Reality TV is one of my guiltiest pleasures, but even I have my limits: I can watch only so many installments of the Real Housewives before my ears start to hurt from screeching catfights. So when Southern Charm premiered two years ago, I was delighted to see a series depart from Bravo's housewife-heavy formula. Plus, Southern Charm delivers amazing eye candy and coed drama with four leading men who perfectly fit some familiar dating prototypes. In anticipation of tonight's season finale, let's break it down.
1. Shep, the Peter Pan
He brought it on himself when he declared Charleston "a playground for men who don't want to grow up," and truly, none of his castmates seem to pursue the life of leisure with such gusto. Shep is the fratboy you wanted to date in college but couldn't pin down: he's tall, handsome, witty, smart, and a touch goofy. Where ladies are concerned, Shep says he "…yearns for freedom, like William Wallace." But like all charming playboys, Shep hints at the possibility of settling down. Although we've yet to see him with a girlfriend, Shep says he's actively looking for someone to keep him away from the bars and closer to Netflix.
2. Craig, the Pretty Boy
His mother worries he doesn't eat enough. Cameran spends 20 minutes impatiently waiting for him to finish getting ready. And he's the only Southern Charm castmate to wear hair gel. Craig may be a law school graduate, but he seems more comfortable on the catwalk. So, while we haven't seen much of his love life beyond the occasional flirtation with Kathryn (which I find quite endearing somehow), I'm going to assume the handsome Delaware native likes his ladies slender and dolled up...if only he could find one who'd wake him up before 10 and encourage him to study for the bar exam.
3. Whitney, the Mama's Boy
There are mama's boys, and then there's Whitney Sudler-Smith. When Southern Charm kicked off two years ago, 46-year-old Whitney lived at home with his sharp-tongued, martini-drinking mother, Patricia. He's since moved up in the world (slightly?) and into a room at casa de Shep (which mama Patricia helped redecorate, of course). But Patricia isn't lonely in that big old house, as she insists her cutie-pie come over for dinner once a week. And when they're not together, she can be seen making scrapbooks of her son's society magazine clippings while telling her butler how much she wants her baby boy to settle down. The only problem is, Patricia's fervor may be what keeps the ladies away: When Whitney brought his girlfriend, Larissa, over to mom's mansion for drinks, Patricia asked the blond European whether she'd consider moving to Charleston. "I'm not getting any younger," she then said, hinting at her desire for grandchildren. I, for one, would love to see a mini-Whitney gracing my TV screen. Can you imagine three generations of Sudler-Smiths gossiping over cocktails?
4. Thomas, the Hopeless Romantic
He may not show it—or even know it—but at his core Thomas is an eternal optimist. A dreamer. A romantic. It's why he thought he could resurrect his political career and what led him back to Kathryn after calling off their romance at the end of season one. Like most dreamers, Thomas often follows his heart (or, something else) instead of his head and seems to believe that things will work out even when he's not willing to put energy toward them. His naiveté, coupled with some questionable decisions on Kathryn's part, led to an impromptu Facebook breakup that involved Thomas writing, "How did I let her take my heart. It was cold and on a perch. Now it's completely vanished with not even an attempt for explanation."
