The Kardashians Episode 1 Review: Billionaire family serves old wine in classy new bottle

The Kardashians are back with personal drama, professional dilemmas and ghosts of the past in their arsenal. The reality show is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India.

If us saying that the Kardashians are back is a difficult pill for you to swallow, we won’t hold it against you. It’s just how Hulu marketed their new reality show, The Kardashians, which feels like a repackaged sequel of the long-running Keeping Up with the Kardashians. That series ended less than a year ago, in June 2021. Surely, it doesn’t feel like the Kardashians went away, all thanks to their presence on other platforms. But now, their lives are once again in front of the camera, and as a consequence, under the scanner.

The Kardashians - Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kylie, Kendall and Kris know the fame game well. They love to hate the camera. We are not even kidding! They constantly talk about wanting to safeguard their lives from the public and crib about their lack of privacy. In the first episode of this new series, Kim even says, "I hate talking about myself.” But they know and we know that they can’t quit the camera or the modern celebrity game, just as we can’t help but be aware of their drama. Let’s face it... You might not know who is who in the Kardashian family, or might have lost track of their relationships, but you certainly know that they dominate pop culture and make billions.

That rich aspect of their lives is fully shown in The Kardashians. The show opens with shots of their luxurious homes and offices. You can’t relate to this family, given their impossible beauty standards, glamorous closets, unimaginable wealth and lifestyle, and histrionics over trivial issues. So you watch it with a sense of detachment. There are larger debates about how these women have impacted the youth and how unreal the reality show is, but the show has its own audience. They might be fans or just curious viewers, but there certainly are eyes on the show.

Watch the trailer of The Kardashians here:

So, what’s new in The Kardashians? It’s classy and elegant. The framing of the show is more sophisticated and there seem to be calculated conversations. The topics driving the first episode are Kim’s excitement and nervousness about hosting Saturday Night Live, Kourtney's relationship with Travis Barker, Kylie embracing motherhood, Scott being upset over not being invited to the Kardashians' barbecue, Kris being occupied with business, and other matters. But one thing that struck out was the re-emergence of Kim’s sex tape. Yes, that again! The Kardashians themselves joked about it since that was what propelled the family into the spotlight. But, Kim has come a long way and wants to take challenges head-on, especially when it comes to protecting her four kids.

It’s clear from the first episode of The Kardashians that the family has taken some time to understand their own brand and wants to present it in a familiar, yet engaging way. It'll be interesting to have the Kardashians' exes make cameos in the show. Nevertheless, you can be assured that they will serve plenty of drama, quarrels and emotional breakdowns all by themselves.