Yahoo Movies The Week in 'Wives: RHOA brings it home, RHOD and RHONJ stay away
Marcus Jones Outlines How the Cast Members of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Address the Turbulent Year Throughout Their New Season
EW Digital News Writer, Marcus Jones, discusses the 13th season of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta'; how the show addresses the pandemic, protests, and Black Lives Matter; and previews this season's drama and storylines for all our fave housewives!
Whew! After a disorienting night in the dungeon, this week took things (basically) back to normal, with some good old-fashioned Housewives dramas heating up. First of all, the Real Housewives of Atlanta headed home, where they're still feeling the aftershocks of their night with Bolo — though Kenya has a tough new conflict to deal with. Down with Real Housewives of Dallas, the Austin trip continues with some of the ladies getting closer until Brandi starts a completely terrible dinner conversation. Finally, our Real Housewives of New Jersey stars get day-drunk on a boat and decide to play a prank on Joe Gorga, who takes it surprisingly well, to be honest. Here are the best, worst, and wildest moments from this week in 'Wives!
HIGH POINT: Let's recap, RHOA
The Atlanta ladies had been in South Carolina for so long that I nearly forgot the entire season wouldn't take place in that cursed beach house, but they did eventually have to head back to Georgia — where their husbands, fiancés, and friends had no idea what they were in for when they casually asked how the girls' trip went. Drew's version of the tale did bring up some tensions with her husband, Ralph (but he really doesn't have a leg to stand on, considering that time he casually vanished without so much as a post-it regarding his whereabouts), but for the most part, the intercut summary from Drew, Kandi, and Cynthia was a much less intense way to revisit the shocking scene, confirming we didn't all just dream up the whole bizarre thing.
LOW POINT: Being ourselves, RHOD
This week's Dallas-in-Austin hour ended with a tense conversation between Brandi and Tiffany, in which the former brings up her racist video that started off the season. Brandi does rightly admit that Tiffany has shown her a lot of grace — including, I would argue, an astonishing amount in this very scene — but can't help but press the issue, because she feels like she just can't be herself around Tiffany, by whom she feels judged. This is outrageous, for multiple reasons. First of all, this very episode opened with Kameron and Stephanie lecturing Tiffany (who is brand-new to the group, lest we forget) about correcting people and throwing bad parties; Tiffany is open to their criticisms, earnestly explains to them how all of her perceived errors are related to her own personality, and promises to try to change, essentially to fit into this group. While we're at it, why not look back to the first episode of the whole season, when Tiffany told Brandi about how she came to the U.S. as a little girl, not speaking a word of English, and was teased with the same "joke" Brandi made in the offending video that started this whole drama. Amid all this, longtime Real Housewife and lifelong white American Brandi is going to say that she feels judged and like she can't be herself around Tiffany?
Furthermore, it's not the job of a person of color to reassure a white person that their racist behavior has been forgiven. Having educated herself about her wrongdoing, Brandi has to live, however shamefully or uncomfortably, with what she's learned. If she feels awkward, that's not Tiffany's fault, nor is it her problem — especially considering how much Tiffany has already made an effort to show her kindness. Ultimately, it comes across like Brandi's real complaint is that Tiffany is there at all, complicating her redemption.
WILDEST MOMENT: Pranks on pranks, RHONJ
Kameron thought she stole the pranking crown on this week's RHOD, but there were so many layers to this bizarre episode of Punk'd: RHONJ that there's really no contest. First of all, we the people watching our favorite reality program were viciously pranked by our so-called friends the Bravo editors, who kept implying in episode teasers that Melissa was actually getting flirty with a restauranteur via text, and that Teresa sincerely warned her brother about it. But no! The main prank (and our own relief) came when we learned that it was just a silly game for Teresa to effortlessly sell this totally made-up lie to Joe ("Teresa might get the Academy Award," Margaret observed, awestruck), who was so worked up he started speaking Italian, as we all do. But he's nothing if not a good sport, so after he learned he had nothing to worry about he just paid it forward by solemnly sharing the tale himself at boys' night, momentarily spooking everyone before Frank made them all vote on whether Evan has actually been faithful. What a time!
👑 QUEEN OF THE WEEK 👑 Tiffany, RHOD
bravo
ADVICE TO REMEMBER: "Don't try to keep up with a Gorga. They're a different breed." —Dolores, RHONJ
JUST MY INTERPRETATION: "I didn't take it as an innuendo. I took it as her being a punk-ass bitch" — Porsha, re: Kenya, RHOA
TWINNING: Kary and D'Andra, independently saying the exact same clichés in their RHOD confessionals.
MOST TANTALIZING SNACK OF THE WEEK: No, not Bolo; we mean this literally! Frank's mouthful of wasabi on RHONJ was, um, appetizing, but the prize has to go to the blueberry muffins Porsha serves Drew — with or without the microwave and margarine.
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