Originally posted Sunday, February 23, 2020 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
In tonight's amusing episode, Kenya Moore and Marc Daly continue to grapple with their shaky relationship and the weird, oddly uneven power dynamics of their marriage.
After an Aquatots lesson, they talk about a bowling night with the Housewive dudes at Nitro Zone in Peachtree Corners.
Again, Marc is being dismissive when Kenya talks about her fraught relationship with NeNe Leakes. "If I have a problem with someone, you have a problem with someone," she says to the cameras, a basic marital tenet Marc doesn't seem to grasp.
Kenya doesn't invite NeNe to the bowling party but Marc is talking to NeNe's husband Gregg about it anyway. They are clearly not on the same page on this one.
Porsha Williams, Dennis McKinley, Cynthia Bailey, Eva Marcille, Kenya, Marc, Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker show up in time to actually bowl.
Porsha is annoyed that Kenya didn't have Tanya Sams come by herself. Since Tanya's husband Paul couldn't make it, Kenya told her it was couples only. But that message was not conveyed to everybody because Eva and Cynthia arrive solo.
At one point, Marc is talking about a charity event he’s putting together and invited Gregg. When it’s suggested Kenya invites NeNe, she wipes her hands clean of it and says that’s up to Marc. Porsha starts getting into it with Kenya when Marc barks: “Ken! Rein it in!” (Yes. He calls her Ken, short for Kenya!)
And she shuts up!
Then NeNe shows up super super late with Gregg after the bowling is already over.
NeNe hugs Marc like they’re best buddies and is super chipper. She even comes up to Kenya in a friendly way. Kenya tells the cameras she can be cordial but not fake so she doesn’t quite return the positive vibes NeNe is attempting to send her way.
Gregg tells Marc he can’t go to Tuesday’s charity event unless his wife is invited. “You are invited,” Marc informs NeNe.
When Kenya sidles up, he says, “We’re going to shelve all the nonsense for Tuesday... I don’t know what happened but it’s irrelevant to me.” (Kandi and Porsha give knowing giggly looks of amusement as he says this.)
He invites Gregg and NeNe together and says on her behalf: “Ken agrees.”
“I agree,” Kenya says (though she really doesn’t.)
Porsha is giddily saying to Kandi off to the side: “She’s just as quiet - look at her - like a church mouse.”
Kandi notes that “Ken” is an “angel’ with him and “hell on wheels” with the ladies as “Kenya.”
Marc’s conclusion: “Put the ego away.”
NeNe: “Without question.”
Kenya: <>
When NeNe tells her Kenya has no issues, Kenya is dismissive, a fake smile painted on her face.
Later, NeNe says to Kandi about Marc: “I’m scared of him, girl!”
Kenya says, with mild disdain to Marc: “You got everything you wanted.”
Marc cluelessly says: “WE got everything we wanted. We’re a team!”
His arrogance is like plumage that cannot be hidden in any way.
***
Earlier in the house, we see the first real tension between Cynthia and her fiance Mike Hill.
Mike is writing a memoir “Open Mike,” which includes talk about his infidelities. Cynthia is being relatively open minded about it but she naturally has questions and doubts. (Who wouldn’t?)
He insists he has changed. He goes all passive-aggressive by suggesting that though she has given him no sign she'd cheat, she might. When she said she won't (which is a promise that she may or may not be able to keep but given her past seems reasonable), he gets resentful and says sarcastically that she's "perfect."
“Uh uh uh,” Cynthia says, still calm. “I am not perfect.”
When he tries to say something, she is clearly still annoyed by his previous statement and interrupts him and says, “This is why we need counseling. We don’t know how to argue.”
Notice she uses the word “we” because she isn’t trying to shift the blame specifically on him but of course, he takes it as blame. So he says, “You don’t know how to argue either!”
Oh, boy, He isn’t listening. He is trying to defend his turf.
“I do know how to argue!” Cynthia says. (She’s had plenty of practice over the past decade on this show.)
She then storms out but immediately comes in. “I’m a stayer! We’re going to work this out!”
Mike feels judged when Cynthia feels she’s just stating obvious concerns about his ability to stay committed to one woman given his past.
Eventually, he commits to counseling and even finds someone in Atlanta.
***
There was also a harmless kickball game organized by both Kenya and Kandi. With NeNe absent, it went off without a hitch. They also announced a future trip to Athens, Greece. Usually, there are two trips a season for the ladies so this Greece trip will likely conclude the year out.
TRAILER: Eva’s baby party. Tanya and Kenya have some tensions. NeNe expresses anxiety about the charity event. We hear Marc at the charity event tell someone he hates being married to Kenya. The end is near!
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