Entertainment

Could T-Rav Be the New Jax?

by Kristie Rohwedder

Vanderpump Rules’ Jax Taylor is my favorite Bravo villain, and he’s held that title unopposed for over a year. (Note: Stassi Schroeder is not a villain. She is a hero. And she may be my favorite reality TV person ever.) It takes a special kind of human to step to Jax. Also? It takes a special kind of show to step to VR. It is such a beautiful program. But I must admit, as much as I miss Vanderpump Rules, I am having a blast watching its slot successor, Southern Charm . The people are fascinating, the scenery is gorgeous, the conflicts seem fairly real, and it's introduced me to Patricia Altschul. She is a blessing.

Wait a tick. Does my new guilty pleasure Southern Charm have a “best villain” contender? Well, we’re only a few episodes in, so I’m working with a limited amount of material, but it's definitely worth pursuing. Let's see! Shep Rose broke Bro Code, but I don’t know if he has “villain potential.” NEXT! Patricia is a sparking gem of a woman, and no, she’s not a villain. How dare you suggest it. NEXT!

What about Thomas Ravenel? Hm. He does have the "disgraced former politician who’s working on a comeback" thing going on. HM. Could he be the newest Bravo villain? Not sure. There's only one way to find out: COMPARE 'EM!

Let’s see if he has what it takes to dethrone Jax:

Round 1: Rep

T-Rav: His image was generated by stuff that happened before the show, and it looks like his bad behavior is a thing of the past. Jax: His image was generated by his unsavory antics on the show. WINNER: Jax. He causes trouble on the show. When it comes to being a reality show villain, that's a crucial component.

Round 2: Hooking Up With a Friend's Love Interest

T-Rav: He hooked up with a pal’s crush (however, it appeared to happen before Craig expressed interest).Jax: He hooked up with his BFF’s girlfriend/his ex-girlfriend’s BFF while his BFF was in the other room.WINNER: Jax. Jax slept with his best friend's girlfriend while his best friend was in the other room. T-Rav slept with a woman who wasn't dating anyone. No contest.

Round 3: How Much Do We Know About Them?

T-Rav: He has a very public past.Jax: He has a secret past.WINNER: Jax. T-Rav's stuff is out in the open. He isn't trying to hide anything. He's embraced his mistakes, moved on, et cetera. Whereas Jax? Jax left Miami and changed his name. Why? We don't know. (Cast mate Tom Sandoval hinted at a juicy reason.) Jax's mysterious past only adds to the villain persona.

Round 4: Emotions

T-Rav: Dude has thick skin (he kind of has to. Politics, amirite?), but that doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings. When Danni rejected him due to his scandalous history, he seemed genuinely hurt. Jax: He cried over Stassi, sure, but he shrugged off his BFF’s tears. (Poor Tom Sandoval.) Jax denied being insensitive to his buddy, and admitted he suppresses his feelings. (Yeah, he finally copped to his shit post-show. But whenever he was in the moment? NO EMPATHY.)WINNER: Jax. I mean, duh. Jax is a robot who was programmed to occasionally weep over Stassi.

Round 5: Post-Prison Hobbies

T-Rav: He got out of prison, found polo.Jax: He got out of jail, found more jail.WINNER: Jax. He said he's been to jail at least five times.

Round 6: Hookup Habits

T-Rav: Post-hookup, he brought Kathryn coffee. Jax: He hooked up with Laura-Leigh in public restrooms.WINNER: Jax. Public restrooms. SERIOUSLY, Jax?!

Round 7: Stayin' Safe

T-Rav: He and Kathryn had unprotected sex.Jax: He and Laura-Leigh had unprotected sex. He and Kristen had unprotected sex. WINNER: A tie. Come on, guys. Wrap it up, be safe, et cetera.

Round 8: Friends

T-Rav: One friend says he's a great guy who "caught a bad break."Jax: One friend says he's "literally the worst person on the planet."WINNER: Jax.

Do I need to even tally up the points? I mean, Jax keeps the "best villain" title easy-peasy. Congrats, T-Rav!