One Last Twirl for the Road
Kenya Moore: first-ballot self-sabotage hall of famer
It’s fitting that Kenya exited RHOA by recklessly escalating a fight she had no idea she’d already won. Taking it too far was always her signature move — the thing that viewers either devotedly loved her because of or begrudgingly liked her in spite of. I’ve always been in the latter camp: I think Kenya’s baseline of being funny, pretty, shady, and interesting was more than good enough for Bravo, and every time she tried too hard to go beyond that, I found it more sad than thrilling.
Which is why I, Kenya-agnostic, am as depressed by her departure as some day-one Kenya stans. Cynthia is right: Kenya is better than this! It was a disgusting thing to do to another woman! It was a stupid thing to do at the opening of her own business! And it was unnecessary on a show-strategy level! Brit was doing a perfectly good job humiliating herself, and Kenya should have let her continue to do that while keeping her own hands clean.
Instead, Kenya sabotaged both her jobs at the same time, and for what? To remind a woman who had just acknowledged she was in over her head with Kenya that she was in over her head with Kenya? It’s even more disappointing that Kenya did this at a time when she seemed to be showing genuine growth in how she relates to her coworkers. We could have had a season-long study of every possible frenemy permutation, and frenemies are what Atlanta is about in the way that New Jersey is about fambly and New York is about the fear of death. Instead, we got the likely end of Kenya’s Bravo tenure and a potential momentum-crusher just a few episodes in to the first promising Atlanta season in years. It’s one of the most depressing things I experienced this week, and I live in the US, watch The White Lotus, and had food poisoning on Wednesday.
THIS WEEK IN BRAVO
RHOA
I don’t have much more to say beyond all of the above, except: lol at Drew being the only cast member to continue to hang around the event after Kenya’s big stunt.
M2M
Hate to say it because she was one of my favorites during the first several M2M seasons, but… Simone is in her Lisa Rinna/Lala Kent era (doing production-plant shit and hoping that turning all her drama dials up to ten will make the audience believe it’s authentic).
BDDU
Matt and I have a theory that sometimes production gives their casts cocaine that’s been laced with a mystery drug and that’s why some party nights become so much more heightened and surreal than others. This week’s BDDU was a laced cocaine episode if I’ve ever seen one.
RHOBH
Not even Jennifer Tilly chomping on candy could salvage this reunion installment. What a horrifying glimpse into how annoying Dorit, Kyle, and Erika are going to become without Garcelle. Even Andy is irritated by Kyle at this point, which is not something I ever thought we’d witness.
Summer House
Not to brag online but I am so excited to see the Watch What Crappens live reenactment of the Carl-Lindsey fight on Saturday. Say hi if you’re at the show! I’ll be the one accompanied by the only straight man in the audience.
TALES FROM THE CRYPT
I just completed the Scary Island portion of my rewatch and as someone who had to (“had to”) transcribe the dinner scene for her dissertation circa 2017, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that “satchels of gold” has been edited out for some reason. I think “tongue made of knives” may also be missing? This wouldn’t be the first time Bravo has edited out controversial footage — large chunks of the Taylor-Russell storyline have been memory-holed, for example — but I’m curious about why these relatively innocuous details were excised.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
I wanted to be a hater but Real Nepo Babies of New York looks fun.
MISCELLANEOUS GOSSIP CORNER
Has LVP ever in her life not defended a shitty man?