When The Valley launched, it brought the Bravo multiverse into uncharted territory: post-pump life, baby bottles replacing tequila shots, and a cast trying to figure out who they are after reality TV’s high school ended. And then came Janet.
At first glance, Janet Caperna felt like a background character — a +1 who maybe shouldn’t have made it to the reunion group photo. Her origin story practically wrote its own meme: former Vanderpump Rules fan meets Scheana Shay at a pool party, becomes her best friend, gets married, has a baby, and ends up on Bravo. It read a little too meta. A little too try-hard. A little too “is she auditioning?”
But here’s the twist: Janet didn’t fade into the backdrop. She didn’t just survive The Valley’s first season — she helped shape its emotional spine. Yes, she stumbled. Yes, she was messy, and occasionally tone deaf. But she became something Bravo is rarely subtle about: watchable.
When Being a “Fan” Becomes a Liability
It’s worth remembering that being called a “fan” on Bravo is basically a scarlet letter. It suggests you’re a fame-chaser, a social climber, someone who’s reverse-engineering their storyline like it’s a LinkedIn strategy.
Kristen Doute throwing that insult at Janet early in Season 2 was less about fact and more about tone-setting: “You’re not one of us.” And it worked — for a minute. Social media jumped on the idea that Janet was a Bravo hanger-on who wormed her way in through Scheana’s kindness.
But the real gag? Janet sort of was a fan. And she never denied it. In fact, her willingness to lean into the awkwardness almost neutralized it. She didn’t dodge the origin story. She owned it. And that weird self-awareness — “Yeah, I watched VPR, and now I’m on the spin-off. Wild, right?” — made her oddly charming.
But let’s not pretend she was fully self-possessed. There were moments (many) when Janet seemed very aware she was on camera. Her energy in group scenes sometimes hovered in this strange liminal space between authentic and performative. You could almost see the Bravo filter kicking in mid-conversation. But even that? Kind of relatable.
Sweet, Messy, and Sometimes Just Wrong
Where Janet stood out — and occasionally flopped — was in her attempt to play the mediator. She often inserted herself into conversations with this calm, centered “let’s talk it out” vibe that came across as sincere, but also vaguely condescending. You could tell she thought she was the reasonable one in the room. And sometimes she was. But sometimes she wasn’t.
Her dynamic with Kristen? Well-intentioned but mishandled. Her commentary around the Bookos and drinking? Valid concern, but delivered with the tone of someone who thinks they’re above the chaos while still filming inside it. She skirted just close enough to moral superiority without fully earning it.
That’s where Janet’s edit gets fascinating. She’s not a villain. She’s not a saint. She’s a new kind of reality TV character — someone who’s trying to be both real and liked, and occasionally flailing in that balance. She doesn’t blow things up, but she does stir the pot while pretending she’s holding a spoon for someone else.
From Side Character to Soft Power
Despite — or maybe because of — the mess, Janet found herself quietly emerging as a main character. Not in the Kristen-Brittany “scream and throw things” way, but in the sense that people kept reacting to her. When she walked into a scene, the temperature changed. That’s not background behavior. That’s presence.
Her storyline — being a new mom, navigating post-divorce life, calling out bad behavior in a way that was a little judgy but sometimes earned — added texture to a show that could’ve easily been just bickering ex-reality stars fighting over friend groups.
Janet became a mirror. And mirrors aren’t always flattering — for herself or the cast. Sometimes they show contradictions. Like wanting to be the mature one, but laughing a little too hard at petty drama. Or saying she doesn’t want to be involved, then wading in chest-deep. It’s that tension — between wanting to rise above it and being in it — that makes her work on Bravo. She’s not above the game. She’s just a different kind of player.
Janet Is Not the Queen Bee — But She Is the Center
Let’s be clear: Janet didn’t outshine everyone on The Valley. She’s not the star. She doesn’t bring the chaos like Kristen, the raw emotion like Brittany, or the tight Bravo training like Scheana. But she does bring something crucial: connective tissue.
She makes the show feel more real, even when she’s clearly struggling to find her footing. She delivers small moments — eye rolls, emotional hesitations, awkward smiles — that feel more honest than half the tequila-fueled shouting matches we’ve seen before. She’s a little cringe. A little smug. A little confused. But so are most of us.
She’s Complicated, and That’s the Point
Janet’s arc isn’t some triumphant phoenix-rising story. It’s messier than that. She’s made some questionable calls, misread the room, and absolutely had moments where you want to yell at the screen. But she’s also brought texture to a show that needed more than just recycled Vanderpump energy.
She’s not the queen bee. She’s the person the queen bees talk about. She’s not always right — but she’s rarely boring. And in the Bravo universe, that’s enough to earn your spot.
Janet didn’t steal the spotlight. She just slowly made it clear she belonged in it. Flaws, fan past, and all.
