Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Royal Rules of Ohio’ on Freeform and Hulu, A Culture Clash Reality Series Following Descendants of a Ghanaian Royal Family Living In The Midwest

In a TV landscape that deals almost exclusively in nostalgia, a reality show that harkens back to MTV’s heavy rotation of shows about rich people should feel right at home. Does Freeform’s latest have the goods to scratch that nostalgic itch?

ROYAL RULES OF OHIO: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: The regal family poses for photos and showcase their playful personas with each other. Brenda, the show’s narrator and POV character, provides background on the family dynamics and the reasons that brought the family to America from Ghana in a voiceover.

The Gist: The Agyekum sisters — Brenda, Nana, and Thelma — are descendents of Ghanaian royalty. With their parents, the family has settled in Columbus, Ohio and are pursuing the American dream while living their best lives as hot, young, successful 20-somethings. But along the way, they are expected to conform to the rules of their royal lineage and cultural expectations, forcing an internal culture clash for the sisters.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Bling Empire is the first series that comes to mind, following a group of wealthy Asians in Los Angeles. However, Royal Rules of Ohio coasts more on the idea of royalty rather than actually showing it, while the Netflix series drips in its portrayal of wealth.

Our Take: Right before COVID, my dad casually mentioned that we’re there’s royal blood a few generations back on his side of the family. His great-great (maybe one more “great”) grandfather had been the Maharaja of Travancore — modern day Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala — and you better believe I took every opportunity to spread the word about my newfound princess status, even though my real life in the United States was far from glamorous.

I mention this because I’m about as royal as the Agyekum family featured on the Freeform show Royal Rules of Ohio. (I even have the Midwest roots). It’s not immediately clear how “royal” this family is, just that they are descendants of royalty in their homeland, and this lack of specificity was the first disappointment in the show. We’ve grown up watching rich people live their lives on TV, which has primed us to want to see the opulence, the sometimes-offensive displays of wealth, and the lavish parties. Royal Rules of Ohio tries to do this by featuring a party where everyone is dressed to the nines, but it’s not necessarily giving “royal” in the locale or the set dressing.

Where the series excels is in shining a light on the specific African culture, largely done in the first episode through Brenda’s voiceovers explaining the do’s and don’ts of their tightknit Ghanaian community. Details like not drinking alcohol, calling elders “auntie” and “uncle,” and aunties trying to set you up with their sons are reminiscent of other eastern cultures and adds an authenticity to the entire endeavor. Brenda’s narration is playful, and she and her sisters seem like fun anchors for the show — even if we only really get to slightly know Brenda in the first outing.

But along with the more subdued lifestyle depiction, the series also flubs the editing. In the first episode there are quite a few cuts between locations and confessionals that don’t create a cohesive story. With that and the obviously fabricated drama (one auntie appears at the club that the girls have snuck off to after a family party and blackmails Nana to go on a date with her son), the series doesn’t provide the glossy, over-the-top vibes we’ve become accustomed to in shows like this.

Sex and Skin: No sex or skin in the first episode and given the rules outlined here (and its placement on Freeform), it’s likely that there won’t be anything explicit in the rest of the series.

Parting Shot: After the girls arrive late to the naming ceremony, their parents are ready to let them hear it about their punctuality (or lack thereof).

Sleeper Star: We don’t really get to know anyone well in the first episode but our main character and narrator Brenda has spunk and personality, and feels like the right guide through this first season.

Most Pilot-y Line:: “As royals, we’re supposed to be perfect. But that’s not always what my sisters and I are giving,” Brenda’s opening narration says, explaining that she and her sisters are torn between two cultures. “We’re just trying to figure life out.”

Our Call: SKIP IT. With royalty in the name, the series doesn’t live up to what we would expect from similar reality shows.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, ELLE.com, and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.