The Real Housewives of Atlanta are back, and this season is serving a little nostalgia, a little new blood, and a whole lot of money. The Sweet 16 installment brings back OGs Porsha Williams, Cynthia Bailey, and Drew Sidora, with guest appearances from Kenya Moore and Phaedra Parks—because what’s Atlanta without a little old-school shade? But don’t get too comfortable in the past. A new lineup is shaking things up, including longtime friend of the franchise Shamea Morton, plus fresh faces Brit Eady, Angela Oakley, and Kelli Ferrell.
Williams returns in the middle of a high-profile divorce from Simon Guobadia, balancing single motherhood with raising her daughter Pilar. And while she’s always been the moment, this time, she’s playing more of a supporting role. Enter Shamea Morton, who, in case you missed it, is very well-connected and very rich. Fans have been begging for aspirational wealth in this franchise, and Morton is delivering.
Much like Porsha, Drew Sidora is also in the throes of a divorce, juggling single motherhood while navigating the watchful gaze of the RHOA cameras. She even gets a visit from Kenya Moore, where she drops perhaps the most bizarre tidbit of the season thus far—her ex-husband, Ralph Pittman, was allegedly court-ordered to stay confined to the basement. (Someone in the Housewives fandom absolutely needs to whip up a “Trapped in the Basement” edit because this is absurd even by Bravo standards.)
Another pause—because we need to talk about Drew Sidora, the enigma. I’m not her biggest fan, largely because she operates with a level of delusion that rivals Mia Thornton (Real Housewives of Potomac viewers, you understand). Every time she speaks, I find myself questioning if she actually believes the words coming out of her mouth. It’s the kind of exaggerated self-mythologizing that doesn’t even attempt to be believable, but let’s be real—every Housewives cast needs a compulsive storyteller.
Now, onto her latest plot twist: working with her castmate’s ex-fiancé/child’s father. Not just weird—diabolical. Because in all of Greater Metro Atlanta, a Black cultural mecca brimming with music moguls, industry leaders, and actual power players, she somehow lands on Dennis McKinley? Porsha’s ex? Make it make sense. If she wanted real business connections, Kandi Burruss was right there, but then again—this is Drew Sidora, and logic has never been her strong suit.
Drew, of course, insists that Dennis is her “angel on earth” and “saving grace”, even claiming that Porsha approved of this so-called working relationship. But let’s be honest—this reeks of Phaedra Parks and Dr. Heavenly over on Married to Medicine, when Heavenly tried to bring Phaedra’s ex-husband on a girls’ trip for maximum mess. Even if someone technically agrees to something—begrudgingly, at best—people are allowed to change their minds. And by the end of the episode, it’s clear that’s exactly what’s happening.
I hate that Kenya Moore isn’t holding a peach this season, (what she did was heinous) but let’s be real—she’s a necessary evil for the show. This new crop of ladies needs structure, and Kenya is stepping in with full matriarchal energy, asking the questions the people (read: us) actually want answered. Like: Why would Dennis McKinley—Porsha’s ex and entrepreneur-slash-Atlanta’s-most-random-businessman—produce a song for Drew Sidora but not for Porsha Williams? A valid question. And one Drew conveniently dodges.
Meanwhile, Kelli Ferrell is throwing high tea for her daughter’s 17th birthday, and we finally get a glimpse into her world. She’s a single mom of four daughters (her own personal sorority house), going through a divorce, and running her restaurant, Nana’s Chicken & Waffles. The birthday itself? Extravagant. Seventeen gifts for turning 17—an exercise in doing the absolute most, but if you’ve got it like that, why not?
Over on Porsha’s end, she’s back at her divorce lawyer’s office, detailing how she moved smarter this time around (read: prenup secured). But Simon? Not making it easy. Turns out, with 50/50 interest in their marital home, he hit her with a cease and desist—meaning Porsha cannot film inside their Georgia mansion. Now, if we’re ranking “messy ex-husband behavior,” this is top-tier.
And speaking of mess—Shamea Morton grabs dinner with Kelli and newbie Brit Eady, and we finally start seeing the RHOA dynamics unfold. Brit, an insurance agent who attends Atlanta’s “best and flyest” events, casually mentions that she and Kelli met through a mutual friend. (Random flex, but okay.) But the moment the conversation turns to Porsha, the shade immediately kicks in.
Kelli, wasting no time, throws out a casual “she should’ve never took that lady man” about Porsha and Simon. While she might have a point, it’s also very clear she just wants a moment. Then, as if the scene needed more unnecessary reveals, Dennis becomes the topic of conversation—Kelli claims he slid into her DMs, and Brit? Apparently, she once went on a date with him. (Because in Atlanta, there are apparently only 12 men in rotation.)
Brit also name-drops that she was a video girl back in the day (quick fact check: she was in Soulja Boy’s “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” video). Iconic? Maybe. Relevant? Debatable.
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At this point, I really want to give the new girls a fair shot, but Kelli and Brit are already giving “women I don’t like” energy, and we’re only one episode in.
Another pause here—because yes, we’ve all seen the commentary. A few ladies this season have clearly had some work done, and while no one’s shaming personal choices, the amount of surgical enhancements makes the show feel…a little uncanny valley.
Porsha and Shamea meeting up at a strip club to debrief, which leads to another internet theory confirmed—the way this season is being shot and edited definitely feels like Love & Hip-Hop. While Porsha gets the download on the dinner, Kelli and Brit’s comments, and the rumors about Dennis and Drew (which are already exhausting), one thing is clear: we’re in for an interesting season.
It’s party time, and the girls are gearing up. Porsha and Cynthia Bailey hop on FaceTime for a quick catch-up, proving once again that Cynthia is the real queen of gracefully exiting (and then re-entering) RHOA. Meanwhile, Kelli Ferrell—who is very much doing the most this season—arrives at Shamea Morton’s house early for a pre-party chat. Naturally, the conversation turns to her very pointed dinner comments. (Ma’am, do you ever just… chill?)
Enter Angela Oakley. Who is she? What does she do? Unclear. The jury is still deliberating, but so far, she’s giving “my husband is my personality” vibes. We need more before we make any real assessments.
As the night unfolds, Cynthia and Kelli finally get to know each other, and if it wasn’t obvious before that Kelli wants a moment, it is painfully clear now. Like—why are you so concerned with Porsha? The way she is orbiting around Porsha’s every move is starting to feel a little too fan behavior for someone who claims to just be “keeping it real.”
Finally, the moment we’ve been waiting for—Shamea makes her grand entrance at her own party, and the energy shifts immediately. The first topic of conversation? Porsha’s very obvious absence.m As the party moves outside for the big surprise, Shamea gets the ultimate birthday flex—a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. (Luxury! Excess! A dramatic, camera-ready moment! We love to see it.) But just as we’re soaking in the spectacle, Porsha finally arrives, fashionably late—which, sure, is on-brand, but the side-eyes? Plentiful. Shamea is the definition of a ride-or-die friend, but the real question is: Does she get that same energy from Porsha? Because showing up this late to your best friend’s party and blaming it on Atlanta traffic feels… lazy. Could she really not have planned better?
Seemingly Brit and Kenya have some tension and shade, which we may see develop a bit more throughout the season. Cynthia and Kenya link up for a tea debrief—because if there’s one thing Kenya Moore is going to do, it’s ask the right questions. She’s getting the lay of the land, and Cynthia lets her know that Kelli is in her feelings over Shamea relaying her dinner table shade back to Porsha. (Girl, be serious.)
And just like clockwork, Kenya—with the precision of a seasoned truth-seeker—asks the obvious: Why would she be mad at that? If you have the audacity to be messy, you should also have the courage to stand ten toes down in your shade. (Where’s the backbone?) Kenya sits down with Brit and Kelli to get their version of events, and just when things seem to settle into a slow simmer, the inevitable happens—the group finally sits down together. And we all know what that means: it’s time to get into some things.
As the ladies introduce themselves, Kelli wastes no time, lobbing the ultimate conversation grenade: “Why did you steal that lady’s husband?” (Ma’am?!) The entire group is visibly taken aback—it’s giving way too much, way too soon.
To avoid completely hijacking Shamea’s birthday party, the ladies retreat to another room in her mansion (a diplomatic move, at least). But before they can even cool off, another bomb gets dropped—Drew’s birthday.
Porsha casually mentions that Dennis invited her, and just like that, we’re hit with a cliffhanger: Shamea looks at Drew and asks, “Are you dating Dennis?”
Watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Sundays on Bravo, and catch up with our reviews each week here.
