Rap SHeets and Old Beefs ... Zzzz

 

Full disclosure:  Watching television (as we once knew it) is becoming increasingly intolerable.  First of all, I haven't watched anything in real time since the invention of a DVR ('memba Tivo?).  Secondly, I never even get around to watching TV in general until very late in the evenings, and out of respect for my partner, I  don't watch the housewives until after he's gone to bed, because it's just not worth his bitching and complaining.  He will occasionally tolerate BH, OC, and even SLC, but he won't even be in the same room with any of the others.  So by the time I watch, I'm already beginning to doze.  Cut to the chase, I'm getting dangerously close to calling it a season with RHOA.  But here goes. 

 

There are now only rare glimpses of the appeal that RHOA once had ... we're mostly stuck with just boring muck which has become just downright annoying. In case you haven't heard, the ratings for Bravo's reigning ratings champ for over a decade have been plummeting faster than those over at Fox News primetime, and now RHOA is barely even cracking the 800K mark.  That's really bad, especially for a Sunday night.  The truth is, RHOA needs the RHONY treatment, but because it's a "black" show, we all know that is never going to happen.  Making matters worse, in this albeit temporary "everything black" euphoria that the media is trying to shove down our throats, watching black women tearing each other down and practically assaulting each other seems contradictive. 

 

The episode begins with a stupid montage of Marlo and Kandi's volatile relationship over the years (as if they know any other kind).  They show a brief reconciliation, and a "never seen before" scene of Marlo discussing her hoodrat nephew's (Quentin) death with Kandi.  In one of their warmer periods in 2020, Marlo filmed with Kandi at her home while Kandi's illiterate daughter Riley was heading off to college.  The time stamp indicates that this was one day after Marlo texted Kandi about Quentin.

 

This extended scene shows Kandi's lack of empathy for Marlow's dead nephew who used to work at Old Lady Gang.  Apparently his roomate shot him dead over a chicken wing or sumpin'.  Marlo never used Quentin’s name, at least not in this particular footage, so it’s plausible that Kandi didn’t know which thug nephew Marlo was referring to. In her cold Kandi way, Kandi shows compassion for Marlo, both in person and in her confessional, where she touches on the close relationship that she supposedly has with her own cuzins'.  She even opens up about her brother, who died at 23 in a car crash.  He name wuz Patrick Riley, so apparently that's how Riley got her name.  This leads me to wonder if it was a fiery car crash, and that's how the name "Blaze" came to be. 

 

Marlo recalls the situation during a dinner with two of  the "Yes Marlow" people in her life, where for a minute of camera time they pay for her dinner.  She tells them that Kandi “had a look” like she didn’t want to talk about it.  They tell Marlo that she is an innocent victim, and that Kandi is selfish and untouchable who didn't even send flowers! One of them even whines about how the OG should’ve catered paid for the funeral.  Marlo says that everyone tiptoes around Kandi's business,  and feels that Drew using the word “incident” is a prime example.  Fair enough, but I don’t think we need a degree in psychology to see that every issue Marlo has with these women has really been about her not feeling seen or heard.  Thank you Kenya.  I've always kind of a soft spot for Marlow, so this one is a real reach.

 

Through a game of telephone that starts with Drew, who tells Kenya about her fight with Marlo after Candiace’s show, and then Kandi is debriefed on what Marlo has been saying about her.  Kandi is immediately rattled her because it’s not how SHE remembers it.  She questions why Marlo hasn't brought it up for the last two years, during all the times they've been together off camera.  Um, maybe because she was saving it for a story line?   Kandi is now even more pissed because the last thing Blaze needs is more bad publicity, and connecting Quentin’s shooting directly to Kandi is only making it worse.

 

Things come to a head at an escape room excursion planned by Corny Cousin Courtney. Drew hasn’t seen Marlo since their altercation, and Kandi is seeing Marlo for the first time since learning about Marlo shooting off her mouf. The tension is palpable and each of the women feel it the moment Kandi walks into the room.  As with all HW shows, this happens with precisely 8 minutes left in the episode, so we know we aren't going  to get to the Bolo of the matter until next week. 

 

But maybe not, because right after the commercial, Marlo suggests a side conversation between herself, Drew, and Kandi. Things escalate quickly, Kandi’s level of rage slowly climbing until she reaches heights that we haven’t seen since Nene's pajama party. Marlo tries to tell her version of the story as Kandi gets only more upset.  interjects with her confusion.  In true RHOA fashion, the dance begins as both women start screaming their side of the story.  Meanwhile, Drew stands between them wondering WTF has she started?  Marlo begins questioning Kandi’s character, which is like waving a red cape at a bull.  It eventually becomes so heated that the other women intervene.

 

 

Towering over Kandi like one of the Amazonian women in Wonder Women,  Marlo wraps her arms behind her body and leans toward Kandi.  It's interesting to me how Marlo can plays victim and villain at the same time.  As Kandi starts pointing her fingers up in Marlo’s face (clearly a sign of impending physical contact), Kenya holds Kandi back as Sheree and SANya try to restrain Marlo.  Kandi instructs Kenya to NOT hold her back is Marlow "pops off" (so she can beat her ass) while Marlo mocks Kandi for crying.  In an unintentional hilarious comeback, Kandi says the only reason she’s crying is because she couldn’t choke Marlo.   Kandi is definitely Joyce's daughter.

 

The group then splits in two.  Kandi, Kenya, Drew, and Monyetta leave the  building while Sanya, Sheree, and Courtney comfort Marlo. Marlo explains that her going off on Drew was a subconscious outburst over the death of her nephew.  Outside, Kandi starts talking shit about Marlo’s past, not to say I can blame her.  Marlo has made it her mission to annoy Kandi, and her posse agrees that Marlo is just desperate for a story line.

 

Back inside, Marlo is telling her posse how Drew is just an instigator and complains about her criminal past always being brought up.  To be fair, Marlo never stops with the "Kandi and Kenya are sluts", shtick, which has always been a a really weak accusation to say the least.  Also, what she calls "tiptoeing around Kandi" always comes off as just sheer jealousy ... jealousy over Kandi's success, and jealousy over the loyalty of Kandi's friends.  Eventually, team Kandi refuses to participate in a team-building exercise and leaves,  while team Marlo proceeeds with the  escape room challenge.