You either love or loathe The Kardashians. I’ve really not come across someone indifferent to the reality TV family.
In June last year, jaws dropped when their “Keeping up with the Kardashians” ended its 20-season run on E! Fans were beside themselves, of course.
But the Kardashians are not fools. Not at all. They changed the game by continuing their legacy with the streaming platform Hulu, which is majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company and now falls under the Disney+ content.
In a world where their name is everything, they aptly titled the show “The Kardashians”.
Eight episodes in, streamers are loving it and the rebranding. The key art for the show sees all six stars: momager Kris, Kim, Kourtney, Khloé, Kendall and a heavily pregnant Kylie, dressed in neutral colours as opposed to the usual in-your-face glam shots they are famous for.
Before they started their reality TV journey, they were nobodies. The blended Kardashian-Jenner clan were wannabes. They hung out with celebs.
Back then, Kim used to style Paris Hilton. But cracking a nod for an A-list event or making the cover of one of the top magazines were more of a pipe dream.
When they got the opportunity for a family reality show, they were all in. At the time, it was more of a once-off opportunity and they were a slot-filler – nothing more. But fate favoured them.
In fact, while “The Osbournes” paved the way for reality TV and a family to helm the genre, it was the Kardashians who took it forward and turned the genre on its head.
Being the savvy businesswoman that she is, Kris wasted little time in building her daughters as successful brands – before the term “influencer” was really a thing. I mean this momager was doing the most.
And Kim, since Kendall and Kylie were still teenagers, was her biggest asset, in more ways than one. Sex tape saga aside, this family delivered on the drama, and then some.
When they were planting their feet in Hollywood, Bruce Jenner, who married Kris in 1991, was still very much an integral part of the family.
Kris filed for a divorce in 2014. A year later, Bruce came out as a trans woman, Caitlyn, who is no longer a part of the show or even acknowledged by the family.
Over the seasons, viewers witnessed the stars plant their feet by launching businesses, together, and as an individual. Fans have been there through it all: marriages, divorces, infidelity, infertility, lawsuits, catfights, cyberbullying, family discourse, and more.
“The Kardashians” is a 2.0 version of one of the most successful families in reality TV. To say they rule the roost would be no exaggeration. They make it look so easy and effortless.
Only this family could wake up in the morning and look that good. Damn. But they do. They were born for the camera and they are a natural in front of it. You can’t take that away from them.
In this new chapter, they also share executive producer credits and, as such, they have a real say in the show. Ryan Seacrest retains his previous role, too.
As much as things change, they stay the same. In terms of the Kardashians, viewers are still privy to their personal life, the latest scandal and their daily challenges and wins.
Since everyone is much older, there is unmistakable confidence in how situations are dealt with. They are still fiercely protective of one another. The strong family bond remains unshakable.
I have to admit, the tone of the show is different. It has a lot more heart instead of a saturation of vacuous drama. Viewers get to see Kim pass her bar exam and discover who she is as a single woman and mother. She uses her fear to propel her to be unstoppable.
I mean the SKIMS founder is positively glowing. And she has her own plane, with custom-designed interiors, too. Let’s not forget that she’s happy in love. Fourth time could be a charm, who knows!
Khloé is playing happy family with Tristan and her daughter True in her new luxury mansion, which just happens to be next door to Kris’s palatial new home in Calabasas.
Kourtney, now engaged to Travis Barker (they have since been married), is trying to fall pregnant. Kylie is preparing for baby number 2 and has her mom pandering to her needs.
Kendall is just enjoying being herself.
Kris's boyfriend Corey Gamble sticks out like a sore thumb. He’s more of an extra than a cast member. And Scott Disick is still very much a part of the family, even though he is working on everyone’s last nerve with his neediness now that Kourtney has moved on.
Family dynamics are a bit awkward, but it’s a passing phase.
In case you were wondering, Kanye West, who has changed his name to Ye, does feature on the reality show.
But his contradictory behaviour, from sweet gestures like securing the sex tape and all the copies, to walking out of SNL when it was hosted by Kim, has left a question mark on things.
As the Kardashians pointed out, this is a new chapter and, so far, it’s an episode-turner as Pete Davidson is slowly introduced into the fold.
“The Kardashians” is streaming on Disney+.