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The Worst Episodes of The Real Housewives of Orange County

Every episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Real Housewives of Orange County!

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A view into the lives of several women and their families who live in one of the wealthiest communities in the country with the viewer taken "inside the gates" to show their lives aren't always

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20 Episode 16 - Mad Money
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S20:E16

    On their final day in Tokyo, the ladies splurge on vintage designer goods and tensions flare as the group questions Gina’s finances. Back in the OC, Carmella opens up about big life changes and decisions. Jenn starts a new business in the fitness space. Tamra makes an admission to Vick. Emily and Gina doubt the reality of Tamra’s intentions with her friendships.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 10 Episode 23 - Brooks Tells All
    4.3/10(19 votes)

    S10:E23

    The half-hour special delves deep and showcases never-before-seen footage from Andy's sit down interview with Brooks Ayers, originally seen in the reunion, where Brooks addresses the ladies' allegations regarding his health. Andy confronts Brooks on the season's burning questions including why he avoided seeing Shannon's doctor, why he and Vicki told different stories about his treatment, and the claim that announcing his cancer diagnosis may have been an attempt to control his damaged public image. Brooks also reveals his true feelings about each of the ladies, including Vicki's daughter Briana, and explains why he finally ended his relationship with OC matriarch Vicki.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 2 Episode 2 - Be Nice to the New Girl
    4.9/10(26 votes)

    S2:E2

    Vicki drives her family, friends and co-workers insane as she preps for a relaxing two-week cruise to Europe.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 16 Episode 19 - Reunion (2)
    5.2/10(22 votes)

    S16:E19

    Gina and Shannon's friendship hangs in the balance; Dr. Jen gives insight into her marriage; Shannon discusses her next chapter; Noella goes toe-to-toe with everybody as they discuss their trip to Aspen.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 1 Episode 8 - Reunion
    5.3/10(26 votes)

    S1:E8

    The five women reunite to tell their stories and reflect on the show.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 7 Episode 8 - Dirty Housewives
    5.5/10(22 votes)

    S7:E8

    Tamra, Gretchen and Heather compete in a charity Mud Run, Alexis has her nose cast removed, and Vicki gets answers about Briana's health.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 1 Episode 1 - Meet the Wives
    5.6/10(57 votes)

    S1:E1

    In the first episode of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County," Jeana's son Shane faces the stress of high school graduation and the baseball draft, where he feels pressure to become the third generation Keough to play pro baseball. Shane's sister Kara is feeling the sting of sibling rivalry and things get ugly when she demands a new car Meanwhile, Kimberly discusses her breast implants — a gift for her husband's 40th birthday — and takes her daughter, Bianca, for professional make-up for a junior high dance. She then decides its time to enjoy afternoon cocktails with friends and meets Jo in a chance encounter. Twenty-something Jo struggles with her new life as the fiancée of a wealthy thirty-something man. Jo and her fiancée, Slade, argue over her desire to continue partying. Jo ventures out and meets Kimberly, her first gated housewife friend. Vicki spares no expense to celebrate her daughter Briana's prom and graduation party, but dreads her ex-husband's arrival for the festivities. Lauri deals with the aftermath of her divorce and lower status life outside the gates. Things get even more complicated when her adult daughter comes home for a surprise visit.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 2 Episode 3 - Watch Out Bitches!
    5.6/10(20 votes)

    S2:E3

    Lauri buys a conservative black dress to go to a Republican fund raiser at the swanky St. Regis Hotel.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 2 Episode 5 - Stranger In Your House
    5.7/10(20 votes)

    S2:E5

    Jeana welcomes a strange houseguest into her home when Shane invites a girl he met on the Internet to come spend a few days with them.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 16 Episode 17 - A Band of Housewives
    5.7/10(21 votes)

    S16:E17

    Noella confronts Heather about rumors she heard at Heather’s sushi party. Gina and Shannon try to salvage what’s left of their friendship. Emily and Shane finally have their dream wedding photo shoot to celebrate their marriage. The women all come together to help Shannon pursue her dream of becoming a rock star.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 2 Episode 4 - Relationships Are Better Than Your Head
    5.8/10(20 votes)

    S2:E4

    Unresolved tension between Jo and Lauri stemming from Lauri's relationship with Slade comes to a head.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 3 Episode 3 - Girls Gone Wild
    5.8/10(17 votes)

    S3:E3

    For her graduation present, George’s daughter McKenzie hits the sun and fun of South Beach, Miami along with Tammy’s daughters, Lindsey and Megan, and Lauri's daughter, Ashley. Money woes put a damper on the Knickerbocker girls’ good time and a trip to a famous tattoo parlor gets McKenzie in hot water with dad George. Vicki invites Jeana, Colton, Tammy and Frankie to spend the weekend with her and Donn at their Lake Havasu vacation home. The alcohol flows like the river on which they party, but tensions between Vicki and Donn threaten to ruin the trip. Things turn dangerous when Colton takes a shocking death defying jump. Laurie furthers her wedding plans by choosing a photographer and wedding invitations, while newly single Kara contemplates an offer from mother Jeana to take part in a mother/daughter pictorial for Playboy magazine. Tamra throws a big birthday bash for son, Spencer, who just turned seven. The party atmosphere can't tame the tension between her oldest son, Ryan, and her husband, Simon. Later at a family dinner, jobless Ryan bickers with step dad Simon, putting Tamra in the middle again.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 3 Episode 8 - Family Vacation
    5.8/10(17 votes)

    S3:E8

    With their upcoming nuptials rapidly approaching, Lauri and George decide to plan a family vacation. George and his daughters are accustomed to luxury travel, fine dining and staying in five Star hotels. This year, Lauri wants the family to “bond with nature” so she rents an RV and packs up the family to go camping in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. With summer coming to an end, Vicki packs up her family to go to their favorite vacation spot, Puerto Vallarta. Vicki invites Jeana and her children, Kara and Colton. Recently separated from her husband, Jeana is looking forward to spending quality time with her kids and letting loose. But unfortunately for Vicki and her family, Jeana let’s a little too loose. With her real estate business taking off, Tamra struggles to find quality time with Simon so she takes up tennis, his favorite sport. But Tamra faces an even greater challenge as she wrestles with the decision to undergo a breast reduction. Quinn is still juggling the men in her life, but before she can move on, she needs to move out her things from her former boyfriend’s home. Quinn finds the experience a little more emotional than she expected, but her ex-boyfriend David is not sympathetic.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 3 Episode 11 - Here Comes The Bride
    5.8/10(17 votes)

    S3:E11

    Season 3's finale brought new beginnings and some endings to the OC, the biggest of which being the celebration of Lauri and George's wedding. Lauri continued to work things out with her son, Josh, with the help of a mediator, and Josh made it to his mom's special day. Viewers finally met "Roxie," Quinn's alter ego, but it wasn't enough to save Quinn's relationship with Billy, which ended. And finally, Jo returned to make an appearance at one of Jeana's many outdoor get-togethers, updating the ladies on the status of her musical career.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 12 Episode 15 - Mystic Mistake
    5.8/10(21 votes)

    S12:E15

    While Vicki visits her cardiologist to check up on her broken heart, Shanon and Peggy are still simmering about the cancer questioning that took place with their husbands. Lydia and Doug plan a Nobleman Iceland trip and Doug encourages Lydia to invite her friends at Meghan’s dinner party with her psychic. All hell breaks loose when Peggy confronts Shannon about David grilling Diko about her cancer. As everyone gets ready for their big trip to Iceland, Shannon wakes up regretful for how unraveled she became with Peggy and confesses to Tamra about the current state of her marriage.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 19 Episode 10 - Whine or Champagne?
    5.8/10(34 votes)

    S19:E10

    The ladies embark on dueling trips as Tamra invites Shannon, Jenn and Gina to Temecula in an effort to rebuild her friendship with Shannon; Heather takes the opportunity to host an adult sleepover in Beverly Hills with Emily and Gretchen.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 2 Episode 1 - The Housewives are Back!
    5.9/10(24 votes)

    S2:E1

    Jo must try to decide between partying and Slade. Meanwhile, Jeana and Matt try their best to work on their marriage and Tammy, who is a single mother, struggles to raise three children.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 3 Episode 2 - My Baby is All Grown Up
    5.9/10(17 votes)

    S3:E2

    Vicki and Jeana have made a pact to get in shape, but getting up at 5:30 a.m. every morning may prove to be the bigger challenge. Recent empty-nesters Vicki and Donn, seek to reduce the stress in their lives by downsizing and buying a smaller home in Coto. Unfortunately, Vicki is having buyer's remorse. Vicki likes her big home in Coto and struggles with the notion that downsizing equals failure. Having just graduated from high school, Kara has been accepted to UC Berkeley. Eager to check out the campus, the Keoughs leave for Northern California, but forget to tell Colton, leaving him home alone. Since the death of Lou Knickerbocker, Tammy has tried to be a supportive mother to her daughters. Lindsey is keeping busy with the Lou's Legacy, the OC Angels, but a recent car accident in the Hummer sends the "Angels" to the California Speedway for some much needed driving lessons. Meanwhile, as Lauri and George begin to build a life together, Lauri decides to put her townhouse up for sale. Unfortunately for Ashley, that means having to find another place to live – but not before a visit to the Playboy Mansion. Tamra is rapidly approaching 40, but she's not ready to age gracefully. Conscious of the fact that she's been raising children for the last 21 years, Tamra is up for anything that will keep her youthful, including riding on the back of a Harley Davidson and hanging out with biker dudes.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 12 Episode 13 - Don't Rock the Boat
    5.9/10(20 votes)

    S12:E13

    Lydia throws Doug a party aboard a yacht to say farewell to his fertility and invites all the ladies despite her hurt feelings over being left out of Shannon's dinner. At the party, Peggy is infuriated when David questions Diko about her health. Meanwhile, Easter arrives in the OC and Shannon looks to her mom for advice about her marriage with David. Meanwhile, Vicki decides to call Tamra to finally meet and end their feud once and for all.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 2 Episode 6 - Studio, Jewelry, and Babies
    6.0/10(19 votes)

    S2:E6

    Jo has her first studio taping and needs something strong to get her through... Lauri get a surprise herself when she comes out of a photo shot and will her new business fail after all...Vicki is jealous and girl's night out is a little more than cooking...Tammy leave town for the weekend and her daughter has party but what does it take to pull it off and oh does mom find out?...And will anyone ever buy a horse for Tammy's girls again?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 3 Episode 7 - Moving Violations
    6.0/10(17 votes)

    S3:E7

    Jeana, Vicki, Tammy and Tamra head down to the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego for some housewife hijinks. Newly single Jeana is back on the market and ready for anything. The ladies are in the lap of luxury, enjoying a presidential suite and the San Diego nightlife. A conflict between Jeana and Vicki comes to light and threatens their friendship. The OC Angels promote their energy drink at the US Open in Huntington Beach but bad driving, bad attitudes and bad luck threaten to ruin it all. Meanwhile, Tamra’s real estate business is booming, while Lauri travels to Oklahoma with daughter, Sophie, to spend some time with the US Women’s Softball Team.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 3 Episode 9 - Frienemies
    6.0/10(16 votes)

    S3:E9

    Vicki rakes Jeana over the coals after a visit to her second home, which Jeana is selling, reveals it to be a disaster area. Lauri finally asks her daughter, Ashley, to be her Maid of Honor and attends a food tasting to choose the menu for her approaching nuptials. Lauri’s bridal shower is a smashing success drenched in excess. Quinn tries to force boyfriend Billy to commit while Tamra helps pave the way for Ryan to finally move out of her house.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 10 Episode 7 - Bowling in Heels
    6.0/10(24 votes)

    S10:E7

    Vicki enlists the powers of a medium to try and communicate with her mother. Shannon discovers that to lose physical weight, she has to do more than just exercise, she must deal with the weight of her emotions too. Meghan tries to teach her step daughter responsibility but learns a lesson about parenting instead.  While Tamra and Eddie struggle to work together at the gym, Heather is eager to start a new project with Terry. All the ladies come together for a fun night of bowling and a surprise announcement.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 19 Episode 9 - Life's a Beach... and Then You Cry
    6.0/10(33 votes)

    S19:E9

    Following Emily's party, Katie believes she was set up and pleads her case to Jenn; Gina recounts the frightening moment surrounding Matt's heart attack; Emily shares that she and Shane are not seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to parenting Luke.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 19 Episode 14 - Hoedown Throwdown
    6.0/10(26 votes)

    S19:E14

    Tamra meets with Katie in hopes of uncovering the truth; Shannon and Jenn's friendship continues to blossom when they engage their dogs with a pet psychic; Heather hosts an event for the Trevor Project.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Mad Money" is the worst rated episode of "The Real Housewives of Orange County". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/22/2026. This episode scored 4.3 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Brooks Tells All".