Stream It or Skip It: ‘Southern Charm’ Season 11 on Bravo, Where Craig Conover Is Eclipsing Shep Rose As The Show’s Shining Star

It’s been a tumultous offseason for our friends in Charleston. Since cameras stopped rolling on Southern Charm Season 10, the one-time “most popular man on Bravo” Craig Conover got very publicly dumped by his longtime ladyfriend Paige DeSorbo (cameras picked up in time to show us the aftermath in the S10 finale), two castmembers (Leva Bonaparte, Taylor Ann Green) departed the show, and the “fuck boy Exorcist” himself JT Thomas left not only the show but the whole damn country. (He’s in Bali now, apparently.) So who’s left to pick up the pieces? Well Shep Rose, of course, but also Austen Kroll, a self-proclaimed “pregnant AF” Madison LeCroy, and a handful of newer cast members. It’s bound to be another season of dramatic highs in the Low Country as we join. SOUTHERN CHARM SEASON 11: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? Opening Shot: It’s June 16, 2025. Why does that matter? IT’S AUSTEN’S 38TH BIRTHDAY! We join the birthday boy, Shep, Craig, and SoCharm EP Whitney Sudler-Smith at Charleston’s Grill 225, where Shep offers a champagne toast before the steaks roll out: “We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, but mostly ups I would say / But let’s down this.” Things quickly devolve from there, with Austen branding his former podcast partner Craig “the liar of all liars.” Guess we don’t need dessert! The Gist: Quick, rewind two months! We’re still in Charleston, only it’s April(ish) and Madison LeCroy is 31 weeks pregnant and preparing for her baby shower. Our cast of Charmers are on a mission to shower LeCroy with gifts, while producers catch viewers up on where each of them are currently situated since the last season wrapped: Craig is slowly yet surely cleaning up the debris (metaphorically-speaking) from his well-publicized breakup with Paige. He’s doing some yardwork, presumably doing some therapy, and plotting out his next steps to get back into a relationship. Shep is still single, but informs us that he’s upped the age range of women he’s comfortable dating to 28. (He’s 44.) Austen is a year-and-a-half into his relationship with Audrey, but those of us who have read the tabloids know this happy couple is headed for Splitsville sooner rather than later. Molly is a new “reptile mom,” which means she spends her time thawing frozen mice to feed her corn snake Cornholio. (Really.) Rodrigo, well, we don’t really get much insight into his life other than the fact that he’s always impeccably dressed and seems to be genuinely thoughtful. (Longtime viewers of the show know this is not unusual.) Venita and Salley have become “best friends” in the wake of the collapse of the former’s showmance with JT, even though the first words they say to each other in this episode are “I haven’t seen you in so long.” Venita reveals herself to be Team Paige, too, after Craig put her on blast on WWHL. Miss Patricia is busy overseeing the planning for Madison’s baby shower at her palatial Charleston estate, where a newly mustachioed Whitney wanders the grounds. There, you’re caught up! What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Southern Charm is a somewhat unique series on Bravo in that it revolves around a small crew of male frenemies instead of a large posse of well-to-do women that crave interpersonal drama like plants crave Brawndo. I’m not really sure it has a parallel on the network, let alone the wide world of reality television. Our Take: You know that male loneliness epidemic that Pivot podcast co-host Scott Galloway is prattling on about? Well, it does not seem to have taken root in Charleston, at least not with the core four of Craig, Shep, Austen, and Whitney. These guys are social creatures and party animals, and are the reason that this show is still going strong eleven full years after the series debuted in March of 2014. Now, pay close attention that I listed Craig and Austen ahead of dear old William Shepard Rose III, the first big breakout star of the series. It seems pretty apparent that Craig has evolved into the sun that the other celestial bodies of this series revolve around, which makes for some compelling stakes and drama. Longtime viewers of the series know that Shep and Craig have always had a contentious relationship, with Shep often using his strong command of the English language and generational wealth to put Craig in his place as Shep’s clear subordinate. The tables, however, have turned in recent years, first with Craig’s Sewing Down South concept turning from cute idea into a legitimate business, and then with Craig’s (former) romance with fellow Bravolebrity Paige DeSorbo making them a legit Power Couple. It seems pretty clear to this viewer that producers and audiences alike seem to be favoring Craig’s storylines over Shep’s these days, especially after Shep and Taylor Ann Green’s relationship went kaput. I’m not sure how much of this drama will play out on screen this season, but you can rest assured this power struggle is where my focus will be. Performance Worth Watching: Madison might have been the center of attention in the first episode, but as I alluded to above, this is clearly going to be Craig’s season. He has has entered the “bummer-based sadness” stage of his post-breakup journey is that one of the Kubler-Ross steps, we can’t remember and is fully (and rightfully) lamenting the fact that Paige has painted him as the “villain” of their late 2024 breakup across podcasts, Summer House reunion specials, and more. He seems optimistic about the future, though, probably because his pillow empire continues to expand and he’s a shoo-in to get laid whenever the mood strikes. It’s Craig’s world, baby, and we’re just squirrels. So, once again, it seems pretty clear that this season will revolve around Craig: How will he deal with his newfound single status? Will he successfully be able to keep the alcohol demons at bay? How will he deal with Shep’s simmering jealousy and Austen’s resentment issues? How many different cast members will he hook up with? Stay tuned! Sex And Skin: We’re introduced to Salley Carson this season while she’s catching flies in her kitchen wearing only a pink bikini top and a pair of white short shorts, but there’s no other friskiness in the first ep of Season 11. (That will undoubtedly change, as we see in the “season preview” clip that concludes the episode. More on that below.) Parting Shot: We get a sneak peek of what’s ahead this season: Craig hooks up with Salley! Austen hooks up with Salley! Craig hooks up with Charlie! (Wait, who’s Charlie?) Austen yells at Craig! Venita yells at Salley! Sleeper Star: Molly O’Connell is a delightfully weird presence on this show that’s normally populated by old money trustfunders and/or strivery social climbers. As we mentioned above, she’s got a pet snake named Cornholio, she’s not afraid of handling frozen mice with her bare hands, she plays euphonium for the Charleston Concert Band, and she’s a former America’s Next Top Model contestant. She’s not above taking shots, downing drinks, or crying about her bad decisions in public. In other words, she makes for great TV. (Oh, and did we mention her high school nickname was “Frank The Tank”?!?).
https://decider.com/2025/11/19/southern-charm-season-11-bravo-review/