The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season-Premiere Recap: Sweet Sixteen

by

Let’s show appreciation to the senior team at Bravo for taking our concerns seriously and working towards reviving the city that played a significant role in launching the popularity of the Housewives series. After a year-long hiatus, Real Housewives of Atlanta is back with a subtle makeover – not a drastic transformation, but one you can explain to your friends as a combination of enhanced Botox and a rigorous skincare regimen. In the season 16 premiere, we encounter new cast members, familiar faces, hints of a scandalous feud between the newcomers and veterans, some comical scenes involving a donkey-inspired derriere, and a wig malfunction, giving it a distinctly Atlanta vibe.

In this early stage of the series, it seems Shamea might be compared to Jamie Foxx in her confidence. Given this, I can’t help but feel a bit overly hopeful too. Shamea is an intriguing character at the start of the season because she was once referred to as “Shimmy Shimmy Coco Puff” by Kenya, yet now appears to be the group’s center. This could potentially lead to trouble since promoting a long-time friend didn’t work out well last time. However, Shamea has an advantage that Marlo doesn’t – a considerable amount of wealth. With her wealthy African husband Gerald (who seems quiet and actually works), beautiful children, and large mansion, she seems to have achieved what many past Atlanta Housewives strived for.

Shamea’s unique lifestyle and eccentric personality set her apart from Marlo, and she plays a crucial role in the possible reboot due to her close connections with the entire cast. Her permanent status allows Porsha’s comeback to feel organic, and she has long-standing relationships with Cynthia and Kenya from years of filming together. Shamea also maintains friendships with newcomers Kelli Ferrell and Brit Eady, as they move in the same circles. Unlike the original cast, which consisted of stay-at-home moms, trophy wives, and socialites, this revamped group feels younger and more contemporary, mirroring a modern take on Atlanta.

Remember when Cynthia and Phaedra filmed at the strip club in season five, appearing out of place? Well, tonight we see Porsha and Shamea filming at a similar venue, fitting right in. This is a new era.

In their initial private conversation, two experienced cast members quickly delve into controversy when Shamea shares intel from a group dinner with Kelli and Brit about Kelli’s criticism of Porsha regarding her divorce-related gossip. Previously, we last saw Porsha, who was then Porsha Williams but is now Porsha Williams-Guibodia, fending off Bolo accusations before exiting the show and reuniting with Simon Guiborida, who had started his divorce from a friend of RHOA named Falyn around the same time. The timeline is hazy at best, but by quitting the show and rejoining during her divorce process — with appearances by Randy Kessler and side-by-side comparisons of her from twelve years ago being amusing — Porsha managed to dodge having to justify her marriage on TV (the messy spin-off doesn’t count). However, Kelli isn’t letting it slide; as someone who has experienced infidelity in her own dissolved marriage, she introduces the “Porsha stole Falyn’s man” argument.

In her lively debut on the show, Kelli makes an appearance at her daughter Chloe’s birthday party, lavishing the teenager with seventeen designer bags – one for each year of her life. This grand gesture serves to reintroduce opulence to RHOA, as Shamea looks on. Kelli also takes this opportunity to discuss her personal struggles, including a contentious divorce and a potentially harmful ex-husband, all while managing a thriving waffle business that includes the restaurant Nana’s Chicken and Waffles, cookbooks, and a mimosa mix.

In contrast, Brit is recognized for her work in insurance as well as her time as a video vixen, and for her role in Kenya’s reduced screen time on the show. Both women are vivacious, stylish, and unafraid to express their opinions. Kelli jumps right into the drama by bringing up Porsha’s issues with Shamea, and hinting at an upcoming conflict between Brit and RHOA‘s most notorious antagonist.

After Shamea confides in Porsha about the argument at their strip club gathering, tensions between the returning cast member and a newcomer could flare up. However, it’s important to note that what they are discussing isn’t really capturing our attention right now. The main off-screen drama of the season so far is actually the growing tension between Brit and Kenya. Many fans are closely watching the series, wondering where Kenya Moore is. During filming this summer, there were reports that Bravo demoted Kenya (although some said she was fired or suspended), following an incident involving explicit posters of Brit. It appears Brit was referring to this situation in her voiceover at the start of the episode when she said, “Now, I have to talk about sucking dick with my mother.” Brit has also posted on Instagram about “hazing” and mentioned Georgia laws regarding the distribution of non-consensual sexually explicit images.

Kenya strongly refutes any involvement in the spread of revenge porn, maintaining that she’s still obligated to Bravo as per her contract. However, there’s leaked audio where Kenya allegedly called Britney an escort. The details surrounding their fight remain unclear as they come from news updates, blogs, and social media. From this episode, it’s evident that Kenya has fallen out of favor with the network, as she appears in no solo scenes or confessionals and is excluded from any promotional group photos of the cast. Cynthia Bailey, on the other hand, seems to have more screen time than Kenya, leaving Drew Sidora as the only original housewife from season 15. Kandi Burruss has stepped down after a long run, and not much appears to have changed in Drew’s life: she’s still dealing with issues with Ralph, who is now living separately following divorce court orders, and running multiple businesses out of her home with a constant influx of staff and associates. The newest member added to Drew’s circle is none other than Porsha’s ex, Dennis McKinnley.

It appears that during her breakup, Drew has found solace in Dennis, who she calls “Dennis Bro” and refers to as a mentor for her music. However, it’s interesting to note that Dennis is said to be a music producer, which I hadn’t known before. According to Drew, he’s been producing for a long time, but given her history of fabrication, it’s hard to tell how long that might be. Some viewers see this as another manufactured storyline to boost Dennis’s TV presence, but only time will tell how it unfolds. Meanwhile, there are suggestions that Drew and Dennis’s relationship isn’t strictly platonic, but Porsha claims to support them. However, during a private conversation with Shamea, Porsha seems to hint at complications in her feelings towards Dennis. With this information, and the rumor mill already churning about Drew, Porsha goes into the first event of the season on guard.

At Shamea’s grand residence, Sterling Hall, she throws her birthday party, showcasing her affluence reminiscent of Vanderpump’s Villa Rosa. Here, we’re introduced to the third new Housewife, Angela Oakley, wife of basketball legend Charles Oakley. She didn’t leave a significant impact in this episode beyond her hair being styled unusually, but I appreciate any wig mishaps on Housewives. As guests trickle in, they seem to size each other up like it’s the first day of high school. The air is tense, especially when Kenya arrives and greets Brit and Kelli with an awkward hello. Their interactions may appear harmless at first glance, but there seems to be a frosty atmosphere between Kenya and the newcomers, which thickens like a storm cloud when Kenya asks about Brit’s ring.

Initially, Brit takes offense at Kenya’s remark about her being on her first marriage. While I didn’t perceive Kenya’s questions as particularly deep, given the uneasy atmosphere of the situation and Kenya’s well-known reputation for being a villain, it’s understandable why Brit sees it as both nice and nasty. The tension escalates when Porsha arrives late, interrupting Gerald as he presents Shamea with a Rolls Royce. Porsha pushes through the audience during this grand gesture, causing guests to look on curiously as more underlying conflict appears to surface. Shamea and Porsha manage their tension by whispering apologies behind closed doors, while Brit chooses to confront Kenya about it directly. However, Kenya avoids engaging in a fight with a newcomer by redirecting the conversation to Kelli’s issues with Porsha.

In this gathering, Porsha places herself on one of Shamea’s sofas, donning boxing gloves, as the entire cast gathers. Kelli confesses her question about why Porsha “stole that man’s husband.” Quick as a flash, Porsha counters with “Hold up, what is your name once more?”, and they exchange a brief series of remarks before shifting focus. Now, Drew finds herself in the spotlight. Shamea initially queries why she wasn’t invited to Drew’s birthday party, then passes the question to Porsha about receiving her invite from her ex. Drew attempts to dodge and deflect, but Shamea persists, prodded by comments from the audience. Claiming authenticity, Shamea inquires if Drew is dating Dennis now. The episode concludes with a “To be continued…”, promising more drama for the following weeks. Welcome back, ladies!

Read More

2025-03-10 06:06