Does Jax Taylor Really Belong on ‘House of Villains?’

What makes a reality TV villain? E!'s House of Villains doesn't seem quite sure. The new competition show pits infamous Survivor players against infamous Challenge vets against the infamous Omarosa and Tiffany "New York" Pollard. They all compete against each other to be named Supervillain of the Week, which allows them to nominate three players to their "hit list" to potentially be kicked out. The last supervillain standing will win $200,000, so the competition is fierce, but also just a little bit silly.

Only one episode has aired so far, and for the most part, it's a whole lot of fun. People like Omarosa, Johnny Bananas, and even Bachelor alum Corinne Olympios are feuding and threatening each other and providing the kind of soundbites that you'd want from a show called House of Villains. Omarosa nominated Corinne for elimination simply because Corinne didn't know who Omarosa was, and that's exactly what we're here for.

But then there are people like Jax Taylor.

In his eight seasons on Vanderpump Rules, Jax did some truly despicable things. He yelled and cursed and verbally abused, and he cheated on any woman who dared to date him. He lied, he stole things, he body-shamed. He did this all on camera on a show that offered no prize other than a gross imitation of fame. As he explains on House of Villains, he was just "on a show." He's never had to compete, unless we're talking about competing to be the No. 1 Guy in the Group, which he never actually was.

Especially compared to the other villains, Jax is sort of an enigma. He was filmed doing horrible things that absolutely qualify him as a villain, but he's also been doing the work to change his image. He's married and has a son, and he took every opportunity in the premiere to say he was trying to win this money for his family, and he's extremely anxious because he's not used to competition shows. He cheated in the past, but that's not who he is anymore. Now, he's a dad. He even wears a sweatshirt that says "Dad." But if he's so determined to rehab his image, why go on a show called House of Villains and force everyone to remember all the truly horrendous reasons you're a villain in the first place?

For people like Survivor's Johnny Fairplay, this show is a no brainer. He used a lie about his grandmother dying as a strategy on Survivor, and he's since made that his brand. He's embraced villain status, as has Omarosa, the queen of reality TV villains. She's been a reality TV villain for almost 20 years at this point, from the first season of The Apprentice to the literal Trump White House to Celebrity Big Brother. Her mere presence is is intimidating. In contrast, Jax looks like a lost puppy that can't decide if it wants to bite you or not.

At the very least, Jax got the best line in the premiere when host Joel McHale arrived and there was some confusion over his identity. While Bobby Lytes thought McHale was Carson Daly, Jax chimed in with, "I'm just glad you're not Nick Lachey." Could you imagine though?

It's possible Jax will find his place in this house and figure out how to balance "father just trying to provide for his family and repent for his sins" with the kind of theatrical ruthlessness required to go up against his fellow villains, or maybe he'll be sent home so he can kiss his wife and son while Omarosa and Johnny Bananas rake everyone else over the coals. Either way, we're entertained.

House of Villains airs Thursday nights on E!, with episodes later streaming on the NBC app.