthentic and alienating for the audience.
Is it terrible to say that Nneka gives off serious Bond villain-vibes? Whether she’s confronting Wendy or visiting the doctor’s office, Nneka means business. (Side note: it’s kind of awful how dismissive the doctor was of her concerns, regardless of how silly it is that the pair has only been trying for seven months). The newest Nigerian cast member may be in the bottom tier for now, but it seems like only a matter of time before she makes her mark.
Meanwhile, Charrisse continues to fade into the background. Why isn’t she on the Austin trip? Was she not invited, or did she decline the invite out of fear that she may not have her own bathroom like last year in Miami?
Author
Jeff Parker is an entertainment writer for BetMaryland.com. A writer for film, television and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with an actual Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full time as documentary filmmaker and producer.
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