The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City are back — well, almost all of ‘em. The sixth season of the Bravo series premiered on Sept. 16, bringing all of our favorite SLC Housewives back to our screens. However, Lisa Barlow does not appear in the Season 6 premiere episode, except for a brief cameo during a FaceTime call with Heather Gay, leading fans to speculate about the reason for her delayed return.

Season 6 opens with a group trip hosted by BFFs Angie Katsenevas and Mary Cosby, who take the girls to a nearby campground in an RV (against Cosby’s will). However, Barlow does not join the ladies, telling Meredith Marks that she had other work obligations, while admitting to Gay that she doesn’t want to vacation with their castmate Bronwyn Newport amidst their ongoing feud.

Although Barlow didn’t join the trip, she still dominated the conversations, proving that she’s an essential component to the series even when she’s not present. As seen in the Season 6 trailer, her return to the show is imminent, which is making fans even more confused about why she isn’t in the premiere. Below, we break down the potential reasons why Barlow remained absent — for now.

Was Lisa A Housewife Yet?

In March, it was rumored that Barlow was holding back on filming for Season 6 even after production began because she was still negotiating her contract with Bravo. This would explain why she was absent from the trip and, therefore, the first episode, despite being featured in the opening credits.

Neither Barlow nor Bravo has commented on the speculation, and given how the franchise only breaks the fourth wall when necessary, it’s not likely that they will. However, one of the other women offered her own theory as to why Barlow didn’t join them on the trip.

Was It Because Of The Lawsuits?

According to Newport, Barlow’s absence just happened to coincide with reports of lawsuits against her and her husband, John. In August 2024, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that the Barlows faced three different lawsuits from defendants alleging that the couple owed them debts ranging from $100,000 to $400,000.

“It’s interesting timing for Lisa to be too busy to go on a free girls’ trip,” Newport remarked in a confessional. “I mean, maybe she’s too busy reading about herself in the press. With all of her lawsuits, it’s just very convenient timing for Lisa’s schedule to be maxed out.”

Barlow has yet to address this theory, but given how the Season 6 trailer teases confrontations about her legal issues, it’s not likely that she skipped a trip solely to keep quiet about the lawsuits. Plus, she has a strong defense. Barlow has denied each claim, saying in a statement, “I pay my bills and obligations and I always have,” and the latest lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice.

It’s unclear which episode will see Barlow’s return to RHOSLC, but perhaps when she does come back, she’s bound to clear up the rumors.

It’s safe to say that Bravo has mastered reality television over the past two decades. They know their target audience. They know exactly who is watching. They know how to make exceptional television. And it’s kept us glued to our screens nearly every day of the week. So, using those skills, they created Next Gen NYC. It’s destined to become a guilty pleasure show. I’m already obsessed. But am I obsessed for the wrong reasons?

Imagine trying to replicate everything that works in other shows —friend groups, hook-ups, partying, runway shows, etc. —and then asking young adults to portray the reality roles previously established by their predecessors. Namely, their moms. Because there is an inherent “child of” element to Next Gen NYC, it makes us watch the show through the lens of watching our friends’ kids perform in a middle school talent show. It’s like Kidz Bop: adult covers of hit songs performed and sanitized by kid performers. And yet, Next Gen NYC is juicy. I will be sat all season long, but there is something jarring about it. Remember when Kidz Bop put out their own rendition of some adult-oriented classics? Yeah, this is like that. Welcome to your latest guilty pleasure, friends!

‘The Real Housewives’ Kids Try to Be Adults on ‘Next Gen NYC’

Since Next Gen NYC kicked off, it’s proven that Bravo has a knack for creating fascinating television. It might be hard to launch a new series, but everything is aligned right with this one. Any slack is because we all need something to rag on. The core characters that Next Gen NYC brings to the forefront do fall under the moniker of “Nepo baby,” so being unafraid of shying away from reality allows Next Gen NYC to get ahead of the criticism. But once you acknowledge and accept that, you can see the series for what it is. It’s a friend group set up like Summer House, but it’s trying to emulate The Real Housewives. Why? Perhaps it’s the reliance on the famous mothers.

Of the four kids turned young adults that we first met on The Real Housewives, Next Gen NYC gives them the ability to see them fly without wings. But through the two episodes thus far, the mothers are still very much a part of their story. Perhaps it’s to establish the premise and provide context for those fans, but when the Bravolebrity moms appear in some capacity, it’s as if they’re still on a tight leash. One that we hope can be removed soon because there is some promise within. Ariana Biermann revealed that her mother, Kim Zolciak, is literally using her funds to survive. Riley Burruss is living off her mother, Kandi Burruss‘s, dime. Brooks Marks literally cannot escape his mom, Meredith Marks, as they do a joint photo shoot. And then there is Gia Giudice, daughter of Teresa Giudice, who is the bridge and tunnel girl of the group.

The Kids Are All Grown Up

The diametrically opposed stories of Ariana and Riley are fascinating, especially given their mother’s former feud. Both have two very different stories about money, which is what their mothers fought over. The Real Housewives of Atlanta. And yet, these two young adults are willing not to let their mothers’ pasts get in the way of their friendship. It’s a beautiful and mature moment, and then the show has to remind us that when we first met the girls, they were 8-years-old. So now that they’re having this adult conversation, it’s jarring to see the kid clip every moment it can be shoved in. It’s one thing to flashback, but to continue showing it becomes a reminder that the show wants them to be the next generation of their mothers. While Kim and Riley are only a phone call away, leave it to the RHOSLC and RHONJ stars to pop up in person for the most awkward “mommy and me” lunch. Watching Meredith and Teresa interact is its own parallel timeline for fans. Watching their kids fall back under their shadow on the show THEY’RE starring on? Did we really need the lunch date? But hey, maybe the boys of Southern Charm convinced them to show up as a promotion for their restaurant, Carriage House.

Riley and Ariana grew up on Bravo, but not in the same sense that we watched Gia become the young adult she is today. We’ve watched her go through a lot of difficulties in her life with her parents, but she’s triumphed through. And yet, the boys on the show demean her to TikTok videos of her infamous “Wake Up in the Morning’ clip from RHONJ. I suppose it is shocking that her track was never covered by Kidz Bop back in the day.

‘Next Gen NYC’ Shows the Kids In America

Now to the other kids of the show. They all have famous or well-off parents who have contributed to their success and placement into this friend group. Watching Charlie Zakkour and his crypto life working alongside his dad is not an issue, but how it’s established doesn’t help the cause of the non-Bravo kids trying to establish their own lives. It’s not uncommon to see parents on these shows, but they’re literally dictating narratives. Do your own thing, kids! Don’t be the cover versions of your successful parents!

But the kicker of it all. The Real Housewives is notorious for petty and ridiculous fights. Next Gen NYC has reached a whole new level in how they find a topic to fight over. To discover that the make-or-break element of this friend group is germs and washing hands after using the restroom? It truly is like being transported back to middle school. The Real Housewives would never! We are here to watch these young adults make their way through the world, even if their hands are being held along the way.