Netflix’s latest rich people show isn’t a historical drama or fictitious at all; it’s a reality show about real people who feel superbly unreal for the likes of you and me. I don’t know why we’re wired to appreciate or at least enjoy tone-deaf reality stars who are clearly saying outrageous things for the sake of it. Members Only: Palm Beach certainly feels a little underwhelming, because every episode seems to follow the same pattern: someone has a party, someone else says something controversial, and everyone starts to fight. There’s really no real conflict here; it’s like they decided if they want to make an entertaining show, there’s got to be some sort of massive fight. Honestly, calling someone else classless is so 2008 that it doesn’t even feel shocking; it just makes you immediately reach to turn off the TV screen. It does feel like Palm Beach is starting to feel irrelevant, and some people are interested in keeping up the status quo, so we get crap like this that just makes things worse. But rather than turning this whole article into a rant, I’m going to jump into the cast guide now.
Hilary Musser
Hilary is the opening act of Members Only: Palm Beach, and the show makes it look like Hilary and Rosalyn have a rivalry going on, but Hilary takes a back seat a little further into the show, as other women are introduced. It does feel like she’s the most tired of the drama until she shows up randomly to be more dramatic just for the sake of it. I do think the whole Maria thing took way too long to resolve. Hilary’s a businesswoman, a real estate developer. She’s been married 5 times, including her latest husband, who was a doorman, and she seems to be the most secure in her social position amongst all the women. Hilary says she’s not frivolous despite her obsession with fashion because she works 18 hours a day. She’s self-made and doesn’t need approval from anyone, and I think you can see that in the way she presents herself, even when she’s stirring up some drama. Though her not being able to say that one curse word was kind of hilarious. Did I mention she lives in a 40-million-dollar mansion in West Palm Beach? Maybe I do want to be this woman.
Taja Abitbol
I feel like Taja is only on this show because she’s best friends with Hilary. I don’t know if she’d have gotten a free pass otherwise, because she doesn’t do much on the show in comparison to the other women. She seems to be almost like Hilary’s lackey, though I don’t think that was the intention. Taja does stir the pot occasionally, almost as if she just wants to have some fun. But Taja is also an entrepreneur and owner of a wellness spa at the Faena Hotel, Miami Beach. As a socialite herself, she knows exactly the kind of treatment that her clients would need, and that probably helps. However, I can’t deny that Taja has the least interesting presence on the show, not because she’s uncool; in fact, it’s likely because she doesn’t really care, and is just on here for the sake of being around.
Rosalyn Yellin
Rosalyn is the most obsessed with etiquette in this group of people. She also thinks she’s going to be the next “queen” of Palm Beach, but we don’t know how real this crowning moment is, and it does seem like nobody actually cares after she’s crowned (with a real tiara/crown), might I add. Rosalyn is obsessed with being kind, but it definitely feels very fake sometimes. She’s supposed to be like a mentor figure for newcomers, such as Ro-Mina, one of the other cast members. She’s a philanthropist and does a lot of charity events, which means hosting loads of parties where the rest of the women are frequently invited. She also introduces the other women to Gale Bropy, who has been Palm Beach royalty for 40 years, apparently. But this immediately sparks debate between the women.
Ro-Mina Ustayev
Honestly, I kind of like Ro-Mina for being the rebel that she is, and it shows how young people are clearly more in tune with the world than the older generation. Ro-Mina is definitely the most outspoken cast member. She doesn’t shy away from being honest about whatever she’s feeling. She’s also louder than the rest of the women, and they all feel like they need to school her, especially Rosalyn, and I think it somehow stems from racism, because Ro is from Uzbekistan, and for one, Gale can’t even remember the name of the country, to the point that Ro-Mina has to literally point out the disrespect. Love that for her, though. Ro-Mina is also the youngest cast member, and she’s quite new to Palm Beach, too. She’s into fashion and music and sold her business with her brother to make a fortune. Also, she can’t seem to stop mentioning that she has 3 kids; I’m not sure why.
Maria Cozamanis
Maria is a DJ named Tumbles, and might have had the most controversial party on the show. Also, ma’am, please drop the details of your arm workout routine, because dang. Maria, like Ro-Mina, is quite the rebel. She’s also an outsider and a self-made woman who is a DJ, something that’s certainly looked down upon by the polite society of Palm Beach. I do feel like she might be the smartest of this lot, despite the appearance of being very “feral,” for lack of a better word.
Gale Brophy
Gale might not be a main member of the cast, but she certainly makes an impression on us as both out of tune and a “veteran” of Palm Beach. She talks about her connections with Trump and Musk and name-drops a lot, making the other women really annoyed, except Rosalyn, of course. Gale’s much older than the other women, and when she falls in one episode, that’s when all the women help her out, and suddenly she can’t stop talking about sisterhood and how lovely these girls have been to her. Apparently, she’s got a Rolodex and was the crowning glory of Palm Beach for 40 years; now, she’s passing on the baton to Rosalyn.
