Call me crazy, but I just finished watching Season 15 for the first time, and I actually enjoyed it. I can absolutely understand why it was universally hated when it first aired back in 2020, but now that enough time has passed since COVID, it was quite interesting to watch the show as the pandemic first unravelled. It feels like a real time capsule.
I’m impressed by how the producers managed to make nearly ten episodes out of only four weeks of filming before the first lockdown, but somehow, I didn’t feel like a slog. The biggest issue was Braunwyn. I would never dismiss someone’s journey with sobriety, but having every single scene with her be about alcohol was beyond exhausting. I also feel icky knowing how her divorce with Sean ultimately played out and how even some of her children had an issue with her. It’s a shame as I’d love to root for a seemingly progressive and queer cast member, but nothing about her came across as authentic.
I also feel like Elizabeth didn’t really get a fair chance to shine, and I would’ve liked to see her come back as a friend-of for one more season, even if she wasn’t a great fit with the rest of the cast as a whole.