Bravo, Stop Picking Up Cameras.
I am begging you, stop.
March 2023 was such a special time in the Bravosphere, one that has been well documented on this Substack and across the Internet. For the rest of time there will be B.S and A.S — Before Scandoval and After Scandoval.
Before Scandoval, Bravo rarely, if ever, picked up the cameras after a show had wrapped. When something scandalous happened after a season was in the can we had to either wait until the reunion or until the next season, unless it was something extremely intense — like Teresa and Joe getting their sentencing or Russel Armstrong’s death after season 2 of Beverly Hills.
Even when cameras were picked back up, it was never in such an obvious way where so much time had passed, and it was made to be a spectacle.
When it came to Scandoval, what was even more unusual was that the season was actively airing and we were weeks away from the reunion being filmed when cameras picked back up. We had the unique experience of having formed opinions about the season already when this huge scandal broke and we were able to see the season through a new lens — constantly looking for inklings about Tom and Ariana’s relationship, watching the Raquel & Schwartz thing spark and fizzle. We did this all while knowing that we were going to get an explosive finale episode and then a raw reunion.
We will never have something happen like that again. Even if Bravo is trying their hardest to recreate lighting in a bottle.
And I’m here to beg them to stop.
For the past two years, whenever something mildly interesting happens the cameras are picked back up and a short five minute clip is added onto the end of every finale. They’ve done it across almost every franchise aside from RHONY and RHOSLC.
At first the pickups made sense, like last season of Beverly Hills when Mauricio and Kyle announced their separation. The season dealt with their marriage troubles and even though she gave us nothing, Kyle is still an original Housewife and her marriage was extremely important to the fabric of the show. If they didn’t pick up cameras I would’ve been upset.
Or Carl and Lindsay— because despite what Andy Cohen says, I firmly believe that Carl let production know he was going to dump Lindsay on camera and he wanted proof. It was only a few days after filming for the summer had wrapped but it was still a worth while call.
But now, the pickups are becoming ridiculous. When I saw that we had cameras up for Tom Girardi being found guilty I was flabbergasted. Really? We’re shoving that at the end of the lackluster Beverly Hills finale? In what world did that make sense to the production team?
Was it really necessary to film Tamra and Heather telling Shannon that John Jansen said he did hear the car accident that night post reunion? Why didn’t they tell her that ON THE REUNION. It was unnecessary and felt like they were pandering to the audience.
Just a few weeks ago we watched the last minute of the Southern Charm season finale where we met Craig as he gave more details about his breakup with Paige. That had the potential to be an intense conversation but what we got was a complete dud. The editing during that scene felt chaotic, uneven and rushed. It didn’t add anything to the plot and we should’ve just waited for the reunion to question Craig.
When you are constantly showing things post filming, trying to chase that Scandoval high it becomes meaningless. It is ruining the essence of what these shows are and feels repetitive, especially when nothing else is going on. It removes the magic, the adrenaline, the interest of everything these shows should be.
What made the Scandoval finale so special was because it was real and raw — cameras were up only 24 hours after it happened. Ariana & Tom filmed together, Raquel & Tom were together, and we saw the fallout ripple across the group. It was so big that they brought back disgraced ex-cast member Kristen Doute! Only when something is that seismic that it shakes an entire cast up does a film crew being borrowed from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills feel necessary.
We do not need a rushed, 5 minute addition onto finale episodes. The reunions and Watch What Happens Live should be enough to wrap up most of these storylines.
If everything is interesting, nothing is interesting.
Bravo, let this be a warning…unless you are going to give us an additional episode, do not bother picking up cameras.
Unless the storyline is so essential that we need to see it play out on screen from beginning to end, do not bother picking up cameras.
Unless someone is getting arrested, having an intervention, going through an active breakup (only the utmost of important people can use this clause — 2nd season Housewife Drew Sidora did not warrant cameras picking up to show the most obvious divorce in Bravo history), do not bother picking up cameras.
Unless the story requires us to take the entire 2-3 episode reunion to explain what is going on, do not bother picking up cameras.
Bravo needs to make the camera pick up worthy again — no one after Carl & Lindsay’s breakup deserved it, not even Paige and Craig. Please use it sparingly and put us out of our misery.
If I never have to see Housewives fake react to a news alert on their phone, it’ll be too soon.
What are your thoughts on Bravo constantly picking cameras up post filming?