Originally Posted by spaceygal:
“I'd never seen any of these Real Housewives shows before until recently, when I decided to start watching the latest season of Beverly Hills, purely because I wanted to see what my childhood idol Kim Richards was like. Dear oh dear, what a sorry, sad state she's become! She clearly needs proper professional help. Sad to see her like that. As as child I saw her in so many films and tv shows and she was adorable and very talented as an actress. Is it the classic case of a former child star having no proper childhood and going off the rails? Her sister Kyle seems more grounded and level headed or is she? As I said I haven't seen the earlier seasons, only the one that's currently showing in the UK. Actually, does anyone know if there's anywhere online I can watch the first few seasons of Beverly Hills? They don't seem to be available to buy on DVD here in the UK and any region 1 US copies I've seen are so expensive. I like Lisa Rinna, I used to watch her in Melrose Place and Yolanda and Eileen seem nice enough. That Brandi is awful!! I've actually become addicted to this show but I know both Kim and Brandi won't be in the next season, will they? I certainly won't miss Brandi but I've been finding it fascinating yet sad to see Kim in it. What was she like in the earlier seasons? Was she in better health/spirits or was she off the rails and drunk and crazy or what?”
Here's a basic recap of Kim's story throughout the seasons -
Season 1 - Seen as an outsider by the whole group. She arrives late to events and parties, sometimes not even showing up. She has a bit of a rivalry with Taylor and we learn the general dynamic of Kim and Kyle's relationship. A big secret about Kim is revealed during a fight in a limo which shapes the course of her time on the show.
Season 2 - Disaster! The running theme becomes ''Where's Kim?'' as she continues to be absent. She introduces viewers to her new boyfriend who is described by one of the ladies as looking like ''a gay bulldog''. She gets into a fight with Brandi where she's accused of taking crystal meth. It becomes painfully obvious on-camera that she's got a problem... The season ends with her entering rehab.
Season 3 - It's all about rebuilding her life and getting back on track. Surprisingly she starts making friends with Brandi. It's Kim telling the Maloofs about things Brandi has said about them that kicks off the major storyline of the season. Her sobriety is called into question during a trip to Paris.
Season 4 - Generally a pretty good year for Kim. The focus turns to her training her dog Kingsley. Her friendship with Brandi gets stronger.
Season 5 - Kim's sobriety is once again called into question, spurning a big rivalry with Lisa Rinna and her own sister Kyle - leading to 2 physical altercations.
Granted, Kim does seem like a total mess reading all that - and she is. But the reason she's actually quite popular on the show is because she's kooky and has some funny moments. Plus, I think viewers are always rooting for her to do well.