Honestly, if you ask a casual Bravo fan about the most chaotic era of the 90210, they usually point to the "Dinner Party from Hell" or the Amsterdam glass-smashing incident. But real ones? They know. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 4 is the actual fever dream of the franchise. It’s the season where the show basically took a hard left turn into the twilight zone, featuring everything from literal "spells" to a full-on takedown of the queen bee herself, Lisa Vanderpump.
It was a weird time. The year was 2013, and the cast was in a massive state of flux after Taylor Armstrong and Adrienne Maloof exited stage left. What we got instead was a cocktail of old-school glamour and whatever the heck Carlton Gebbia was doing with her "gothic-inspired" mansion and a backyard full of crystals. It didn't always make sense, but it was impossible to look away.
The Year of the Newbies: Joyce vs. Carlton
Most seasons of Beverly Hills have a clear protagonist. Not this one. This year, the producers threw two total outsiders into the mix—Joyce Giraud de Ohoven and Carlton Gebbia—and the results were... polarizing. Joyce was a former Miss Puerto Rico with hair that reached the floor and a sunny disposition that drove Brandi Glanville absolutely insane. Brandi spent half the season calling her "Jacqueline" because she apparently couldn't be bothered to remember a name with one syllable.
Then there was Carlton.
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She was a practicing Wiccan. She had a cross on her back that Kyle Richards mistook for a Star of David (a move that launched a thousand arguments). Carlton’s beef with Kyle was legendary because it felt so personal yet so bizarre. Remember the computer? Kyle’s family computer allegedly started flashing words like "wraith" and "bigot," and Kyle was convinced Carlton had hexed her from across town. It sounds like a plot from a B-rated horror movie, but for these women, it was Tuesday.
Why Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 4 Was the Turning Point for LVP
For three years, Lisa Vanderpump was the untouchable fan favorite. She was the one with the witty one-liners and the mini ponies. But during the trip to Puerto Rico, the wheels finally fell off. This was the "Dream Team" era—Brandi, Yolanda, and Lisa—but the alliance crumbled when Brandi turned on her "pink-loving friend."
The big accusation? Magazine-gate. Brandi claimed that Lisa had tried to sneak a tabloid magazine into her suitcase before a trip to Palm Springs. This wasn't just any tabloid; it featured a story about Mauricio Umansky allegedly cheating on Kyle. Brandi’s argument was that Lisa wanted the magazine to "accidentally" fall out so the cameras would catch it, thus doing Lisa's dirty work for her.
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Lisa denied it. Kyle cried. Yolanda Hadid (who was deep in her "Hollywood Friends" vs. "Real Friends" phase) sided against Lisa. It was the first time we saw LVP truly cornered, and it changed the trajectory of her relationship with the group forever.
The Weirdest Moments We All Forgot
- Kim Richards and Kingsley: Kim was finally sober and thriving, but she replaced her drama with a massive, untrained Pitbull named Kingsley. He was... a lot.
- The Fainting Spell: Lisa Vanderpump fainted while practicing for Dancing with the Stars. The other women—mostly Brandi and Kyle—mocked it, calling it a "calculated" move for sympathy.
- The Self-Correction: Yolanda constantly talked about "Lyme Brain" and her health journey, which was just starting to become a central part of her storyline.
The Reunion That Settled Nothing
Reunions are usually for closure. The season 4 reunion was mostly just Joyce Giraud holding her own against Brandi’s relentless "Planet Trash" insults and Carlton refusing to back down from her hatred of Kyle. It’s one of the few reunions where the newcomers actually gave the veterans a run for their money. Joyce was surprisingly sharp, defending her husband Michael and her "vagina being tight" (yes, that was a real conversation topic) with an intensity no one expected.
Despite the drama, both Joyce and Carlton were fired after just one season.
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Fans often debate why. Some say they were too "dark" or didn't fit the "Beverly Hills" aesthetic. Others argue that they were actually too real for a cast that was starting to get very good at hiding their own secrets behind kaftans and $40,000 sunglasses.
Is Season 4 Worth a Rewatch?
If you want to see the exact moment the "Dream Team" died and the LVP takedown blueprint was created, then yes. It's essential viewing. It’s messy, it’s uncomfortable, and it features some of the most surreal logic ever seen on Bravo.
What to look for in your next binge-watch:
- Watch the background during the Puerto Rico beach dinner—you can see the exact moment Lisa realizes she's lost the group.
- Pay attention to Yolanda’s lemons. This was the peak of her "perfect life" aesthetic before things got much heavier in later years.
- Count the hair flips. Joyce really did have the best hair in franchise history.
Whether you loved the "witchy" vibes or hated the constant bickering over tabloids, the fourth installment remains a fascinating case study in what happens when the casting department takes a huge risk. It didn't always land, but it definitely left a mark.
Actionable Insight for Fans:
If you're revisiting this era, keep an eye on the power dynamics between Brandi and Lisa. Most of the "schemes" Brandi accused Lisa of in season 4 were the same ones other housewives used to eventually push Lisa off the show years later in "Puppygate." It’s the ultimate foreshadowing.