The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season-Finale Recap: Petty Peaches

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And here it is, folks, the proper way to conclude a Real Housewives season finale. Instead of the usual ending on the last day of a foreign trip, we’ve been seeing lately, give us an exciting final episode that sets up a great reunion. This year’s finale sticks to the classic formula for a Housewives grand finale: wrapping up storylines, one last get-together, and a shocking revelation to end the season with a dramatic flair. Special thanks to our MVP from Season 16, Angela Oakley, for her explosive reveal. Even Brit’s ongoing scandalous behavior couldn’t overshadow the overall entertainment this time around.

In the beginning of the episode, attention is given to resolving ongoing storylines such as Porsha and her sister seeking advice from Phaedra about funeral arrangements for their deceased cousin, and Drew and Kelli working through their contentious divorces. Kelli continues to struggle with her ex, adding alcohol to her morning coffee (she claims she’s not a wine connoisseur, but more like a “wine mom”), despite keeping a strong front for her daughters. Drew and Ralph agree to maintain civility during their divorce proceedings, although it’s clear from recent tweets that the peace is fragile at best. Their conversation tonight and his tweets only reinforce the underlying problem between them: Ralph’s ego is as swollen and delicate as a deflated balloon.

When you search “Ralph Pittman” online, he is primarily known as “Drew Sidora’s husband.” For a man like Ralph, whose confidence seems rooted in his belief of superiority among men, his relationship with Drew might often leave him on the edge of mental instability. However, being a narcissist, the allure of the spotlight and a public platform keeps him involved in these matters, as evident in his attendance at the reunion (raise your hand if you’re tired of the excessive screen time he receives). Despite this, Ralph might want to pay more attention to how his children view him, rather than how the world perceives him. I strongly suspect Drew wouldn’t stop him from taking their kids to school; instead, she would likely be delighted for the assistance.

Simultaneously, Shamea organizes an event to boost her music career. Although it has a playful vibe similar to an adult dance recital, I admire her commitment. Unfortunately, Brit’s behavior during this episode, particularly not providing food for guests at her own event this season, is inexcusable. It’s hard to take her criticisms of Shamea’s showcase (Drew’s comments were quite witty as a fellow singer in the group) seriously. In contrast, Brit’s poor attitude throughout the episode and her underhanded actions during Shamea’s performance explain why she is remembered as a potential liability among the short-lived Housewives. Drew’s comments, however, were quite cutting and entertaining.

During the showcase, Cynthia quickly brought up the issue of Shamea sharing Porsha’s private messages with Brit, which came back to haunt Shamea. This was quite funny because Cynthia dropped this bombshell before rushing off to catch her flight. When confronted about it, Brit initially defended herself but then accused Shamea of neglecting her sick child. This is another example of Brit overstepping boundaries in an argument. Even though Shamea made a rude comment about Brit stripping after having a tequila shot, it’s relatively mild compared to the usual jabs among the Atlanta Housewives. However, accusing a mother of lying about her child’s illness is beyond poor taste, and it shows how little respect Brit had for Shamea from the start, much like her disrespectful comment about Kelli’s abortion.

Beyond accusing Brit of being a drug user and a prostitute (she could have used harsher language, but I’m asking for someone to elaborate on the drug accusations), Shamea maintains her dignity and departs, leaving Brit digging deeper into insults, such as rumors about Shamea’s infidelity with her husband. Their feud persists throughout the turbulent second part of the episode at Angela’s charity event for The Charles Oakley Foundation, where Brit once again can’t handle the tension and departs before filming concludes, ironically labeling her co-stars as “lowlifes.” However, prior to this incident, Angela concludes her impressive debut by revealing who sent Marcus to Kelli’s cooking competition.

The purpose of the gala is twofold: firstly, to gather funds for providing meals to 100,000 children residing in underprivileged areas, and secondly, to serve as a grand finale for the show, featuring Angela’s major revelation. In the lead-up to the gala, Angela and Drew had a meeting with Marcus to wrap up her investigation. Earlier, Marcus, accompanied by an unidentified colleague, defended that Charles was at his restaurant with another woman. However, Angela quickly exposes this falsehood as she points out that her husband was engaged in coaching activities at the time of the supposed incident. Eventually, Marcus is pressured to admit the truth when Angela persuades him to write a note on his phone, which he then discretely slides across the table for her to see.

People who are always online have figured out that Phaedra is responsible for the Marcus scandal, since Angela shared the news on Carlos King’s podcast following last week’s episode (during which she shares intricate details about Marcus and Phaedra’s connection in Athens and how she believes he’s telling the truth). This might have been Angela’s initial blunder as a newcomer — you really should have saved this revelation for the finale! I understand Carlos craves scoops, but don’t give too much away to the network. It would have made a fantastic twist in the episode (especially since viewers were already speculating about Phaedra), and revealing it on the blogs first reduces its impact. Besides that, Angela manages the disclosure like a seasoned Housewife, holding off until after the key gala events before switching into Housewife mode.

Angela gracefully reveals the information to the group, hinting at the culprit’s identity like a tantalizing clue. She constructs a hypothetical scenario involving her suspects, first pointing fingers at Brit due to their volatile relationship, then Kelli since the incident occurred at her event. Finally, she drops the bombshell. To create a dramatic effect reminiscent of a daytime talk show, Angela enlists the only other cast member bold enough for such a stunt, asking Drew to introduce Marcus. Upon seeing Marcus with Drew, Charles is transported back to the 1980s Chicago Stadium, where he guarded Michael Jordan so fiercely that he earned his “Enforcer” nickname. This time, instead of protecting basketball stars, it’s his marriage he defends, using his imposing 6 feet 9 inches frame to ward off the troublemaker before they can utter a word.

The women sit back with their popcorn as Angela manages to persuade Charles to listen to Marcus. Watching her successfully coerce her famously blunt husband into reluctant compliance was the decisive factor for me to become an advocate for their relationship (even though Angela’s therapy session hinted at a significant breach of trust by Charles in the past, she does not reveal if it involved infidelity). It takes a strong woman to deal with someone like “The Oak Tree,” and Angela certainly fits that description. While I wouldn’t tolerate such coldness from my own partner, I can understand why they make a good match.

At the reunion, we can expect a more engaged Charles as Mr. and Mrs. Enforcer confront the rest of the cast. However, for now, Marcus reveals Phaedra’s role in the situation after Charles withdraws. Phaedra, who might not recognize truth even if it slapped her during a Reiki session, laughs off Marcus calling her “The Godfather of Atlanta.” In her private thoughts, Phaedra claims she’s an easy target but has no intention of damaging Angela’s marriage. Yet, let’s revisit the moments where Phaedra spoke negatively about Angela, a woman she claimed she didn’t know, seemingly without any motivation.

You know what? This entire situation seems to be a scheme orchestrated by Todd!” I must admit, it’s been years since I’ve laughed so hard at a ‘RHOA’ finale.

In a bid to clear her name, Phaedra persists with her alibi and resorts to various tactics that seem more incriminating than helpful. She attempts to divert attention towards Angela’s foreclosures, even though this topic has been extensively discussed throughout the season. However, Angela gracefully brushes off this attempt at a “gotcha” moment and continues her confrontation with Phaedra. Angela delivers a scathing rebuke, alluding to Phaedra’s departures from both Married to Medicine and RHOA, implying that she hops from one failed friendship group to another and still engages in the same questionable behavior. She concludes her verbal assault by expressing regret over how their relationship has deteriorated, but wishes Phaedra well in her attempts to sabotage someone else’s marriage before the season finale titles appear on screen.

Reflecting on the thrilling conclusion of season 16, I wasn’t quite prepared for the astonishingly petty climax that unfolded in the final five minutes. After a whole season filled with complaints about filming in her shared residence with Simon, it was five months later (and what I presume were just moments after the legal agreement was signed) when cameras returned to capture Porsha in her grand mansion.

In a self-satisfied toast with her mother, Porsha’s caption declares: “Simon was held at the border in February 2025, causing the divorce to be on ice by I.C.E.” Regardless of opinions towards her, Porsha managed to trick a fraudster into living the dream she had nurtured since her union with Kordell. One could almost imagine Diane dropping by with a pepperoni pizza (for those in the know). For the first time in years, I’m wrapping up this episode not just eager for the reunion but also pleased that most of the cast will return next season. Though it might not be the Atlanta of old times, as penned by Shamira Ibrahim, the future certainly appears promising.

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2025-06-30 05:57