The focus of the reality TV show is Leva Bonaparte, a resident boss-lady of Southern Charm who oversees her larger-than-life crew at Republic Garden & Lounge as she oversees Charleston’s very own “it” crowd. Despite owning four eateries along the city’s renowned King Street, Leva and her husband Lamar consider Republic to be the diamond in their empire. Republic is Charleston’s hottest nightclub and the setting for the city’s vibrant party scene, making it the ideal destination for both business and pleasure.
Working at Republic is the level-headed cast for Leva’s squad, a flamboyant bunch of close friends motivated by their work-and-play ethic. They are compelled to contend for the greatest spots and advice the city’s nightlife has to offer.
Leva sets the bar high, yet she treats them like family, helping this group of young, active singles through relationships, conflicts, reconciliations, breakups, and everything in between. Leva, the matriarch of Republic, has a lot on her plate as she tries to be the voice of reason for her irrational employees while also never being hesitant to make difficult choices that can alter the dynamic of this close-knit group. The stakes have never been higher for the workers as they juggle their personal lives with job obligations.
The show premiered on Monday, November 28, at 9 pm ET/PT on Bravo. The episode became available the next day over on Peacock.
Where to watch Southern Hospitality in USA?
Southern Hospitality is a Bravo original, and the new episode airs exclusively on Bravo in the US. Along with Bravo, it becomes available the next day on Peacock.
You can also stream it with Hulu+ live. The HBO Max add-on comes with a seven-day free trial and costs $14.99 per month. The membership fee for the ad-supported service on the on-demand website is $7.99 per month.
Hulu and Hulu Live TV starts at 69.9$, and there are more than 80 live channels available. And the edition with no ads costs about $75.99. Southern Hospitality is also available to stream on Youtube TV. New customers can sign up for this live TV and streaming service for $54.99 for the first three months and $64.99 per month after that by taking advantage of a 14-day YouTube TV trial edition.
Where to watch Southern Hospitality in the UK
While there is no official confirmation for release in the UK, like other Bravo shows, it might be available to stream on Hayu.
For an Hayu subscription in the UK, you can select and pay from the three available plans on their website. A monthly pack will cost £4.99, and it goes up to an annual plan that costs £43.99 only ( added benefits, you save upto 25% if you get the annual plan), plus all the plans include a 7-day free trial, and you wouldn’t regret getting it with the wide variety of options to binge.
Where to watch Southern Hospitality in India
Hayu is available in India through Amazon Prime video channels, and you can watch it in India on Amazon Prime Video with Hayu subscription. The subscription costs ₹999/ year in addition to your Amazon Prime subscription.
Episodes Review, Season premiere, Episode 1: The Republic of Leva Release date: 28 Nov. 2022
The Southern Hospitality pilot doesn’t really have much of a plot to speak of, as it’s more of a character study if each of the characters were all vying for restaurant staff for screen time. So, I believe that introducing the crew and ranking their potential will be the best way to wrap up the premiere episode.
Leva Bonaparte
We all know her from Southern Charm and definitely agree that she makes for some incredibly intriguing entertainment. She and her husband, Lamar, are the proprietors of a mini-empire in Charleston, South Carolina.
In this situation, Leva is filling Lisa Vander pump’s Maloof Hoofs by interjecting herself into the staff members’ personal dramas, dropping by to make sure Republic is still operating under the control of the 20-somethings she has given the keys to, and occasionally punishing misbehaving workers.
Maddi Resse
Maddi, the DJ & VIP manager of the program, generally comes across as being pretty put together, quite prepared to record a reality series, and afflicted by just-harmless-enough terrible decisions to make us cheer for her. She describes herself as the club’s face and is Republic’s self-described Queen Bee. Nearly everyone who has ever stepped foot inside the establishment has tension, a history with her, or chemistry with her.
Mikel Simmons
Resident of Charleston and VIP host, Simmons is known for bringing the party everywhere he goes. Mikel is prepared to come out to his friends and the congregation of his beloved church after being tormented by his past and feeling as though he was leading a double life.
Even though it won’t be simple to have these dialogues, especially in the South, he sees it as the next stage in his journey to achieving inner peace. Mikel struggles to give it his all while realizing that some of the guys want him to fail as he attempts to win back Leva and Lamar’s trust after being demoted for supporting another club.
Grace Lilly
Grace Lilly is the opponent the casting gods pray for to cast. You can’t help but want to follow her every move because she exudes such confidence, is so endearingly naive, and is so completely enamoured with herself. She is the VIP Concierge at the charm. Born in Kentucky, she moved to Charleston in grade school.
Although this episode features a lot of expository workplace drama with her, I found the story about how she and Maddi “went to Tulum” in 2020 when Republic closed due to COVID to be the most intriguing. There, wealthy men entertained them and caused them to argue. I would have watched that program. Let’s hope it keeps overflowing.
Joe Bradley
The VIP Host, who is from a prosperous family in Atlanta, has always felt that he has a lot to live up to. He tried his hand at several entry-level jobs after dropping out of college before finding his niche as a VIP host at Republic.
Joe aspires to become the next Leva, the entrepreneur of nightlife and restaurants. His co-workers remind him that he isn’t the big boss despite his attempts to demonstrate that he is management material. In addition to straining his relationship with Mikel, Joe’s ambition puts his friendships with TJ and Bradley in jeopardy.”
Although he didn’t get a lot of screen time in the first episode, he definitely had a powerful screen role, and who won’t put him on the top of our lists.
Lucía Peña
A native New Yorker who works as a VIP Server at Republic, she splits her time between raising her two-year-old son and Republic during the day. The younger staff members appreciate that despite being more mature and experienced, Luca still enjoys going out with them. She reluctantly consented to try again after first refusing, but she soon discovers that unresolved issues from the past may prevent her and her son’s father from being able to cohabitate.
Mia Alario
Serving the Charm as the Hostess, Alario was born and reared in Trinidad and Tobago, traveled to Charleston for college, and earned two degrees in economics there. She divides her time between hosting at Republic at night and working during the day at an orderly financial institution.
Mia is extroverted, socially active, and always up for a night out. She is committed to her career, but she freely confesses that she does it for fun rather than out of need. She doesn’t mind speaking her thoughts and relishes surprising others with her candour, which frequently irritates the group. Mia’s perseverance and dedication are continuously put to the test by her co-workers, and she is forced to show them that she is deserving of her sought position.
Will Kulp
Bartender, Will was born and reared in Charleston. After an accidental meeting with a scout, the talented kid pursued modeling in New York. He eventually went back home and is now living with his parents. He struggles with disappointment and isn’t as far along in his profession as he’d wanted, so he overcompensates by continuously talking himself up and others down.
Will feels too talented for the restaurant business, and Leva knows he should be doing more at Republic, but she thinks he will never realize his full potential. Will is madly in love with Emmy and believes that enrolling in law school is the only way to get out of his situation, even though he might be having a bit too much fun to take his final step into maturity.
Emmy Sharrett
Sharrett, a VIP Server at Charm, is one of four sisters and is familiar with the complexities of sisterhood there. Emmy is now enjoying working with VIPs while she waits for her next significant experience after earning her degree from the College of Charleston.
Emmy and Will, according to Leva’s joke, appear to be perfect on the outside, but when a stunning rumor about Emmy and a co-worker’s boyfriend surfaces, the cracks start to show. The compromising information is suddenly revealed, putting Emmy’s friendships and her relationship with Will in jeopardy.
TJ Dinch
Serving as bartender to the Charm, TJ was relocated from Virginia to Charleston to begin a career in the booming city’s food and beverage sector. TJ manages the bar neatly, systematically, and thoroughly since he takes tremendous care in his work. TJ is a ride-or-die Republic supporter who goes above and above to defend Leva’s company and her reputation, even when she orders him to back off. TJ decides to try to eject Grace and Mikel because they don’t meet his idea of what constitutes a proper Republic employee.
Bradley Carter
Carter spent two years working out hard to get into his current enviable form after graduating on a football scholarship from the Citadel Military College. He hopes to start his own personal training business. Bradley works as a VIP host at Republic in the interim, where he meets most of his dates and makes the majority of his income.
Bradley isn’t bashful about his appearance and has little trouble juggling work and pleasure, but he gets into trouble when he is suspected of using another server as leverage when he was supposed to be using one. He disputes the claims, but they become more and more individualized to the point where the close-knit team of Republic is in danger of being torn apart.
Episode 2: Clocking In…Coming Out Release date: 5 Dec. 2022
Mikel’s coming out is the focus of the first half. Leva gave barback a job to do so that he might earn his way back into Republic after being presented to us in an unflattering fashion the previous week as a traitor who had been suspended for throwing a party at another club.
Although some might argue that it’s too early to be flashing feet on Main, Mikel and Maddi go get pedicures. While there, they talk about Mikel’s self-described Hannah Montana life as the closed-in son of two preachers who call him “Michael” rather than “Muh-kel.” He comes out to his church mate Anthony by the end of the episode. He pauses to take a sip of his extra-strong margarita and explains, “I prefer males, but I enjoy women too.
Anthony accepts it nicely and assures him that he will always treat him like family. Even though I am concerned that the sequence appears as if it only occurred because cameras were rolling, my heart is warmed as a queer person. Mikel informs us, “My brother still loves me despite who I love. This man is the one working!
Along with it, other events take place, such as the return of Maddi’s ex-boyfriend Trevor, who was first presented in the season premiere as a cheating bad boy, which gets Joe Bradley a tad bit jealous. Meanwhile, VIP concierge and aspiring SHIEN ambassador, Grace Lilly, begins the episode by talking to herself in the mirror while referencing a Cracker Barrel “live laugh love” throw pillow. Later, she gives Leva a long list of explanations for why she didn’t properly concierge VIP-ly.
Episode 3: Toxic Tea Party: Release Date: 12 Dec. 2022
In the third episodes’ Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party, Mikel gets to sit in the hot seat again when he is asked by Leva to host the VIP event instead of Joe Bradly, as Joe is down due to a back injury. TJ and Mikel get into a duel kerfuffle over a light-up sign that reads “Bitch Made”.
Before the party started, Mia went to meet her dad over a meal, where she faced pressure regarding her career and love choices. Meanwhile, Juhnily and Emmy go to the lash-tint salon as a prep mode where Emmy addresses the pressure women in the hospitality sector feel to appear a certain way while simultaneously acknowledging that she has recently struggled with body dysmorphia too.
The party scene comes up right after, and Leva even though being sure about not going, comes after all but leaves promptly. TJ informs the group that three Republic customers recently entered the establishment claiming to be “friends of Mikel,” wanting VIP wristbands and free drinks in the process. The drink crisis follows a harmless (LOL) game of “guess who said that quote,” which results in madness.
They are undeserving of employment at Republic, and Joe Bradley declares while reading off a piece of paper, starting the commotion. Mikel immediately identifies TJ as the speaker of the quoted phrase, saying, “Sounds like a thirsty-bitch quote.” When Mikel looks down the table to try to pinpoint the cause of their argument, TJ turns away from him and mutters, “Trash,” before Joe Bradley, who is seated to TJ’s left, adds, Good luck with your work tonight, friend.
A drink is chucked, along with a response, and Mikel rushes away as a “To Be Continued” message flashes across the screen. Although there doesn’t seem to be much here to continue, we will hopefully get to know the root of fight between TJ and Mikel, and there’s definitely more drama to it. I cannot wait for Southern Hospitality to drop the next episode.
When will the new episode drop?
New episode of Southern Hospitality drops every week, so episode 4 will air on 19th December 2022.
