Honestly, if you haven't revisited The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 10 lately, you’re missing out on the exact moment the franchise shifted from "lifestyle porn" into a full-blown psychological thriller. It was a weird year. 2020. Everyone was stuck at home, and suddenly, we were all collectively obsessed with whether or not Denise Richards had a "seconds-long" or "months-long" dalliance with Brandi Glanville.
It was messy.
The season started with so much promise. We had Garcelle Beauvais joining the cast, bringing a much-needed breath of fresh, blunt air to a group that usually talks in circles. Then there was Sutton Stracke, who entered as a "friend of" but immediately started making waves because of her couture and her lack of a filter. But everything—and I mean everything—eventually got sucked into the Denise Richards vortex.
The Denise Richards of it all
You have to remember where Denise stood before this. She was the "cool girl." In Season 9, she was eating tacos, talking about her husband Aaron Phypers’ "large" attributes, and generally not caring about the glam. Then Season 10 hit, and the vibe changed. Fast.
The catalyst was a dinner at Kyle Richards' house. You know the one. Denise didn't want her kids hearing about threesomes. The other women, specifically Kyle, Teddi Mellencamp, and Lisa Rinna, took this as Denise being "fake" or trying to curate a "Boho-chic" image that didn't match her reality. It felt like a reach at first. Then Brandi Glanville walked into a party at Kyle’s and dropped the nuclear bomb: she claimed she and Denise had an affair.
The show basically stopped being about Beverly Hills and started being a trial.
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Was it fair? Probably not. The "Fox Force Five"—Kyle, Rinna, Erika Girardi, Dorit Kemsley, and Teddi—seemed almost too eager to take Denise down. There’s a specific kind of tension when a cast decides someone isn't "playing the game" correctly. Denise Richards wanted to protect her brand. The other women wanted to protect the show’s "honesty." The result was "Bravo Bravo F-ing Bravo," a moment where Denise tried to break the fourth wall to stop production from airing a conversation. It didn't work. It actually became the most famous line of the season.
Why Garcelle Beauvais was the real MVP
While everyone was screaming about Brandi Glanville’s text messages, Garcelle Beauvais was busy being the only person who actually made sense. She was the first Black housewife in the Beverly Hills franchise, and she didn't come to play.
She asked the questions we were all thinking.
"Why do you care?"
"Why are we talking about this again?"
Garcelle’s friendship with Denise felt authentic, which made the rest of the cast’s coordinated attack feel even more staged. She called out Kyle for being dismissive. She called out Rinna for being a bad friend. It was glorious. Most fans don't realize that The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 10 was the pivot point for Garcelle becoming the backbone of the series. Without her, that season would have been an unwatchable pile-on.
The Aaron Phypers Factor
We can't talk about Season 10 without talking about Aaron. He’s Denise’s husband, and he was... intense. Remember the scene where they were leaving a party and he whispered to Denise that he was going to "crush her hand"? It was chilling.
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Aaron also had these wild theories about healing frequencies and "big pharma" following them. It added this bizarre, sci-fi layer to the drama. The men usually stay in the background on RHOBH, but Aaron was right in the thick of it, trying to defend Denise but often making things ten times worse. He didn't understand that on this show, if you try to alpha-male the women, they will eat you alive. And they did.
The Rome Trip and the End of Friendships
Everything culminated in Rome. Usually, the international trips are for shopping and beautiful vistas. This one was a nightmare.
Teddi Mellencamp was the one who actually brought the Brandi rumors to the table while they were at dinner. It was awkward. It was forced. Denise’s face just... dropped. This is where the term "gaslighting" started getting thrown around every five seconds on social media. Denise denied it. The women didn't believe her. Rinna, who had been Denise’s friend for decades, turned into a literal soap opera villain.
"Ooh, you’re so angry," Rinna said, her voice dripping with mock concern.
That friendship died right there. It was a stark reminder that on RHOBH, a twenty-year history means absolutely nothing compared to a juicy storyline. It's cutthroat. It’s mean. It's why we watch, but it’s also why that season feels so heavy when you rewatch it now.
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What we learned from the Season 10 aftermath
Denise eventually stopped filming. She skipped the finale party. She showed up to the reunion, but you could tell she was done. She left the show shortly after.
What's the takeaway? The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 10 proved that the "fourth wall" is a myth. Once the cameras are rolling, your private life belongs to the edit. It also showed the power of the "alliance." If the majority of the cast decides you're the target, you're going to have a miserable six months of filming.
Dorit Kemsley actually came out of this season looking pretty good. She was one of the few who tried to stay neutral, or at least wasn't as aggressive as Rinna or Teddi. It was the beginning of the "New Dorit"—less focused on her accents and more focused on being the voice of reason. Who would have thought?
Breaking down the ratings and the impact
- Season 10 was a ratings juggernaut. People were stuck inside, and the Denise drama was the perfect distraction.
- It led to a massive conversation about outing people. Many fans felt it was wrong for the cast to force Denise to talk about her sexuality on national television.
- It marked the end of Teddi Mellencamp's time as a full-time housewife. Her involvement in the "takedown" didn't sit well with viewers.
How to watch Season 10 like an expert
If you're going to dive back in, don't just watch the episodes. Watch the "Never Before Scene" versions if you can find them. There’s so much context in the deleted scenes that explains why the tension was so high.
Also, keep an eye on Erika Girardi. Knowing what we know now about her legal troubles that exploded in Season 11, her behavior in Season 10 looks very different. She was quiet. She was observant. She was almost... subdued. It’s like she knew the storm was coming and was just trying to get through the year.
Practical Steps for RHOBH Fans
If you want to truly understand the dynamics of this cast, you have to look at the timeline.
- Watch the Season 9 Reunion: It sets the stage for the "accountability" theme that haunted Denise in Season 10.
- Follow the Social Media Trails: Go back to the Twitter (X) threads from 2020. The real-time reaction to the Brandi/Denise rumors was half the fun.
- Compare Rinna’s Behavior: Look at how she treated Denise versus how she treated Kim Richards in earlier seasons. It’s a masterclass in "deflection."
- Listen to Podcasts: "Watch What Crappens" or "Danny Pellegrino" have some of the best breakdowns of these specific episodes. They catch the nuances that the edit tries to hide.
The legacy of this season isn't the drama itself, but what it did to the show’s soul. It became darker. More produced. But man, it was a wild ride. If you're looking for the blueprint of how a "takedown" season works, this is it. Study it. Learn the patterns. Because in the world of Beverly Hills, the names change, but the game stays exactly the same.