The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Saddle Up!

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The country-themed wave is spreading nationwide as people gear up for Beyoncé’s tour, a celebration of our recent fascination with Black cowboys. This enthusiasm isn’t exclusive to the African American community; even shows like Bravo have jumped on the western bandwagon in the last five years. While this theme might be getting repetitive, it’s a relief to see an end to the excessively used 1920s themes. Given its significance for Black Americans and marking the start of the new season, I wholeheartedly welcome Porsha’s “Cowboy Carter”-inspired Nashville birthday party. This episode serves as a bridge, tidying up storylines from the last few weeks while introducing intriguing conflicts for the upcoming season.

Moving away from the city seems like the wisest decision for our show, given the escalation of issues surrounding the gun incident. It’s become a hot topic, both on-screen and off, and I feel like echoing Taylor Armstrong’s “enough” is appropriate to bring this situation to an end. Ideally, we would resolve this storyline in this episode, leaving any further discussions for blogs, social media enthusiasts, and Kenya’s YouTube vlogs. Regrettably, Brit brings remnants of her personal drama into the episode during a car shopping scene with her husband, which lacks any chemistry. Later, at dinner with Drew, she persists in her behavior, while Drew continues to challenge her victim narrative. He advises the new girl that Brit’s aloof attitude following Kenya’s dismissal is pushing people away. Brit claims to be an “open book,” giving Drew leeway to ask probing questions about the newcomer’s background.

The topic of alleged sex work among the Housewives has been a subject of discussion, but no one has ever brought it up as candidly or amusingly as Drew did when she directly asked Brit if she had ever engaged in such activities. Brit, initially taken aback, denied any involvement beyond engaging in webcam sessions and having private conversations with a female friend for a week during her twenties. In her personal reflection, she described it as a daring and spicy experience, likening it to getting a belly piercing rather than casual sex work. Anyone who criticizes her for this, according to Brit, has done much worse. While Brit is trying to present a lively past in an appealing way, scrutinizing her past to further judge her doesn’t clear Kenya of the privacy violation — though kudos to Drew for asking the questions that many were thinking.

It’s only fair that Drew gets a taste of chaos unrelated to her own tumultuous life, considering her divorce is getting increasingly contentious. Much of Drew’s problems are self-inflicted – from fabricating connections with celebrities like Michael Jordan to the scandal about recognizing and responding to an explicit photo’s owner, who happens to be Brit’s ex-partner (I was shocked when Brit asked if Drew had ever…). Dealing with Ralph is a torment I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Being so deeply enamored with his own grandeur, he disregards the potential consequences of unsealed divorce documents that could expose his infidelity, deceit, and financial mismanagement. In an eerie echo of Bob Whitfield sticking out his tongue at Shereé in court, Ralph is seen joyfully singing and dancing (ignorant of his children’s presence) following a hearing granting him temporary residence in the marital home. However, Drew spoils his moment by shouting insults from her car and labeling him an idiot.

A girl’s visit to Nashville would make a great escape for Drew amidst the ongoing drama, but unfortunately, she wasn’t invited. This is because Porsha still holds a grudge from the Dennis incident, and it seems that Ralph feels the same way, even though Drew claims she spoke with both of them before filming and they weren’t upset at that time. It can be challenging to discern the truth when all parties involved are known for lying. However, girl code should take priority, so I stand by Porsha, although I agree with Cynthia’s observation that it appears Porsha is hiding more feelings than she lets on. And it’s not like Drew will be missed much – Porsha has her own group of friends joining her, including her co-stars excluding Drew, as well as some familiar faces such as her sister Lauren, Cynthia, and Monyetta.

As a passionate movie-goer, I’m the one feeling the void left by my fellow Chicagoan, and in a moment that could potentially make me a strong contender for this season’s MVP, I decide to extend an invitation to Drew. My fans, affectionately known as “fan-gelas” on Twitter, might have missed the flight, but I quickly make up for lost time by boldly revealing my eagerness to see Drew in Nashville. I reason that since Porsha hinted she could coexist with Drew and seemed to lose signal when I asked about his presence, the invitation was still uncertain. During my interview, I express, “Unless you say ‘no’, then that means, ‘hell yeah, let’s go!'” In essence, I step into the role of the production’s pawn to ensure our first cast trip includes everyone and skillfully stir the pot by announcing Drew’s surprise appearance before he even arrives, successfully setting off Porsha.

This housewife drama is classic, reminiscent of what inspired the amusing Loiter Squad parody (the line “How you gonna invite somebody else on somebody else’s trip?” echoes Tyler’s well-known “birthday gift at my birthday party” joke). The getaway initially feels like a return to tradition, enhanced by the women fighting over the best room and showcasing numerous western-style outfits, similar to Cowboy Carter’s short shorts and hats that would earn Kyle Richards’ approval. Porsha gets a bit irritated when she hears Drew is coming, but it doesn’t stop the festivities from carrying on. They head to the bar, take turns riding the mechanical bull, and eventually sit down for dinner, where the conversation turns to speculating about Drew’s location.

In Atlanta, Drew mentions she could use a good laugh following her encounter with Ralph, and attending Porsha’s birthday party seems like an excellent method for finding one. However, she can’t resist stirring up trouble or capturing it on camera, so before departing for Nashville, she and her sister/bodyguard Alison visit Dennis’ club, Cru, to celebrate Drew’s recent record deal. Despite the risk of his baby momma getting upset if he’s caught filming again, Dennis only makes a brief appearance via FaceTime, which further highlights Drew’s eagerness to promote his brands. Meanwhile, at dinner in Nashville, Angela firmly stands her ground in her size 12 shoes, justifying her invitation of Drew. Influenced by alcohol and the backing of her friends, a more confrontational side of Porsha emerges as she questions Angela, “What kind of glue is on your mother-fucking wig?” implying that the toxic substances have infiltrated her brain to convince her that inviting Drew was the right move.

In simpler terms, Porsha tells her friends that Drew is missing because she secretly did something that caused a rift in their friendship, which Lauren clarifies as possibly discussing more than music with Dennis. One friend bluntly says that Drew slept with Dennis, causing surprise among the group. When asked about this claim, Porsha doesn’t confirm or deny but suggests it’s common knowledge that Dennis likes oral sex and it helps him maintain a balance in his relationships. As for the upcoming season, with Brit threatening to reveal Charles having a child outside their relationship, and Phaedra returning, it seems like we’re in for a wild ride!

Peach Tea To-Go

Each week, Kelli keeps delivering an unashamed, amusing eccentricity that I find myself appreciating even more. From donning real fur and boasting about dyeing her dog using cruelty-free methods to safeguard it from abduction, to her endearing contradictions and excessive enthusiasm for life amidst a challenging situation with her ex, I adore her harmless inconsistencies and exuberant zest for living.

Regarding Kelli’s dog ChaCha, she reminds me of Quad’s dogs from early seasons of “Married to Medicine,” who seem like they’ve stepped out of Lisa Frank drawings. With Kenya absent and Brit’s situation uncertain at best, I still believe Quad would be a better fit for “RHOA” than “M2M.” Another potential candidate is Ami, a friend of Porsha’s from the Nashville trip, whose children are renowned kidfluencers Ava and Alexis McClure. Kandi, Shamea, Monyetta, Quad, and Porsha all attended Ami’s birthday party recently, making her part of the group already. Tonight’s episode also showed that she has no qualms about standing up for her friends.

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2025-04-21 06:55