'Real Housewives of Atlanta' season 8 debut recap

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Saturday, November 7, 2015

Old faces, new faces, a bun in the oven, marital strife.

Yes, Bravo is carting out the eighth season of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" Sunday with a "super-sized" 75-minute version. We don't get to see new housewife Kim Fields until next week but Sheree Whitfield returns in all her glory tonight. Who's out? Claudia Jordan and NeNe Leakes, though NeNe will make a surprise appearance later in the season.

Here's the trailer:

And here are the women's taglines.

Cynthia Bailey : "Seasons may change, but Cynthia Bailey never goes out of style."

Kandi Burruss : "I'm a hitmaker, and this year I will reveal the best one."

Kenya Moore : "Don't come for me, unless I twirl for you."

Kim Fields : "Faith, family and career -- those are the facts of my life."

Phaedra Parks : "Only God can judge me, and he seems quite impressed."

Porsha Williams : "I'm about to give you life, so stay out of my way!"

If you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading.

• Baby, baby. Kandi Burruss's efforts to have a child with Todd have come to fruition. Since this episode shows footage from four-plus months ago, this is no secret. Dr. Jackie from "Married to Medicine" is her doc because, well,network synergy is where it's at even when it comes to babies. She tells Kandi to slow down because of fibroids and the fact she is 39. (My colleague Jenn Brett has an update on Kandi's pending baby's gender.)
• Bounce back. Porsha Williams has won back her full peach status. After getting pushed down to a recurring role last year, she has secured herself a full-time job ("Dish Nation" with Rickey Smiley) and a younger boyfriend Duke Williams to boot (24), a safety for the Buffalo Bills. Again, this was reported months ago. Her previous husband Kordell Stewart was also a football player so she is clearly into this type.  "Now I'm living in my truth and without apologies," she said. Of course, RHOA watchers also know what happens later, thanks to media reports, if you care to read about it here.
• Flirting with disaster. Cynthia Bailey's hubby Peter Thomas back in June was caught in a video where it appeared he was touching a woman in a teasing way. Peter was defensive with Cynthia, saying the video was not a big deal, that nothing was going on. "Your hand braised over her breast," she said. "It looks inappropriate." He said it wasn't how it looked. But they have other issues since he spends so much time in Charlotte overseeing a sports bar there. "There's no real communication," Cynthia said. This clearly will play out over the next few episodes.
• Home, sweet, home. Kenya Moore said she's in a better place. I have heard nothing about her TV show getting picked up, but she notes on the show that she's "attracting all these guys." She also bought a new home, a foreclosure that needs work. And it's not far from...
• Sheree Whitfield! She is not a "regular" cast member but a "friend," meaning she is not going to appear in every episode but will be around semi-regularly. She was cut from the show after season four, mostly for lack of meaningful story lines. What is she up to now? Kenya quickly throws shade at her in this episode, wondering as neighbors whether she might come by to ask for coffee or "money for the light bill." Ouch! If anything, Chateau Sheree has been sitting in semi-completion for years but may actually be close to finished. In the first episode, at Cynthia's eyewear fashion debut event, Kenya quickly insults Sheree's unfinished pad. And you can guess how that plays out.
• Unresolved issues. Phaedra Parks, now nearly a year since her husband Apollo Nida was imprisoned, still feels Kandi didn't support her as much as she could have over the ordeal. And now there are some unresolved money issues, too, regarding Kandi's husband Todd Tucker helping Phaedra out with a workout video two years earlier but not getting paid. This is also going to be a storyline that extends itself beyond this episode.
• Another re-appearance. Marlo Hampton is back again as a "guest," which means you won't see her too much this season, thank goodness. She was seriously considered for cast membership season four but didn't make the cut. She is friends with Kenya and they get all judgmental about Peter at the eyewear fashion party. Peter is not exactly cool as a cucumber.

Best line of the hour

"Papa Smurf is a little horny." - Phaedra, talking about Peter Thomas's video

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