The Real Housewives of Atlanta aired part one of it’s season 8 reunion show special last night (March 20, 2016).
Last week’s season finale ended on a high note as all of the cast got together for Phaedra Park’s Christmas celebration.
[FLASHBACK: 5 Things Revealed on #RHOA Season 8 Season Finale + Watch Full VIDEO…]
Now with the reunion show upon us, we finally get to see if any of the season 8 drama was ever really resolved or if the ladies are holding on to resentment.
Bravo synopsis:
Tensions rise between Kenya and Phaedra when Kenya accuses her of being the ultimate shade thrower. Kandi and Phaedra address their deteriorating relationship but with new grievances in the mix, will these two ever be able to put the past behind them and move forward? Shere? joins the ladies to discuss her experience returning to the show, and Kenya and Kim go head-to-head when they confront their rocky relationship.
Read recap below…
Part one of the 3-part reunion show left a lot to be desired, and it’s clear that Bravo is going spread the drama as thin as possible to cover all three episodes.
Baby Fever…
Since the finale was taped, there were two new ‘additions’ to the RHOA family.? Kandi Burruss has given birth to her son, Ace, and Porsha Williams has become an auntie.
While there have been rumors that Kenya Moore is with child, she refused to confirm or deny all of the chatter, stating: “I can’t really tell you anything right now.” (Translation: I’m still working on it… )
Kenya Vs. SHADE-Dra Parks
After all these years, Phaedra and Kenya still don’t see eye to eye.? With Apollo Nida out of the way, it would seem that the two would be able to be cordial, but there is still quite a bit of bad blood between them.
As Andy questions Phaedra on her epic shade throwing sessions this season, she readily admits that she referred to Kenya as “oatmeal pie face”.
Kenya didn’t find it funny at all and Phaedra shrugged and adds, “You’re a pretty girl, but you’ve got bad skin.”
What I find odd, is that while Kenya argues that it’s not cool to attack her looks, she then attacks Phaedra’s, stating “You’re not one to talk because on your best day and my worst, you wouldn’t even by my third runner-up.”
Phaedra comes back with another strategic attack, stating, “You’re not married. You’ve got no children… what have your good looks got you?”? OUCH!!!
In the end, Phaedra semi-apologizes to Kenya, after Kenya brings up the ‘shade’ Phaedra threw earlier in the season about Kenya being “so dark” because she is full of sh*t.? Kenya semi-accepted the apology and Andy moves on.
Kandi and Phaedra may never reconcile their friendship and it’s clear from their reunion show argument that they are both harboring some resentment.
When asked by Andy where she and Phaedra stood, Kandi admits she just doesn’t know.? While Phaedra reveals that she sent flowers and delivered chicken salad (at Kandi’s request) after Ace was born.
Andy notes that sending gifts is not an indication of a friendship and the two agree. But Kandi still feels some kinda way about Phaedra’s shade throwing towards her husband Todd this season.
“I don’t pay my husband an allowance,” she snapped after a clip ran of Phaedra referencing Todd Tucker getting money from his wife. “Don’t come for me that way.”
On the flip side, Phaedra said she still “felt a certain way” about Kandi not telling her about Apollo storing possessions in their garage.
In addition to the secret storage situation, there’s also the issue of a workout video that’s been paid for but can’t be used.
“I still don’t have a video I can commercially release…” ~ Phaedra
Phaedra says she’s paid Todd all of his money (apparently they settled up a week before filming the reunion) but she also says she has to pay another company to complete the video.
Andy starts a segment asking each of the Housewives (including Kim) if she thought she was a fit for the show.
Kim states; “I don’t know still to this day if it’s a fit per se, but was it entertaining? A lot of times yes.”
Kenya stands by her previous statements that Kim is a ‘snoozefest.’
Kandi says that Kim doesn’t fit because she doesn’t want to deal with the conflict.
Phaedra says that she feels Kim is a good fit, but she doesn’t engage… and that’s an important element of the group.
Porsha says Kim is a bit too judgmental… having been a target of Kim’s statements about ‘too much boobage’,? Porsha says she thought that Kim would have been like a cool aunt, but she’s more like a judgmental house mom.
The overall consensus would be that Kim is NOT a good fit, but personally I like her on the show.? She provides a bit of balance to Kenya’s craziness.
Kenya Moore: The ‘Star’ Housewife…
At some point Andy discusses Kenya’s straight to YouTube show, ‘Life Twirls On’, which she had first asked Kim to work on.
Kenya says was not pleased when Kim shared the screener with her husband, Chris Morgan, stating, “I didn’t give it to her husband. I gave it to her, so his opinion didn’t matter.”
Moore also tells Kim, “That’s biting the hand that feeds you. I brought you into this group, so you need to understand that.”
Andy then takes the opportunity to ask Kenya how she thought her career compared to Kim’s and Kenya is clearly delusional in her thinking as she states, “I don’t think her career has been better than mine.”
“She’s here coming for my purse.? She’s on the stage that I’m the star of right now,”?Kenya adds, “She’s here, the lowest man on the totem pole.”
Oh… so apparently Kenya is the star of RHOA now… at least in her own mind.
Kim Fields vs. Kenya Moore…
There’s a lot of conflict in the episode, but as it comes to a close, Kenya gets called out for texting during the show… (how rude!)
Andy then airs a montage of Kenya & Kenya’s battles and Moore finally takes responsibility for getting physical with Kim in Jamaica and trying to yank her chair out from under her.
“I recognized that I was out of line for doing that and I apologized to Kim,” she said.
Andy compares the situation to Porsha’s altercation with Kenya a few seasons back, which prompts Porsha to point out that if it had been anyone other than Kim, there would have been a different result.
Kim admits that she was grateful to her husband for helping her get through the situation and the discussion continued to spiral downward as Kenya kept interrupting Kim during the conversation.
Andy reads a ‘fan question’ that asks if Kenya is jealous of Kim, to which Kenya takes a few low blows about Kim’s financial position.
“I understand she’s a child star… but I can pay my bills. I don’t have tax liens. I don’t have foreclosures.” ~ Kenya
Kenya goes on to say how condescending Kim is and that she talks in 3rd person and looks down on everyone.? That’s when Phaedra steps in to add… “It’s not arrogance when your resume adds up.”
The argument doesn’t end there though… as Kandi gives Kim props for ‘bossing up’ on people occasionally, Kenya interrupts to add that Kim thinks she’s better than the group.
It’s a pissing match between the two ladies and we’ll have to wait until next week to actually find out if anything was resolved.