As a lifelong Kyle Rich super fan, I am
fascinated by most of her behaviour, including stealing houses, and what I’ve always been drawn to is the fact she’s a very complex character with moments of brilliance undermined by some huge flaws in her diamond. None of the other characters in any RH series are so compelling to me and it’s very easy to write her as only Vile Kyle or a Mean Girl. I think she’s those things and also a lot of other good and equally compelling things involving being scared, actually being very funny on purpose, getting drunk in France, doing the splits, bees, helicopters, and wearing kaftans. She has a strong moral core and is happy to abandon or forget said moral core whenever convenient for her which is pure delight for me.
My theory on Kyle Richards
1. Kyle famously finds the relationship with her sisters impossible. Kyle is a therapist’s dream. She’s a great example of the youngest member of a family being the emotional care-taker or guardian (including her mother who was a PIECE). This is reflected in things like: how she is proud of all her daughters having a good relationship and talking about them all sleeping in the same bed until they’re 45; needing replacement sisters (Lisa V as a replacement Kathy, Teddi as total 180 from the mess of Kim). I think the family dynamic of a matriarch wanting three famous daughters is incredibly damaging - as the youngest Kyle would have felt like the less successful spare part for a lot of her life.
I’m sure Kim never imagined that she would end up the least successful as the golden child of the family and I genuinely think she hates Kyle for flipping the script and getting a hot rich husband while she got on with her substance abuse and poor life management. I also think Kathy hates that Kyle didn’t have to resort to sending Portia to an abusive correction camp or having kids (and now Kathy herself) who reveal that the Hilton family are mostly likely homophobic and, especially, racist. Kathy is fawned over by white gays but she is a very suspect character.
In the classic Drama Triangle, Kim is the Victim but sees Kyle as the Persecutor. However, Kyle see herself as the Rescuer - so when her attempts to Rescue Kim fail, she turns into a Victim and allows Kim to persecute her. Kim sees Kathy as her Rescuer - but Kyle has neither of them in the role of Rescuer for her. Which is why it all gets so messy because KATHY is the Persecutor - whatever causes her RAGE is why they are a dysfunctional sisterhood and Kyle and Kim have both developed coping strategies to deal with her.
2. She converted to Judaism as a single mum with a half-Arabic child to marry a Mexican Jewish guy. I can imagine that this wasn’t a walk in a park for her and I suspect that she would have faced a lot of ‘sisterly advice’ on these topics which wouldn’t always have been helpful or had good intent, particularly from Kathy. I think Kyle has a core belief that I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR YOU and doesn’t get that back from either of her sisters, whether that’s Mo setting up his own business and LOL stealing Rick’s clients much to Kathy’s displeasure or getting no thanks for managing Kim’s finances or behaviour for a lot of her adult life. In effect I think she is the Black Sheep - but really it SHOULD be Kim but everyone protects her for whatever reason.
3. She has a very clear set of values around taking care of people, fun, loyalty, family, success, expensive handbags, being in control, being at the centre. Some of her best moments come when her values get in her own way and show up as massive flaws and inherent self-contradictions. I don’t see Kyle as being hypocritical in the way others do - I think her value set is often at odds with itself and leads her to behave in ways that can show up as antithetical to her values: being self-centred, showing up with loyalty to everybody and nobody, being hostile, avoiding conflict when it suits her, enjoying conflict when it involves others and is always keen to stir the pot to see what happens and then running away if she’s taken it too far.
This season I have had real moments of being personally very disappointed in some of Kyle’s behaviour - mostly her choosing Diana over Sutton, her on-going inability to acknowledge Crystal as a valuable person and the double standards therein - but I just wouldn’t have Bev Hills without her.