Photo: Netflix
In one of my old posts where I broke down some of my favorite media tropes, I had rich people problems listed on there because one thing about me, I love me some annoying ass rich people. Watching trashy tv of nothing but rich people fighting over the most materialistic and dumbest things is entertaining to me. So if you’re anything like me, then you’ve probably seen the Netflix show Bling Empire, which follows the lives of a bunch of these crazy rich Asian socialites in LA.
The second season of the show came out a while ago, and……….. I have thoughts. I have some thoughts on the cast members on this show, (particularly about how most of them are annoying) and so here I am. Here to break down my honest opinions on everyone, beginning with:
Kelly:
Season 1: Kelly annoyed the hell out of me in the first season because of her relationship with that power ranger dude. No matter how many times that gaslighting, manipulative, controlling, and emotionally draining dude did her wrong, she was ready to run right back to him. I was so over them and their relationship and everytime Kelly would talk about ending things with him and how she needs to move on, I was literally rolling my eyes 'cause I knew damn well that girl was not about to leave that man anytime soon.
The reason why Andrew continually acted the way he acted was because that's what Kelly allowed. He knew Kelly wouldn’t leave him anytime soon no matter how shitty his behavior was. The season ended with them breaking up, but then during an interview, she literally said that they got back together, and I damn near threw my phone out the window. I’M TIRED!
Season 2: Season 2 Kelly was the Kelly I wanted to see. She finally ends things with Andrew for good (let’s hope), and starts focusing on her completely. She’s going to therapy and she’s learning to love herself more, and I’m fully here for it.
Andrew:
I don’t even know how to put into words how much this man erkes me. This dude’s biggest acting gig was power ranger and he has the audacity to think he runs the world. He was absolutely the one at fault in his relationship with Kelly. The toxicity and emotional abuse was coming from his side. The amount of times he would gaslight Kelly, make her think SHE was the one overreacting and make HER feel bad and guilty for having emotions blew my mind. I thought we’d seen the last of him in season 1, but no. He had to come in at the very last second of the end of season 2 with flowers in his hand at the house of one of Kelly’s friends, leaving the show at a cliffhanger.
All I gotta say is, Kelly better not hear this man out or take him back!
Guy Thang:
I don't know who this man is.………………….
Like legitimately, I don’t understand his purpose on this show. I didn't even know what his name was up until halfway through season 2 because I simply never bothered to care. His only (and I mean ONLY) storyline in season 1 was throwing Anna’s penis pump out the window and that was it. He didn’t have a storyline in the second season and I can literally count on one hand the amount of times I saw him on screen in BOTH seasons.
Does he even count as a cast member???
We could have easily done without this man. The producers literally could’ve taken 5 seconds and cut out all his parts, and nothing would change.
Jaime:
Now listen, Jaime’s my girl and imma stick beside her. Y’all can say she’s boring and all, but I don’t care. Imma ride or die for this girl ‘cause I love her. She’s so chill and unproblematic, and doesn’t involve herself with CONSTANT drama unlike the rest of the cast who are literally years and decades older than her.
And plus, I genuinely like her sense of style. Yes, her personality is literally flat, I can admit that, and yes, she was barely in season 1, but she got a lot more screen time in season 2, and I loved it.
I like how she dealt with the whole Cheire situation. Instead of immediately jumping to conclusions and dragging Cherie by her hair, she took a moment to process things, and even though she did tell someone about it, unlike Kane, she wasn’t going on and ranting about it constantly.
I really have nothing bad to say about her.
Dorothy:
Dorothy was one of the newest cast members in season 2, and although we don’t know much about her, from what I’ve seen so far, I like her. She doesn’t like Kane (just like me) and she loves Jaime (just like me). I’m glad that someone came in and called Kane out on his bs, ‘cause everything Dorothy said about Kane being obsessed with drama, being a try-hard, and how Kane acted towards her friend, I completely agree with, and I completely believe Dororthy. Kane seems like the type of person to try and compete with someone by showing off materialistic possessions.
Mimi:
Mimi was the other new cast member on the show, and if I’m being honest, I don’t know what to say about her. She barely got screen time and her storyline was literally her and her husband going back and forth over the fact that he needs to start sitting down when he pees ‘cause he gets pee all over the toilet seat.
Weird.
Dr. Gabriel Chui:
For the most part, Dr. Chui is kinda off the screen and is only shown around Christine, but from what I’ve seen of him…. I’m not a big fan. In season 1, it was revealed that him and Christine were having a hard time conceiving, and Dr. Chui’s family (being very traditional in terms of gender and having lots of sexist views) put all the blame on the woman Christine, when in reality, it was Dr. Chui who was having issues. Instead of standing up to his family and defending his wife, he allowed his family to disrespect and blame Christine for YEARS (a decade even I think) over their trouble with having a child.
This left a very bad taste in my mouth and even after season 2, I’m still not a big fan of this man.
Kane:
Season 1: Kane in the first season was actually very likable to me. He was super sweet to Kevin, taking him under his wing, and even letting him borrow some of his clothes. My only critique of him was when him and Kevin, without Kim’s permission, took the investigation information and went to another state to look for Kim’s dad. Yes Kim wasn’t upset at them, but I don’t know…. that just felt very invasive to me.
Season 2: Kane! Kane! Kane! Kane did a complete 180 in season 2 because he went from being one of my favorites from the first season, to being one my least favorite in the second season.
Firstly, Kane swears he’s not materialistic, and is so above trying to show off money and impress people with it, when he isn't. He’s definitely materislatic, and definitely shows off his money and tries to impress people with it.
Secondly, his whole situation with Kevin made me side eye Kane. He swears he was doing it to look out for Kim, but I’m effy. It was just a whole he said, he said, situation, and ultimately I’m kinda siding with Kevin. I just don’t believe that Kevin was out here screwing other women the same week he was going on a road trip date with Kim. Did he screw another woman? Yes, but I believe Kevin when he said that it was a long time ago.
Thirdly, the Cherie situation. Kane’s entitlement was what pissed me off. Yes, you and Cherie are close, but that doesn’t mean you’re entitled to know EVERYTHING about her life. I understand that it was a very big thing to keep a secret (if it even is true and isn’t just a big misunderstanding), but the way Kane was constantly saying, “She’s my best friend I don’t understand why she wouldn’t tell me,” made me scratch my head.
Your best friend didn’t tell you that she allegedly dumped her boyfriend for a married dude with kids (that the boyfriend introduced her to), who was still legally married to another woman when she (Cherie) got pregnant by him???
Gee, I wonder why…………
Cherie:
Let’s stick to the topic of Cheire and lemme rant about her for a sec.
Season 1: Cherie in season 1, I wouldn’t even say I hated her, I just felt sad for her. She was just so sad and embarrassing. She’s been with this dude for years, they have 2 kids together, and after every single hint (some weren’t even hints, and she would just flat out tell him she wants to get married) she gave him, this man STILL had avoided marriage.
It was so hard to watch their relationship because it was so clear that she loves him way more than he loves her. That man does not want to marry this woman, and instead of accepting that fact, Chere ended up PROPOSING to Jessey at the end of season 1. And worst of all, Jessey didn’t even seem happy. He was so hesitant to say yes and just looked at her and awkwardly chuckled.
EMBARRASSING!
Season 2: Phew! Chile- this season for Cherie was something. Lemme just make it known that her and Jessey are STILL struggling to get married. He hasn’t even gotten her a ring yet, and doesn't wanna do anything wedding related.
Now let’s get to the good part……
A huge bomb was dropped this seaon about Cherie and Jessey that had my jaw on the floor. Allegedly, before Cherie and Jessey got together, Cherie was dating this guy (let’s call him Adam). Adam ended up introducing Cherie to Jessey, who at the time, was married with kids. Cherie ends up leaving Adam for Jessey who was still legally married, and then ends up pregnant, all while Jessey was still married.
We now know from timelines on their relationship and legal documents online that Jessey filed for diviroce from his ex-wife in Spring of 2015, and got with Cherie late 2015. His divorce wouldn’t be finalized until July 2019, so yes, technically he was still legally married, and was in the process of getting a divorce.
The two ended up getting married in secret in a small ceremony in September 2021 due to covid restrictions, and my honest opinion is this: I don’t care if he’s in the process of getting a divorce. Dating a married man or woman will forever be wack to me.
Jessey:
I don’t like this man. But the thing is, at the end of the day, if he doesn’t wanna marry somebody, then he’s not obligated to. Cherie needed to take the hint. Yes the way he “accepted” that proposal was cringe, but Cherie herself is an idiot. Nobody can say that Jessey was leading Cherie on because the truth is, he’s really wasn’t. It was clear as daylight that that man wasn’t jumping up and down in excitement over marrying that woman.
However, the two are officially married and who am I to pray for somebody’s marriage to fail, so congrats to them.
Kim:
Season 1: I don’t have much to say about Kim in season 1 besides the fact that she was wrong in the Anna penis pump situation. Both Guy and HER went snooping around Anna’s house and went through her things, found Anna’s sex toy, and she told Guy to throw it out, and when confronted about it, Kim tried to pin all the blame on Guy and play the victim.
It was infuriating.
Season 2: Season 2 made me dislike Kim more than I already did. Her storyline for this season was entirely centered around her and Kevin’s weird “are they or aren’t they” relationship. Kim would friendzone Kevin, and then next thing you know she’s kissing him on the cheek, and acts oblivious to it.
She agreed to go out to dinner with Kevin, but then doesn’t show up, and then says that she’s not sure she wants to be romantically involved with him, but then 5 minutes later she agrees to go on a road trip date with him. And after the awkwardness that was that date, she ends up being mad at Kevin after Kane’s drama obsessed ass tells her that Kevin allegedly slept with another girl the same week he went on a road trip with her.
She then proceeds to tell Kevin that she doesn’t trust him, and wants to take a lie detector test, to which Kevin says that if takes one then she has to take one as well. And then what do ya’ know? Kevin ends up passing the lie detector test (proving that he’s genuinely interested in Kim), and KIM ends up failing the test when Kevin asked her if she really wanted to be with him.
To make things even worse, Kim had the audacity to gaslight Kevin and tell him he was overreacting when he got mad at her afterwards, when we all know damn well had it been Kevin who failed the test, Kim would be losing her damn mind.
Kim is gorgeous, but god damn does that woman get on my nerves.
Kevin:
Season 1: Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. Kevin’s the person in the entire cast who’s there to humble everyone else, and make the show seem “relatable” to viewers. He’s the “poor” person in the group full of crazy rich people, and to be honest, I’m bored of this trope.
This man is bestfriends with a bunch of rich people, wears designer clothes, and is partying at all these exclusive places, and we as viewers are supposed to see him as the relatable one??? Yeah………..no.
Also, his weird obsession with Kelly is……..well…… weird.
Season 2: Speaking of obsession, chile-!!! Kevin in season 2 was corny to a whole other level. This man was so damn DESPERATE for Kim, it was hard to watch. It was so embarrassing ‘cause it was so obvious that Kim wasn’t into him like that, and yet he still kept pushing it. This woman stood him up and told him plainly that she wasn't sure she wanted to go beyond a friendship with him, and then 5 minutes later, he asked her to go on a road trip date.
Every second of the day, it was KIm! Kim! Kim! Kim!
And when it wasn’t Kim, it was his struggle with addiction, which by the way, the way the show brought that up was so random. Addiction is a very serious thing and kudos to Kevin for being clean for some time now, but it felt like the show brought this up just to add another random plot line.
Christine:
Just like Christine from Selling Sunset Christine from Bling Empire is the show's villain that knows how to dress, and while we’re supposed to hate the villain, we all know the show wouldn't be as entertaining without them.
Season 1: Christine was so cringe and tacky in the first season with her constant shit-stiring ways and obsession to “one-upping” Anna by flexing her materialistic possessions, and name-dropping people like Prince Charles and how she had tea at Buckingham Palace with him.
She tried way too hard to impress people and always made everything a competition over who has the more expensive jewelry and who knows the more affluent people. It feels like she wants to come off as someone who was born into wealth and doesn’t need to show off money, but yet she does, and it’s hard to watch.
Season 2: I will say however that Christine in the newest season is a lot better than the old Christine. She spent less time obsessing over Anna and trying to out-do her, and more time to herself and her family. Despite the whole situation where she claimed that Anna said that she would “expose” and “destroy” her, Christine wasn’t really in any big drama this season.
She was almost tolerable.
Anna:
Anna is the fan favorite in the show, and while I can understand why, I still have things to say about her. People like Anna because she’s the blunt and honest person who doesn’t try too hard, and puts Christine in her place, which I’m also a fan of. However, Anna sorta has this “I’m better than you” mentality, and she comes off as very pretentious at times.
Yes, what she said about Christine being impressed by money is true, but Anna is one of those people who have that “old money vs new money” and “old money is better than new money” personality that annoys me and that I find very tacky.
I do love the fact that she does genuinely try to stay out of drama, she gives great advice, and she treats her friends well. Plus her friendship with Jaime is everything!
Jaime and Anna are the only people I watch this show for.
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