The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Freak and Fraud Reunite

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If Kenya’s farewell on the poster board was a warning about how not to behave as a Bravo villain, Phaedra’s comeback can be seen as an example of how to make a successful return from exile. Regardless of your feelings towards her, she adds a divisive vibe to the show that has been lacking since Kenya left. Although I still believe her actions during season nine were the darkest moments in the show’s history, as a member of the “I Don’t Watch Reality TV For Morality” Club, I am excited about any changes that could help bring Real Housewives of Atlanta back to its former glory within the franchise.

Despite not facing immediate consequences, it’s crucial that we scrutinize Phae-Phae more closely following her departure from the Married to Medicine group. Her actions since then, such as her test runs on Ultimate Girls Trip and The Traitors, followed by a return to Married to Medicine and subsequently disrespecting those who helped her, reveal her questionable character. Although Married to Medicine is highly regarded among Bravo’s shows, it often takes a backseat to Andy’s Housewives series. Phaedra’s behavior when offered another chance on RHOA demonstrated that she saw the show as just a strategic move in her broader game of chess. Tonight, she reappears on RHOA, having just returned from her final cast trip on Married to Medicine, eager for a fresh start with Porsha, her long-time counterpart.

Before the duo known as Freak and Fraud, nicknamed by Nene, get back together, the rest of the cast keep the episode lively as they humor Brit’s efforts to show she fits as a Real Housewife. However, her endeavor ends up being a humorous disaster that demonstrates how ill-suited she is for Bravo’s world, despite its absurdity providing more entertainment than anything else she’s contributed to the show. She organizes an event at her local country club to launch her shapewear line, Bear Naked. The dress code is garden party style, but she makes Shamea and Kelli play golf in their microskirts on the green, causing their high heels to sink awkwardly into it.

As more guests enter, things become increasingly peculiar: Brit’s husband appears more like a toddler dressed for Easter than a grown man, as everyone prepares for brunch and Brit’s product launch. However, it seems that brunch was only intended for the Housewives, while others were expected to mingle with appetizers separately. The event planners seemed to have overlooked this detail, setting up menus and chairs at tables for all guests, leading them to believe they would be served as well. Brit lashes out at the staff, while the other Housewives tease about the blunder. Cynthia quips that she can share her salmon if needed, and Porsha jokes about avoiding eye contact with fellow partygoers. The event’s tackiness reaches new heights when Brit presents the Housewives (but not others) with shapewear in plain cardboard boxes, lacking even a scrap of tissue paper or a simple bow.

Despite the unimpressive packaging, there was at least one present that a housewife would be proud to give (for us viewers’ sake), as Brit notes she chose larger sizes for the women. However, Angela finds her own to be extra-large, which seems like a subtle dig, continuing their feud from the Bailey-cue event. Angela, being experienced in this, responds sarcastically, suggesting that perhaps Brit mixed up the size with the size of her toothbrush for her large mouth. Since Charles is with her, Angela demonstrates how a powerful woman behaves and casually informs everyone that her husband doesn’t have a secret child, causing gasps among the group, as Porsha puts it. Brit playfully denies being one of Charles’ mistresses, another reference to their past argument, but they decide to move on from it.

Brit and Angela make up, then Drew speaks up, suggesting she’d like a private chat with the host to resolve their issues too. Kelli advises Drew to be truthful when talking to Brit, suspecting Drew of lying. Shamea also thinks Drew lies a lot, calling her “Liar-nose” as a joke. Later, the group discusses Drew’s lies and Shamea’s feelings about being called Porsha’s pet dog because she passed on Drew’s comment about paying for Pilar’s college. Despite Drew trying to play it down, Shamea maintains that the comment was inappropriate. The two argue, with Shamea mimicking a bark and telling Drew to kiss her “rude butt.

Despite Brit’s questionable event being a turn-off for many, it demonstrates that the revamped RHOA cast holds significant promise to prevent the show from becoming a shipwreck. However, during filming, the production team was uncertain about how the new cast would be perceived by viewers following the incident known as “pistol-gate.” Bringing Phaedra back was one of their strategies to avoid another disappointing season.

Phaedra regained fan favor through her appearance on Traitors, fabricated a relationship with an unseen medical professional, and maintained her reputation for delivering biting comments during confessionals without directly addressing her co-stars. However, when the heat became too intense, Phaedra decided to skip the reunion, stating that she wouldn’t aid the show in any way. As a farewell gesture, she left one last cryptic confessional, labeling her co-stars as “demonic minions of hell,” “angry Black women,” and envious because they were “overweight” and “unattractive.”

It’s worth noting that Phaedra’s behavior was less than admirable due to another cast member inviting her ex-husband on a trip. However, as Dr. Simone pointed out during the reunion following Phaedra’s departure, no one on Married to Medicine had ever engaged in the level of disrespect that Phaedra did, justifying such a dismissive farewell.

Simone’s “trash” refers to the sexual assault allegation she made against a fellow cast member on the show Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA), which appears as part of a plot for revenge. However, due to how production is editing Phaedra’s montage of memories, one might think it was just a scandalous rumor. Phaedra has been evasive about the issue since her dismissal, only vaguely mentioning that “there are two sides to every story.” Tonight, we see a slight admission of accountability from Phaedra, possibly due to production’s influence, as she expresses regret for leaving the group but also warns against judging others. Essentially, she’s saying, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” In essence, it seems like Phaedra is trying to dodge the issue while claiming some level of accountability.

Phaedra bursts onto the new season, much like a gunshot at the start of a race, following her departure interview on ‘Married to Medicine’ serving as a mere precursor. In her first confessional for ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’, she proclaims, “I’m back where I should be. This is my home!” As Porsha introduces the fresh lineup of women, Phaedra doesn’t hold back, having a witty remark for each one except for Porsha and Shamea. In her opinion, Brit is a socialite with more bodies than Willie Watkins, Kelli resembles Strawberry Shortcake on steroids, Angela is Charles Oakley’s hidden spouse, and Drew prefers tacos over hot dogs. I wouldn’t be surprised if she never shares these opinions directly with the ladies.

The episode concludes with Porsha extending an invitation to Phaedra for the upcoming cast trip to Grenada, organized by Shamea and Kelli. These two are a growing pair, with Kelli maintaining her entertaining portrayal as a Housewife (her dog losing a fake eyelash during a massage was hilarious) and Shamea yearning for genuine friendship since she feels it’s lacking from Porsha. As the season draws to a close, a change of scenery following the chaotic Nashville trip might help production bring this journey to a successful conclusion. The sneak peek for next week hints at plenty of laughter, Drew in her element, and a re-emergence of Porsha’s presence. As Phaedra puts it, we’re all geared up for this “feast of foolishness.

Peach Tea To-Go

Porsha’s lack of response during Shamea’s confrontation with Drew about his comment on Pilar’s tuition was hard to overlook, especially considering their conversation last week. I think Shamea is right in finding Drew’s behavior distasteful, and it would have been heartening to see Porsha show gratitude towards her friend for standing up for her. However, given the circumstances, we can assume that such a response from Porsha is unlikely.

Dennis is taking after Peter Thomas in his pursuit of a full-time role as a peach, despite any physical limitations that might prevent filming with Drew. Porsha only mentioned she can’t film with Drew, but she didn’t mention video calls like FaceTime. The FaceTime session during Drew’s record deal signing is just another way for him to keep the discussion going.

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2025-05-26 05:54