Drama’s not running out in the Season 8 installment of the hit Bravo TV’s Southern Charm, especially after the explosive two-part reunion episode last season that left a lot unresolved.
Rewind: What happened in Season 7?
Before we tease you with the details of Season 8, let’s pause and rewind what happened last season.
Quick roll call: Fans were introduced to two new faces, John Pringle and Leva Bonaparte, in season 7. Madison LeCroy, Austen Kroll’s girlfriend, who first arrived in Season 6, returned for another season; this time, she was a full-time cast member.
Here were the juicy moments. First, we had Madison and Austen, who started as lovers and ended as exes. Their rollercoaster relationship throughout the season brought a lot of tension inside the house.
Then, they ultimately called it quits at the reunion, with Austen blaming the show, but that wasn’t all. Austen also called his ex a “monster,” and then Austen’s best friend Craig called her a “terrible person” for how she treated him.
Second, the series’ OG cast member Kathryn Dennis came under fire after her racially insensitive text to a woman of color went public. Kathryn received major backlash due to the issue, including getting fired as brand ambassador for the luxury store Gwynn’s.
Aside from that, fans were also surprised when they discovered that Kathryn still lived with her ex, Thomas Ravenel. She clarified during the reunion that Thomas sued her for full custody of the children. She lost, so she only had supervised visitation scheduled every other weekend.
Now That We’re Finally Caught Up, Let’s Unfold Season 8
Many unresolved issues will jumpstart season 8, so there will definitely be unpacking of feelings. There’d also be a hint of change in the house dynamics by introducing new faces and old faces making appearances.
Let’s Talk About the Cast
According to Bravo, Kathryn Dennis, Craig Conover, and Shep Rose, all original cast members, would return for another drama-filled season. At the same time, Cameran Eubanks and Thomas Ravenel both made their exits. Olivia Flowers, Marcie Hobbs, and Chleb Ravenell were also part of the cast, along with the familiar faces of Venita Aspen and Taylor Ann Green.
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Austen Kroll from Season 4 and his now ex Madison Lecroy from Season 6 will also be joining the OGs in Charleston, South Carolina. John and Leva from Season 7 were also slated to return for another season.
Madison entered Season 8 with a ring on her hand after getting engaged to a mystery man named Brett Randle after six months of dating. He’d definitely be a topic inside the house. As for reactions from fellow castmates, Craig shared that he was happy for her, while her ex, Austen, was putting aside their contentious history.
Naomie Olindo will also be making a few appearances. According to a source close to the production, her role was “more of a friend on the show.” She’s returning to the show after her split with her ex-boyfriend Metul Shah.
Naomie first joined the show in Season 3 as a supporting cast (after she and Craig started dating in 2015), and she was known for her no-nonsense attitude. She and Craig were an item until late 2017 when they split up. She then exited the show after season 6, along with fellow castmates Cameran Wimberly and Chelsea Meissner.
Paige DeSorbo, Craig’s new girlfriend whom he had been dating since Winter House, hinted that she would also be popping from time to time. In October 2021, she shared in an interview with Us that everyone who Craig hung out with had always been nice to her, and she had met pretty much everyone.
It would definitely be interesting to see how Naomie, Paige, and Craig interact with each other.
In an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in October 2021, when Craig was asked how Naomie was after her messy split, he said that she had been relieved in a weird way.
She was also happy to be back at Charleston, and he thought she wasn’t that happy in that relationship. “But I think she’s just happy to be living her own life again.”
The following night, it was Austen’s turn on the “hot seat.” He was asked if there were sparks between the exes. He simply responded that it was something fans would see on the show, and he would not and can not talk about it.
While the three may go along just fine, it would definitely be a very different vibe with the whole cast from before when she and Craig were still together.
Last but not least, there were rumors that fashion designer Kristin Cavallari, whom Craig and Austen were both linked to in late 2020, could make an appearance. However, Cavallari was set not to visit Charleston at all. She said she loved Craig but didn’t know why he was saying that she’d be popping in anytime.
What’s the Plot for this Season?
Southern Charm is undeniably one of Bravo’s hit shows, with fans religiously following the characters’ lives. What gets them more invested is the fact that this show is connected to the TV network’s series universe. Yes, just like the Marvel Universe. It’s less complicated but definitely way more dramatic.
For Season 8, Craig hinted that the men’s drama from Winter House, which he filmed earlier, would be carrying over to Charleston. “You’ll see our dynamics from Winter House then carry into this summer and who knows how that’s going to go,” he shared.
One thing that Austen noted was that this season would be all about “keeping things light.” He said that all the fights were very heavy and ominous last year. For this season, they just wanted to be more upbeat and have fun with each other.
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He shared that the cast members actually talked before filming. They think it would be nice to let the viewers see them being friends, not just because of the show, but mainly because they were actual friends.
The cast started filming in October 2021 and wrapped around December.
Post-filming, there were already a lot of speculations. For one, rookie Southern Charm cast member Leva unfollowed castmates Kathryn, Craig, Austen, Venita, and Madison. She also took herself off of Paige’s following list. What happened that she had to unfollow them as soon as filming ended?
Second was Naomie’s comeback. According to Craig, he was “a big proponent” of her return. During her time in Charleston, she also apologized to everyone she felt needed to hear it.
That included Craig, and he said that it was great, and she was honest about it. To him, it brought all home, and fans would definitely enjoy the energy of season 8.
The Details: How many episodes and where can fans watch?
The series had a total run of 17 episodes and premiered on Bravo on June 23, 2022. Fans can also binge the show on Apple TV+, Peacock, Amazon Prime, and Fubo.
Watch the Southern Charm Season 8 trailer in the video below.
