The sun-loving girls of Southern California were back and on the prowl for steamy suburban drama, all against the dramatic backdrop of changing economic times in the wealthy enclave of Orange County, on the fifth season premiere of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County, Thursday, November 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Tamra Barney, Lynne Curtin, Vicki Gunvalson and Gretchen Rossi welcomed a beautiful new face to the group – Alexis Bellino, a 32-year-old stay-at-home mom with a body that defies all logic that she is indeed a mother of three small children. But, changes are in store for the girls this season as they must say farewell to longtime housewife Jeana Keough.

In this fifth season of the original series behind the hit Real Housewives franchise, the gates finally swung open and shocking truths were revealed. The series took an important turn with shifting relationships and the tough economy hitting the ladies and their families hard. The ladies proved their tenacity as they continued to live life unabashedly large and on their own terms – as Vicki took her family on a trip to Italy, and the girls visited San Francisco and Ft. Lauderdale for lavish getaways. The ladies showed no signs of slowing down, and shopping, dining, drinking, dancing, plastic surgery and working out continue to remain at the top of their list of priorities.

Luckily Vicki's workaholic ways have paid off, with her life insurance empire thriving. Vicki's two kids are working and doing well, taking away some of her self-afflicted pressure and allowing her time to focus more on her marriage to Donn. Tamra coped with family and financial concerns, along with changes in one of her close friendships. Lynne also faced financial issues and a possible eviction from her home, but for the first time in her life found an independent voice, unfortunately perhaps a little too late to help her family. Meanwhile, Gretchen is in the aftermath of the devastating loss of her fiancé, Jeff, and did her best to move on both professionally and personally, with a surprising new love interest. But, Jeana Keough's real estate business was hit the hardest, and she makes the decision to turn her focus away from the ladies to concentrate more on her work and family.

Temperatures rose even more for the complicated circle when the Barneys became friendly with a new couple on the scene, the Bellinos. Tamra is excited to introduce the group to Alexis, a gorgeous honey blonde with legs for miles and miles. Alexis's husband, Jim, is an assertive man who prides himself on being the head of his household. Alexis is the modern day version of a 1950's housewife, taking on a very traditional role in her marriage. Even with three very small children and her extensive beauty regimen, Alexis still insisted on always putting Jim and his needs first.