Is ‘House of Ho’ worth the price of HBO Max? Inside the new show
HBO’s new streaming service boasts the movies & series audiences have come to adore the network for. HBO Max hosts all the HBO original series, as well as a slew of new content for subscribers to devour, like the reality series House of Ho. But does the show hold up to other network greats, making the HBO Max price worth the hit to our bank accounts?
HBO Max, which rolled out in late May, is the rebranding of HBO’s streaming service HBO Go, which comes with an expanded catalogue. The HBO Max price comes to a whopping $15 a month, more than standard plans of most major streaming services like Hulu & Disney +.
However, you get what you pay for. Iconic shows like The Sopranos & Sex and the City are coupled with nostalgic hits from other networks like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – plus HBO’s new lineup, including its first foray into the follow-a-family reality template with House of Ho. Is House of Ho worth the hefty HBO Max price? Let’s take a look at the brand-new series.
First Family
House of Ho follows the Ho family, led by family heads Hue & Binh Ho, who fled Vietnam to the U.S. in the 70s.
It’s quickly revealed the family is a true rags-to-riches story as the two came over with nothing, and we see them doing extremely well. The manicured family has impressive homes & jet sets around the bougie hot spots of Houston, TX.
This might make the series seem like a tearjerker, but the show is full of the type of drama that only reality TV can deliver. The family matriarch Hue Ho is a hard woman to please, much to the dismay of her daughters, as well as her sons who are all named after U.S. presidents, like adult Washington & Reagan, and little grandson Roosevelt Ho (you can’t write this sh*t).
Trouble at home
Washington Ho, AKA Bullsh*t Ho to his family, struggled with alcoholism during House of Ho season 1, HollywoodLife reported. It had taken a strain on his marriage with wife Lesley.
However, their marriage is now better than ever, and perhaps that means we can guiltlessly enjoy his antics on season one, telling his wife he wishes he was married thirty years later, as he pours a glass full of “confession juice”.
Rich reality
The drama continues in season 1, as Judy Ho reveals to her family she’s going through a divorce. Her family tells us in Vietnamese culture, divorce is seen as a curse and the patriarch of the family can neither condemn nor support his daughter’s decision.
Above all, the family is charming & lovable, and we have a show that provides the reality template of The Osbournes, Run’s House, or Real Housewives, with meandering tinkering music and sound effects, but with fresh original substance.
In between Lesley’s worrying about her husband’s work & partying and Judy’s divorce, we learn the cultural differences between North & South Vietnam, see the family make traditional Vietnamese meals, and it’s all in HD that rivals the latest binge-worthy drama.
Side drama
The cast beyond the central Ho children doesn’t disappoint either: Aunt Tina is our new party icon. She tells us she knows how to party and that “Every Wednesday, four to seven is my birthday”.
Wacky relatives, strict parents, and marital problems. What could be a better recipe for gold-standard reality TV? House of Ho gives us a new reality series fit for the high standards of HBO programming and well worth the HBO Max price.
