Southern Hospitality is returning for its fourth season on Wednesday, March 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. Season 4 is expected to bring lots of drama while showcasing the lives of staff members who work at Leva Bonaparte’s nightclub.
What to expect in season 4 of Southern Hospitality
The reality show, Southern Hospitality, is a spin-off of Southern Charm. Southern Hospitality follows the staff at Leva Bonaparte’s former Southern Charm cast member’s nightclub, Republic Garden & Lounge, in Charleston, South Carolina. This show highlights the co-workers’ dynamics with one another, both at Bonaparte’s nightclub and in their lives outside the workplace.
Season 4 of Southern Hospitality will feature shifting dynamics among the cast members, as teased in the new season trailer. A Bravo press release teased that season 4 “follows the lives of a tight-knit group of friends living and working together in Charleston, S.C.” The press release also shared “at Republic, there’s never a dull shift — where a splash of shade, a pinch of drama, and rumors bubbling just beneath the surface, keep the party going in the electrifying VIP world.” Some more information revealed in the press release involves drama between friendships and relationships.
Most of the season 4 cast consists of returning members from last season, with only two not returning. Returning for season 4 includes Maddi Reese, Joe Bradley, Bradley Carter, TJ Dinch, Emmy Sharrett, Mia Alario, Grace Lilly, Michols Peña, Lake Rucker, and Molly Moore. Season 3 cast members Will Kulp and Austin Stephan are not returning. In addition to most of the season 3 cast, there are two new cast members joining the show. Joining the cast are new Republic Garden & Lounge staff members Justin Assad and Bella Starcher.
What to know from last season
In Southern Hospitality‘s three seasons, there have been lots of drama and dynamic changes amongst the cast. Season 3, being the most recent season, had many important moments that should be known heading into season 4.
At the beginning of season 3, Maddi Reese and Joe Bradley revealed that they were in a relationship together. In the season 4 trailer, it seems like the couple is still together, with some issues playing a central role. The majority of season 3 also showed Emmy Sharrett and Will Kulp defend themselves against rumors that Kulp cheated on Sharrett. This couple has been together since the show’s premiere season, and both of them have denied the cheating rumors. Prior to season 4 starting to film, Kulp announced his exit from the show, and the couple got engaged.
The season 3 reunion brought the cast together to discuss the events from the season. Reunions are meant for issues between the cast members to be brought up; however, not everything was resolved. While Sharrett continuously defended her relationship throughout season 3, her co-stars TJ Dinch and Bradley Carter weren’t buying it, leading to their strained friendships. Heading into season 4, Dinch and Carter’s friendships with Sharrett seem to have no improvement.
The season 3 reunion also dropped a bombshell that affected Maddi Reese’s friendships in the group. It was revealed that several cast members had knowledge that a cheating scandal rumor from season 2, revolving around Reese and her ex-boyfriend, was a lie. The exposure of this lie seemingly strained Reese’s friendships and trust with most of her co-stars.
How does Southern Hospitality compare to Vanderpump Rules?
Although Southern Hospitality is already a spin-off show, it is often compared to other reality shows highlighting co-worker dynamics. Specifically, this reality show has been compared to earlier seasons of Vanderpump Rules. Vanderpump Rules also showcases co-worker dynamics both inside and outside the workplace, but at Lisa Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurant called SUR. Fans of Southern Hospitality have noticed similarities to earlier seasons of Vanderpump Rules.
One similarity involves the type of drama from both shows. The recent seasons of Southern Hospitality were marked by cheating scandals. Earlier seasons of Vanderpump Rules also involved many cheating scandals among cast members. For example, both seasons 2 and 3 of Southern Hospitality heavily focused on rumors that Will Kulp had cheated on Emmy Sharrett. While they both denied these claims, the rumors were constantly raised during past seasons. This situation could be compared to the relationship drama between Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz in several early seasons of Vanderpump Rules. Specifically, Schwartz was accused of cheating on Maloney on multiple occasions. Cheating scandals on reality shows can make viewers interested in seeing how couples and the cast deal with those accusations.
In addition, recent Southern Hospitality seasons have featured unhinged arguments in the workplace, as did early seasons of Vanderpump Rules. For example, in season 2 of Southern Hospitality, cast member Mia Alario admitted to Bonaparte that she had been drinking on the job in defense of another cast member who was fired for the same thing. Bonaparte immediately fired Alario for her admission. In a heated moment from Vanderpump Rules, former cast member Kristen Doute yelled at a SUR manager during season 3. These types of moments are amusing to watch, especially since they occur in a workplace.
Why you should watch Southern Hospitality
Southern Hospitality is a great reality show to watch on Bravo. Although this show is entering its fourth season, it seems that it is still unknown to reality TV viewers. Between the changing dynamics and conflict resolution between the cast, Southern Hospitality is a great show to watch.
I enjoy Southern Hospitality because of the cast’s dynamics with each other. It is interesting to watch how co-workers interact with each other in the workplace. Additionally, it is interesting how their drama affects their lives inside and outside the workplace. Their workplace, being a nightclub, is also intriguing to watch these dynamics occur in. This is because the high-pressure environment from a nightclub could lead to tension amongst the cast members.
In addition, the Southern Hospitality cast can be considered pretty diverse for its casting. The cast of Southern Hospitality was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program. While there might be tension amongst cast members, this show does a great job of highlighting conflict and resolution. There is clearly a history between the cast before the show began from working together. And new cast members from over the show’s seasons have integrated nicely with the cast. This show has drama and changing dynamics, with an intriguing cast that is amusing to watch. Based on the trailer and press release, season 4 of Southern Hospitality will seemingly bring even more than previous seasons, making it a must-watch reality show.
