This season has so far very much revolved around Kenya Moore, who is playing the sun in which the other cast members orbit. It’s been about her trials and tribulations with her husband. It’s been her often strange and tumultuous interactions and arguments with the other ladies.
She was the host of the crazy girls’ trip to the beach where she flew a private jet and sent most of the women on a bus. She ate a crab-cake sandwich she ordered without asking the others if they wanted lunch. She brought her daughter without telling anyone. She “investigated” who slept with the stripper with a bizarre level of fervor.
This episode yet again was all about Kenya — even when she wasn’t on screen.
Did she leak news about Stripper Gate? Why was she acting so defensive with Drew? The other ladies gossiped about her crumbling marriage. What was up with her “reconciliation” with longtime frenemy Marlo Hampton during the trip?
Anyway, here’s a quick recap of the latest episode:
Kenya Moore served papers to Marc Daly in New York regarding their custody arrangement, In a pique of fury, he filed for divorce in New York, seeking alimony. He rescinded those papers a few hours later. He texted her later and told her: “It was the ultimate betrayal.”
Kenya told her father, Ronald Grant, about the situation. She said she’s gotten closer to him, but he told her that Marc remains a mystery to him, that he only knows him based on what he’s seen on TV. Kenya didn’t invite her dad to her wedding. “I didn’t think my dad would get along with Marc,” she said. “I regret it.” He said he just saw Marc displaying animosity toward Kenya. Kenya has now gone into therapy to explore her bad decisions.
***
Drew invited Kenya to dinner.
“If I’m going to build a relationship with her, I definitely have to put things on the table,” Drew said.
But there were tensions that cropped up during the recent beach trip. Kenya, for example, told Drew before the trip that she was taking a private jet to the beach, but then later said to keep it to herself. Drew found that weird.
Drew later complained that the ladies would get into arguments one night, then act like nothing happened the next morning. She told them this lacked authenticity, then name-dropped Kenya. Kenya felt like she was being picked on and being called out as being “fake.”
She lost trust in Drew and came into the meal ready for battle.
Things didn’t get better when Drew used the term “final straw” when referencing an issue with daycare and the fact Kenya brought her daughter but didn’t tell anyone or give anyone else the opportunity to bring their young children on the trip. (Drew has three children of her own.)
Kenya drew offense by use of “final straw.”
Drew also noted that while they were trying to get to know each other before the trip, Drew felt like Kenya was putting her guard up about her marriage.
Kenya began denying this, talking over Drew, which caused Drew to start singing to stop the madness.
In Kenya’s defense, she was just getting to know Drew, who is new to the crew. She certainly didn’t need to tell Drew all the gory details about her marriage upfront. But Kenya, at this point, felt like Drew caused an unnecessary ruckus during the trip and was not going to give Drew a second chance to be a real friend. So Drew’s efforts to clear the air hit a serious blast of resistance from Kenya.
Drew said she just wanted her feelings validated. Instead, she received eye rolls from Kenya. Even when Kenya said her feelings were valid, Drew didn’t take it as sincere.
The producers continued to show examples of Kenya interrupting Drew and the conversation went nowhere.
They didn’t even bother to finish the meal. They had their dishes boxed for later consumption.
Even the check itself caused conflict. Drew wanted to split it. Kenya was willing to pay for it all. Somehow, Kenya interpreted Drew’s request as “broke [expletives] split checks.”
Later, at a shopping trip with other ladies, Drew took am empathetic approach toward what happened. She said the energy Kenya was emoting was sadness. She felt like Kenya was going through a lot, making it hard for her to connect with others.
***
Cynthia was having problems with her wedding, probably some of it COVID-related. She lost two bridesmaids and a groomsman. Her mom needed a new dress. Her fiancé Mike’s ring was too small. Her daughter’s dress doesn’t fit either. And the weather report is looking dicey on Nov. 1, her targeted wedding date.
She then finds out that someone leaked Stripper-Gate to The New York Post’s Page Six. The producers asked her who she thinks leaked it, but Cynthia did say she knows who “pressed” the issue the most. (Kenya, ahem.)
Later, at Sleepy Hollow Farm pumpkin patch in Powder Springs (where “Stranger Things” shot some season 3 scenes), Marlo Hampton and Kandi Burruss found out about the Page Six story as well just as Kenya showed up. Kenya believed it was someone on the crew who leaked it, not one of the women. (She said her preferred site to offer up info was TMZ, not Page Six.)
LaToya Ali, her supposed bestie, said she thought Kenya was the leaker. So did Porsha.
***
Dr. Kristy met up with Kenya for a therapy session. (On shows like this, for some reason, medical professionals like to go by Dr. followed by their first name.).
Kenya wanted to explore why she keeps getting into unhealthy relationships that are “emotionally unavailable.”
She said she shared everything about herself with Marc. “He never gave me the same,” she said.
Kenya said she had similar issues with her mom for 30 years. Kenya sought acknowledgement and love from her mother that never came. (Her mom abandoned her when she was 3 years old.)
Kenya said she didn’t even want children until she was 30 because of her trauma from her childhood. She didn’t feel protected as a kid. She fought and got in trouble and dated someone age 26 when she was 15. He was physically abusive.
As she enters her 50s, she said she wants to “prioritize my happiness.”
Teaser for next week in the trailer
LoveBScott, a popular gossip site that is gets all sorts of “Real Housewives” scoops, broke the news that Tanya Sam and Porsha Williams hooked up with the stripper at the beach house and some of the women are chuckling about it. Kandi Burruss, who brought the stripper to the house, is not happy about this. Marlo says, “Porsha is not going to regulate who I’m friends with.” Cynthia is worried about the weather impacting her upcoming nuptials but it does happen — indoors. Porsha confronts her ex-fiancé Dennis McKinley, saying they wouldn’t even be talking anymore if they didn’t have a child together. “Just move on!” she says and tears up. LaToya and Drew continue an earlier argument over marriage.
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