In 1969, film critic Vincent Canby described the titular character in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as “a marvelous mess.” In the film, based on Muriel Spark’s 1961 novel, Maggie Smith portrays a schoolteacher who dedicates her life to molding the lives of several young girls. She often refers to herself as being in her “prime,” the period in which you’re at your intellectual and emotional peak. But she also informs the girls: “One's prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. You must then live it to the full.”
There’s no better way to describe Carole Radziwill than in her prime. The writer and former star of The Real Housewives of New York has returned to the series, eight years later, and she looks better than ever. In person, not just on screen! I recently met her at a Bravo event for the premiere of RHONY’s 16th season.
Radziwill famously joked on the show that she had “only five good summers left” after she turned 50, but she’s back on Bravo at 63, after an extended rift with friend-cum-boss Andy Cohen that has thankfully been mended. Her memoir, What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship and Love, which depicts her friendship with John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, has returned to the bestseller list thanks to the success of Love Story.
Radziwill was invited back as a Friend Of, but she’s now not only a full-fledged cast member, but she’s holding the center apple. It’s fair to say that this season revolves around her in a way no previous season has. She’s not just driving the story; she is the story in two ways: her life as it is now and whether or not she can help save RHONY.
The series literally returns with our Writer Girl, crossed-legged and typing at her window a la Carrie Bradshaw. She’s the narrator of the pilot, because she’s at the center of the season’s narrative, but also because she’s not actually in the premiere, so they had to add her in some way! But don’t worry, Bravo has a huge guest for the premiere, and it’s Martha Stewart.
