The Real World comes back next week with its Back to New Orleans season, and with each passing year, it's impossible not to pine for the series's best days. Last year's Washington D.C. trip marked a step in the right direction, but the prime seasons of Real World are so much less contrived and self-aware -- it's impossible to shake them from memory. Here we revisit the show's ten greatest stars, the ten castmates who were smart enough, cool enough, or downright problematic enough to make the kind of reality TV you might be proud to have watched.
10. Genesis, Boston
Quieter types rarely come off as so likable on The Real World, but Genesis, the Boston cast's introspective lesbian with a rocky past, was (and I swear I won't use this word again) real. We watched as Genesis's mother denied that she was a "true blue lesbian," and we saw her burst into tears when a child at the cast's workplace claimed she hated gay people. That's still harsh stuff in a season that featured plenty of downtrodden cast members.
9. Irene, Seattle
Irene had plenty of issues in the Seattle house (my favorite living space of any season): She was ornery, uncooperative, a bad fit for the house, and also a sufferer of Lyme Disease. When she badmouthed fellow castmate Stephen and earned "the slap heard 'round the world" from his angry hand, she earned both audience sympathy and disdain. I can't think of another cast member as polarizing as this ever-snickering housemate.
8. Trishelle, Las Vegas
If the Hawaii season first indicated that The Real World was evolving into out-and-out bacchanalia, then Las Vegas confirmed the warning with scads of hookups, drunken escapades, and tearful fights. Trishelle Cannatella was Vegas's center-ring star -- a daddy's girl from Cut Off, Louisiana whose portmanteau name alone solidified her as a beacon of The Real World's crazy new direction.
7. Danny, New Orleans
Babyfaced good looks, a military boyfriend, and illicit confessional hookups aren't all that made Danny Roberts memorable: He was also just sweet and reasonable. When his family visited the New Orleans manse (that he nicknamed "Tara" in the first episode), the awkward culture clash made for unforgettable TV.
6. Melissa, New Orleans
A precious few Real Worlders are unironically funny and ferocious, but Melissa Howard fits the bill. As the New Orleans's house's uncontested queen, she would dish drunken wit (asking fellow castmate Jamie to "get in a menagerie" with her) and sober scorn (to pompous fellow castmate David of "Come on Be My Baby Tonight" fame). She would later rightfully star on Oxygen's Girls Behaving Badly and write this funny blog.
5. Ruthie, Hawaii
The "problem" housemate is a perennial RW treat. But unlike Paula of Key West or Ayiiia of Cancun, Hawaii's Ruthie Alcaide was both a total mess and smart. She's also one of the few reality stars who simply isn't affected by the presence of cameras. Her tendency not to give a sh*t sometimes required people to call 911, but she appears to have evolved from her days of worrying castmates Matt and Kaia. She certainly cleans up during those Real World/Road Rules challenges.
4. Dan, Miami
Though castmate Melissa pretty much schooled him during their season-making altercation, Dan Renzi was a reliable narrator of his house's insanity during the fantastic Miami season. He was the perfect counterpoint to Flora's apathetic diatribes, and again (like most people on this list) he was ready to loose legendary quips in confessionals at a moment's notice.
3. Coral, Back to New York
The wise-cracking, uber-confident doyenne of the series's second New York season is just too comfortable a reality star to forget. Her intimidation of The Miz, her criticisms towards Malik and the women he dates, and her blithe candor make her the most memorable female cast member in RW history.
2. Puck, San Francisco
If this were a list of "Best Real World Bike Messengers," Puck (AKA David Rainey) would score the top spot. But as such, he's just #2: The obnoxious, patently disgusting dude who eventually won the affections of castmate Rachel is still the standard for reality TV villains. We would poke our housemates' peanut butter in tribute to him, but for now, we just hope he has a speedy recovery.
1. Pedro, San Francisco
You can say that later seasons featured more fistfights and parties, but San Francisco was the season that proved The Real World could matter. Pedro Zamora, the 22-year-old HIV-positive AIDS lecturer who ended up educating much of America about the illness, was so undaunted and proud during his time on the show. Though he died the day after his final episode aired, he remains the only cast member to garner praise from a sitting president. His death remains sad, but Pedro's legacy is impressive in the extreme.