Love and Hip Hop Atlanta aka ‘As the Hood Turns’ returned to the airwaves for it’s 4th season last night (April 20, 2015).
Season 4 jumped off with an episode titled ‘The Danger Zone,’ and the cast all have their ‘reality slang’ intact as they bring even more scripted ‘reality’ to your tv screens.
[READ: Scripted Reality? Joseline Hernandez Explains ‘Reality Slang’ in Court Depositions… (VIDEO)]
This week, Nikko Smith tries to clean up the fallout from his sex tape with Mimi Faust, Erica Dixon puts the heat on Lil Scrappy over child support issues, Kirk Frost launches a new business venture, and Stevie J seeks to create a joint venture of his own with Mimi and rapstress Tiffany Foxx.
[Sidebar: Noticeably absent was Joseline Hernandez. The show seemed to portray her absence as a planned getaway, however in ‘real life’ the LHHATL starlit was actually suspended w/o pay for 5 episodes due to her drug fueled rage during the season 3 reunion.]
In case you missed it, recap + watch Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’s season 4 premiere episode below…
VIDEO: LHHATL S4 Ep1 – The Danger Zone
Joseline is MIA (kinda) so Sleazy Stevie & Mimi join forces….
Mimi has enlisted Stevie to guide her through the artist management process as her business partner. While it?s not completely clear exactly what they do, it looks like?Mimi plans to scout new?talent around town.
Tiffany Fox is first up as Mimi’s new ‘artist’ and Faust? hopes to use Stevie’s music industry expertise to make her a superstar.
Sleazy Stevie has other plans tho and during their brief ‘business meeting’ offers Mimi an exclusive bottle of his ?special sauce? to give their daughter Eva a sibling(when wifey’s away Stevie J. will play).
As you know, Joseline’s season 3 reunion show blow up sent Benzino & Althea to the unemployment line after the couple filed a lawsuit against her for the beat down. The 3-part reunion left many questioning whether Joseline was coked up and/or insane in the membrane after she went ballistic on many of her fellow cast members.
Joseline was suspended from several episodes of the show as the lawsuit continues and to explain her absence, Stevie informs his curious baby mama that his blushing bride is merely away ?getting herself together? with a trip home to Puerto Rico.
More Baby Mama Drama…
Erica Dixon is getting along quite nicely with her baby daddy’s mother this season and we see Dixon greeting Momma Dee with flowers as she prepares to perform her new single ?I Deserve.?
Erica reveals to Mama Dee that Scrappy is currently behind on Child Support payments for their daughter Emani.
Momma Dee speculates that Scrappy?s relationship with ‘The Bambi’ has caused him to slack on his responsibilities, but she later flips the script and suggests to a defensive Scrappy that it’s his baby mama who believes his relationship is at the root of his money problems.
Scrappy had a few words to say on the issue, but unfortunately his outfit spoke more clearly than he did…
More scripted reality show marital problems…
Kirk and Rasheeda continue to pretend that their 17 year marriage is on the rocks as Kirk looks to employ yet another PYT.
This time, Kirk has signed hot, young ?new artist? (instagram model Ashley Nicole) to his record label. Kirk and Ashley meet in his new “office”, which is happens to be a fully furnished two-bedroom apartment, which Rasheeda has no knowledge of.
Ashley seems to have practiced her lines like a pro, but Kirk just doesn’t convince me that he’s doing anything other than padding his bank account by being on the show.
On the other hand, Rasheeda has that angry wife act down this season but since we all know it’s all an act… all I can do is critique her delivery.
Mimi’s married boyfriend’s wife is formally introduced…
Nikko?s not-so-estranged wife Margo makes her presence known and Nikko dons his Sunday suit for a meeting with Margo.
After years of separation, the pair decide to meet in the park to discuss their ‘situation. Nikko’s wife isn?t too sold on the idea of moving to Atlanta to give their marriage another try (but money talks so why not cop a LHHATL check?)
Margo describes her husband as ?one of the most hated men in Atlanta? and tearfully chastises him for not being honest with her about plans to make a sex tape with Mimi in spite of their ?open marriage.?
Blah Blah Blah (I’m bored already).
Speaking of Mimi, Nikko interrupts her photo shoots to remind her that he is entitled to 25 percent of the proceeds from her book deal. Mimi apparently signed away a portion of the rights to her book at some point between the time Nikko fake-lost their sex tape and the moment she found out he was a fraud.
When Mimi informs Stevie of her contract negotiations, he meets up with Nikko to discuss the contract like all pimps men do and sleazy 1.0 and 2.0 square off in a dimly lit parking lot.
Stripper turnt reality show star…
Karlie Redd and Dawn visit King of Diamonds in Miami to recruit a new cast member. ? Jessica Dime plans on leaving her stripper life in Miami for greener pastures in Atlanta and it seems Dawn is ready, willing and able to get her $30,000 a week gigs in Atlanta.
Dime also has a connection to Joseline Hernandez (the two allegedly worked together in Miami strip clubs) and she hopes that her ‘friend’ will be able to show her the reality show ropes.
Do you care yet??? Me neither.
All in all, the season 4 premiere was just as fake and contrived as expected. Maybe it will get more entertaining as the season progresses but this first episode just wasn’t it…
What did you think of the season 4 premiere episode?