I'll just say it. I have a soft spot for the Real Housewives franchise that I make zero apologies about. Jess Wingo gives me grief about my three-hour movie takes and I pretend I don't know what's trending on Bravo, but we both know the truth. The Housewives universe is one of the most reliably entertaining things on television, and the Ultimate Girls Trip spinoffs are where the franchise goes completely off the rails in the best way.

The newest installment, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, premieres this week, and if you've been waiting for a reason to slide back into the mess, this is it. The title suggests a 1920s theme, and knowing this crowd, that means the kind of chaos that only happens when you put huge personalities in a room and hand them drinks.

OK, here's the practical part. The show airs on Bravo first, then episodes stream on Peacock the following day. If you want to watch without paying, your best bet is a free trial through a live TV streaming service. Both DIRECTV and Fubo carry Bravo and offer free trials that'll get you in the door for the premiere. The full breakdown of streaming options and free trial details is over at AL.com, and they walk you through exactly which method works best depending on whether you just want the premiere or you're planning to commit to the full season.

If you've never watched an Ultimate Girls Trip season before, the format is pretty simple. Take women who already have existing beefs, friendships and rivalries from their respective cities, put them in a vacation house together, and let the pressure cooker do its thing. Some seasons are mostly funny. Some get genuinely emotional. A few have produced moments so wild they became instant franchise lore.

There's no such thing as a guilty pleasure. If it entertains you, it counts. If a bunch of Housewives arguing at a themed dinner party is what gets you through the week, then that's a perfectly good way to spend an evening. I'll be watching with snacks ready, same as always.