The last two episodes of The Real Housewives of Atlanta have featured the ladies on a couples vacation to Anguilla. If you’re remotely a fan of reality TV, or even if you’ve traveled with friends, you know that you see the best and worst of folks when you get them out of their usual environment. Couples are no different.
The best of the couples was Peter and Cynthia. After the drama that occurred on their wedding day, it was no surprise that Peter wanted a do-over. Last night, he surprised Cynthia with a second wedding to renew their vows. Without Cynthia’s sister around to stir up some drama, the ceremony went off without a hitch. It was a great Black love moment, something I wish we could get more of on this show specifically, and on TV in general.
Kandi and her new boo Todd made the most of their vacay by getting frisky in the public Jacuzzi. Like Phaedra, who said “Since I’m in love with my own vagina, I protect it dearly,” I was turned off by the idea, but I’m guessing — hoping, really — the hot water will remove any germs, from them or the couple beforehand. Todd and Kandi seemed chipper in their post-coitus home video update, so I guess no harm, no foul.
Nene and Gregg have been surprisingly tame over the last few episodes. And I’m taking that to mean that whatever they are trying to rekindle is going well. To let Nene tell it, Gregg, who has made it clear he wants to be her husband again, was encouraged when she caught the bouquet at Cynthia’s wedding. Gregg was cheering like the Falcons had just won the Super Bowl. (Nene hilariously described him as “acting like the Klumps,” an allusion to the charming and chubby family from The Nutty Professor.) It gave me hope that perhaps Peter and Cynthia’s wedding won’t be the only one we see this season.
One wedding we won’t be seeing? Kenya and Walter’s. Their relationship, by far the worst, never really seemed quite right back in Atlanta. Even without the foresight of Walter’s radio confession last week that the two aren’t really a couple, the other women had picked up on some funny business between them. Between Kenya ignoring Walter, flirting with Apollo before throwing him in the pool, asking the hotel owner “Have you donated to any sperm banks?” and shaking her butt in front of Peter — all highly inappropriate behavior — her actions raised the question of what was really going on. Last night, Nene just went ahead and asked: “Y’all relationship forreal?” “I got my relationship under control,” Kenya claimed, but no one believed her.
I appreciated that the opportunities for drama between the couples were defused. Nobody would have been mad at Phaedra for letting loose on Kenya when she basically propositioned her for a threesome with Apollo. That could have become real ugly, but Phaedra shut Kenya down with a quiet “Go on with that bullsh– now,” and Kenya got the message that Phaedra wasn’t to be played with when it comes to her man.
There was another opportunity for some crazy when Cynthia got wind that Kenya was dancing inappropriately in front of Peter. Porsha, bless her, lied to Cynthia, telling that Kenya’s dancing only “was a drop” and left out the part about the booty-shaking. Cynthia seemed relieved and decided to “let that one pass.” Thank goodness.
What did you think of last night’s show?
Demetria L. Lucas is the author of A Belle in Brooklyn: The Go-to Girl for Advice on Living Your Best Single Life (Atria) in stores now. Follow her on Twitter @abelleinbk