S07.E16: Southern Discomfort

[cooksdelight]

Kandi and Todd see a marriage counselor; NeNe proposes a way to heal broken relationships.

[qtpi75]

These women are OTT for an empty restaurant lunch date.

This whole gossip about texts is stupid. The women AND the men are clucking about it? Stupid. I'm with kandi. Let's drop it. Oh, and why was she wearing Bedroom Kandi lingerie to the awards?!??

Ugh so everyone needs therapy now?

If it wasn't malicious Cynthia, then what was the reason to bringing it up in front of everyone? This woman bugs me. I don't blame Phaedra for walking out.

Good grief Nene, SHUT UP!! Who is she to dictate they all need therapy and whose friendships need mending? Dumb storyline.

[cooksdelight]

Kandi flat out lied about not knowing or seeing the texts. She keeps falling farther and farther down in my eyes. Joyce no longer wants the big house? She wants the old house? Will the old bat ever be happy?

[Brooklynista]

I had so many thoughts on this episode and then I saw the sneak peek at next weeks episode.

Nene has gone straight Bride of damn Frankenstein. Someone clearly has Much hate for her.

And did she really call Cynthia "pink panther" ? Nene pumpkin, we have not forgotten that frightful pink head mop from a few shows ago.

ETA sorry about the spoiler.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Brooklynista
Adding spoiler tags to preview discussion

[Chicklet]

I just want them all to shut up. They have nothing so the show is a big nothing so they should stop digging.

Joyce is the worst mother in the world and  Nene's hair is  just awful.

I think they have finally killed my interest in this show.

[CaughtOnTape]

I fucking hate Cynthia.

 

That's all I can say right now.

[cooksdelight]

Heads up: Please leave preview talk out of this episode discussion. Some people don't watch them on purpose and I don't want it spoiled for them here. You can take it to the First Look thread if you must discuss something in the previews before the show airs next week. Thanks!

[Brooklynista]

I think it's time for the universe to go back to scripted drama. All of this "Let's meet for lunch and discuss what happened the last time we met for lunch" is overly old and tired.

[Neurochick]

I am stunned by how bad Cynthia looks this season. She looks a fright with the heavy make up and long blonde hair. It's so sad when they show how beautiful she looked a few years ago, its jarring to me that this beautiful woman has turned into a frog.

[cyberfruit]

Did anyone else notice how many empty tables were at Peter's award show? 

[Misslindsey]

 

This whole gossip about texts is stupid. The women AND the men are clucking about it? Stupid. I'm with kandi. Let's drop it.

I am with Kandi on this whole issue as well. I was fine with her lying about the texts to that particular group, because they would have jumped on it. Though Kandi seeing the texts does not prove anything either. What did Kenya say to Cynthia at Peter's event? I thought I heard her say to Cynthia that Kandi knew about the affair and I thought how did she determine that. I wasn't watching that closely so I am guessing I misheard the whole exchange. Did Peter's event look a bit empty to anyone else?

 

I was so glad Phaedra walked out on Cynthia. Really Cynthia? It wasn't malicious? 

 

I am not a fan of calling other women whores, but I feel like they are using that as an excuse for all this other bullshit. Was it Cynthia or Kenya that implied that since Phaedra called Kenya a whore, which seems like forever ago, that it is okay to bring up this alleged affair or these texts? Also, Claudia still being upset that Nene called her a whore after Nene apologized, and at that dinner insults were flying all over the place. 

[Ubiquitous]

Kandi and Todd see a marriage counselor; NeNe proposes a way to heal broken relationships.

My initial reaction to NeNe's idea was "... but if you resolve all your issues, wheat will you all do?", followed by "Is this NeNe's escape plan from this show?".

[nichelle]

Kandi flat out lied about not knowing or seeing the texts. She keeps falling farther and farther down in my eyes. Joyce no longer wants the big house? She wants the old house? Will the old bat ever be happy?

I thought Kandi was responding to Kenya's questions .... "Was part of your awkwardness that you knew about the affair?" and "you didn't know?" Kandi said no, she didn't know. Even if she'd seen the texts (or 'textes' as I've heard on this show) that doesn't mean that she's aware of an "affair". But those questioning her seemed to make the leap that those texts equal an affair.

Edited March 9, 2015 by nichelle

[cooksdelight]

I thought Cynthia asked Kandi if she'd seen the texts and did she know about Chocolate. Which is what Todd confirmed to Peter, that Apollo came and talked to both Todd and Kandi, and showed both of them the texts. So, yes, Kandi knew about Chocolate and the alleged affair.

Oh, and did anyone else catch when NeNe was talking to the psychologist, she said "Gregg kids"... WHAT is it with that woman???

[Ubiquitous]

I fucking hate Cynthia.

That's all I can say right now.

I am so over her now.

I thought Kandi denied any knowledge of what Apollo told Todd, only for them showing him telling her what he'd been told. I did find it amusing to see Kandi and Todd having an intimate discussion, only for the camera to reveal they were at the same table as the others!

[qtpi75]

Oh, and did anyone else catch when NeNe was talking to the psychologist, she said "Gregg kids"... WHAT is it with that woman???

She's an idiot?

[parisprincess]

Does Mama Joyce always talk with clenched teeth and a sneer on her face?  Perpetual bitch face, that one.  And will the old crone ever be happy with anything Kandi does?  Or anything in general?  She is exhausting!!! 

[cooksdelight]

That counseling session was an eye-opener. Kandi thinks it was a gang-up on her. Well, maybe that's because Todd's not got a crazy batshit mother who puts her down at every opportunity (RIP Miss Sharon), he doesn't have employees who disrespect her and make fun of her, while Todd sits back and does nothing. He tries to initiate lovemaking and she's too tired. OK.... well.....

[nichelle]

I thought Cynthia asked Kandi if she'd seen the texts and did she know about Chocolate. Which is what Todd confirmed to Peter, that Apollo came and talked to both Todd and Kandi, and showed both of them the texts. So, yes, Kandi knew about Chocolate and the alleged affair.Oh, and did anyone else catch when NeNe was talking to the psychologist, she said "Gregg kids"... WHAT is it with that woman???

Gotcha. Cynthia told Kandi that Peter stated Apollo talked to Todd as well. (Cut to a scene of Todd telling Peter that Apollo showed color copies to both Todd and Kandi) Then Cynthia asked Kandi if Todd told her about it. Kandi's response was that "Apollo says a lot of things".

I didn't see that as Kandi denying the alleged affair or that she'd seen anything. Instead, I took it as Kandi wondering why people are believing what Apollo says about anything.

[cyberfruit]

Right, Kandi may have been cool with Apollo but she knows that the man can't tell the truth to save his soul, so why even say anything? And then, why say anything to *this* group of people who she knows would gleefully pounce upon this gossip. I think Kandi was being a good friend in that scenario. If you hear some shit that you feel cannot possibly be true, just ignore it. 

Edited March 9, 2015 by cyberfruit

[Aging Goth]

I also took it as Kandi basically saying she isn't just blindly believing whatever Apollo says. I saw the ghost of KENYA tonight when Cynthia once again tried to attack Phaedra much the same way Kenya attacked Porsha at the coffee shop when she tried to turn Porsha against Phaedra.

I see two conspiracies here (JMOO) with Petra doing Apollo's dirt by making sure Cynthia put the vise on Phaedra about the bogus affair. I also see Kenya and Apollo conspiring to use the rumor they probably thought up to take Phaedra down. That would explain the WAYYYY over the top reaction the Cynthia's T spill.

I can't help but also feel the awards ceremony was to entice Kandi to the WOAtl (Witches of Atlanta)'s way of thinking which is why Cynthia brought the award to the luncheon to make it look like Kandi sides with them. Just my theory based on what has been going on.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Aging Goth

[LotusFlower]

Cynthia bringing the engraved award to Kandi the next day at lunch was funny to me because it shows how silly that "Peter Thomas Entertainment" gala was. Awards are only engraved at or after an event if there are a number of nominees, and/or the recipients are a guarded secret for some reason. But if you're honoring someone at a gala, you're able to engrave the frigging plaque or whatever ahead of time! I'm sure they had no idea if Kandi was coming (which is understandable with this group), so they were probably pleasantly surprised when she showed up, and gave her the award on the fly.

[njbchlover]

Did anyone else notice how many empty tables were at Peter's award show? 

Not just empty tables, but empty seats...even at the table with Cynthia, Kenya and Kandi.

[Aging Goth]

I noticed the empty seats too which really smells of a set-up for Kandi. I don't think Todd had anything to do with it but he was probably told it was an event to honor Kandi to make sure she showed up.

[njbchlover]

Kandi flat out lied about not knowing or seeing the texts. She keeps falling farther and farther down in my eyes. Joyce no longer wants the big house? She wants the old house? Will the old bat ever be happy?

 

No...because Kandi's "old" house has now been renovated and looks all brand-new and shiny!!  Who wants odds on a bet that Joyce is (or will be) living in the old house, and Kandi is now stuck with a useless McMansion that her mother doesn't want anymore?  

[Watermelon]

I wanted to throw something at the screen when Joyce's horrible ass told Kandi she liked the old house better. She's an emotional terrorist.

[njbchlover]

I noticed the empty seats too which really smells of a set-up for Kandi. I don't think Todd had anything to do with it but he was probably told it was an event to honor Kandi to make sure she showed up.

 

And, unless it was the work of the editing monkeys, Todd did NOT look too thrilled or happy when Kandi received that "award"....

[schmickschmack]

OMG, these "Salute to Excellence" awards.  I have a sister who, after graduating law school, passing her bar on the first try, and... THEN getting a job that she was 100% miserable in after a 6-month search, threw herself a party saluting her "Year of Legal Success."  Apparently these were Peter's "Ten Years of Hip-Hop Success" awards.

[Aging Goth]

And, unless it was the work of the editing monkeys, Todd did NOT look too thrilled or happy when Kandi received that "award"....

Or he could've saw what we saw and smelled the same setup I smelled, especially right after Petra spoke with him to see if Kandi heard about the texts. He is quicker to see BS than Kandi

[islandgal140]

The group dynamics of this franchise used to be the greatest. This was my favorite franchise because it seemed like the women 'got it.' They knew what was required of them when the director yelled 'action', they brought it. However, when the director yelled 'cut' it was over and beef didn't seem to spill over too much. Certain women might not have liked each other but at the end of the day (tm Apollo) they could come together, set aside beef and have fun. I feel like that died last season.

I like the idea of group therapy but I honestly doubt it will help. [snip]

Smart idea not to invite Phaedra and Kenya to the luncheon.

Can Porsha come to one place not dressed in full instagram thot regalia!

Cynthia looked a damn fool at her lunch with Phae.

I wish one of those houses would fall on Joyce.

Demetria looked gorgeous at the luncheon with short curly hair. Girl that is your look! Stay with it!

Edited March 9, 2015 by cooksdelight
Removing preview talk, please see mod note.

[Watermelon]

Cynthia has acquired a weird habit of being real snappy and bitchy to people and then acting like she's being normal.

 

When you do it with Phaedra she's not going to receive your bullshit properly, and when you do it with Nene, who KNOWS that ain't even your personality of course it aint gonna go right.

 

Yeah Nene started off the conversation wrong but she SAID she didn't act right either, so nobody needs you piping up all after the fact with your bitch face, Cynthia.

[LotusFlower]

 

I wish one of those houses would fall on Joyce.

Perfect!

[swankie]

Did Peter's event look a bit empty to anyone else?

 

 

Peter's event looked like a setup for the show to me.  It was so random that they were honoring Kandi and she wasn't even aware she was up for any kind of award.  It was really lame. 

 

Cynthia's meeting with Phaedra made Cynthia look even more ignorant than she already is.  Did she really expect Phaedra to sit there and be degraded even more?  She's lucky Phaedra didn't come at her with her purse.  Cynthia bugs the shit out of me!  There, I said it. 

 

Does Joyce ever wonder why every time she has a conversation with her daughter, she cries?  If I thought I made my child that unhappy, I would do anything within my power to change and try to make my child happy.  Of course, Joyce is too busy worrying about her own selfish wants and needs.  So now, she wants the first house Kandi fixed up for her, and had to fix up again after Joyce let her boyfriend trash it, instead of the one Kandi just spent Lord knows how much money on for her.  If I was Kandi, I would sell both houses and make Joyce move to a retirement home...in another state!

Edited March 9, 2015 by swankie

[selhars]

What the HELL was that fake-ass, Peter Thomas entertainment awards crap?

Did anyone else notice how many empty tables were at Peter's award show?

 

IMO, it was a 'created for TV" event...and apparently they couldn't even get enough extras to fill the tables. Geez.

Edited March 9, 2015 by selhars

[Chrissytd]

Did anyone else notice how many empty tables were at Peter's award show? 

It wasn't exactly the NAACP Image Awards.

[ToukieSmith]

 

Cynthia looked a damn fool at her lunch with Phae.

 

Cynthia is so loud and wrong that I am embarrassed for her.

 

Porsha questioning Kandi's loyalty to Phaedra is out of place and none of her business.  She needs to pay more attention to her poor clothing choices.

[swankie]

Porsha questioning Kandi's loyalty to Phaedra is out of place and none of her business.  She needs to pay more attention to her poor clothing choices.

 

 

I'm not even going to lie, if I had Porsha's body, I would be dressing the same way she is.  She's built like a brick shithouse and as the saying goes; If you've got it, flaunt it!  Hey!  ;-)

[FozzyBear]

Cynthia, why are you making me take Phadera's side? What did I ever do to you?

Seriously, Apollo shows Peter a printout of some texts (let me count the ways that could have been forged and that Peter and Apollo are the two least trustworthy people on the planet) and you get yourself so worked up that you have to tell everyone and then take an hour bringing it up at a dinner. Then you invite Phadera to lunch and expect her to just sit there while you tell her why you were completly right and she was completly wrong? How was all of this playing out in your head? And why are you so stupid?

[bref]

 

OMG, these "Salute to Excellence" awards.

 

[FozzyBear]

I give Kandi and Todd another 5 years max. And I only give them 5 years because I think they love each other and want it to work. I'm not a fan of blaming one person over the other, but damn Kandi! She just doesn't have room in her psychie for anyone but her daughter and her mother. EVERYONE else is expected to toe the line and not make waves. I kind of get it in a sick way. Joyce is planters love peanuts level nuts and it doesn't seem like her daughter's father has ever been very involved. That's a big plate to juggle, but after so long of being the money maker/shot caller it doesn't seem like she had room for a real partner. Even with her friends it seems to be pretty much Kandi's world and you live in it. I feel for her because it doesn't feel like a diva thing so much as she been the center of it all for so long she just can't unclentch. And I'm starting to have the sneaking suspicion that her sex complaints are actually about her not being pregnant. Because sex once a week is not exactly a draught, so Todd was supposed to knock her up and he hasn't and in Kandi's mind that's what men are for so its time to get mad at him. It's sad, but yeah... Not going to work. I would be interested to see more of her relationship with Todd's daughter. I could see that going a couple of different ways.

[selhars]

WHO is the person sitting next to Claudia? Demetria? Why is she even there. She hasn't been in the all season and now she shows up at the table? Who the hell is she. Why is she talking?

AND....if Porsha was fired  from the show why is she on it every damned episode? 

[swankie]

AND....if Porsha was fired  from the show why is she on it every damned episode?

 

 

Porsha was demoted to "friend of" status.  Even though she still appears in the episodes, I think it means less money than a certified peach holder.

Edited March 9, 2015 by swankie

[Bronzedog]

Did Sharon die during the filming of this season? That would certainly explain depression and other changes in Todd. Having to put up with Joyce and Kandi's cult-Like devotion to her would be harder to take, too Speaking of Todd, he looks heavier and more moon faced in his THs.

[cooksdelight]

Sharon did die during production of this season, but from what we're being shown, I don't think she's died yet. They could not possibly leave that out of the show. I think editors may have cut a lot of Joyce drama out of what we're seeing, for the sake of being respectful to Sharon, because you know Joyce's mouth and how disrespectful she can be.

[ticklemepink]

I normally hate it when what I am about to say about Kenya is said about any woman, because it's a phrase that is oftentimes wrought with misogyny, but I honestly can say that I completely see why she is not married - she might just be the most immature woman I have ever seen.

[nb360]

Famous last words: Kandi - "I do realize Porsha and Kordell got divorced but I don't want to hold that against Dr. Blake."

[BogoGog24]

This episode was dreadfully boring. I don't give any amount of shits about these women and their fake friendships or alleged affairs or whatever. Wasn't the original reason people watched these franchises was to see how the other half lives, to see their mansions, their extravagant vacations, to forget your problems for an hour?

Every franchise in the HW's series has been reduced to boring discussions about who's friends with who and who hurt who and who needs to apologize to who and wow that is boring just to write let alone watch. Some people enjoy watching the show to de stress and we don't want to see people screaming or fighting with each other. Bravo needs to go back to why people watched these shows in the first place. All of the ratings for each franchise are going down from past seasons. Get a clue Bravo!

[nb360]

The meeting between Cynthia and Phaedra was unproductive: "I want to have a conversation." It's like she practiced saying that so that she would not have to say, "I'm sorry for bringing up stuff that was none of my business in front of people you don't like."

[luckyroll3]

This episode was a hot mess all around, from beginning to end.  

 

Why does Porsha think she has the right to tell Kandi to choose between anything.  The relationship Kandi and Phaedra have is none of her or Nene's business.  I get that they feel since they are now Phaedra's "friends" they can get in the middle, but Phaedra didn't ask them to.  In fact, Phaedra didn't even bring Kandi up, one of them did.  It just bugs me when other people try to dictate relationships that have nothing to do with them.

 

And I'm sorry, I find it laughable that Nene of all people is trying to set up a therapy session for the group.  I'm just glad the doctor called out her out and told her explicitly that just because she's the organizer doesn't mean she gets to sit out and observe, that she needs to participate.  We all already know Nene never wants to hear anything negative said about her, true or not, so this should be interesting.  

 

And oh yeah, Shut Up, Cynthia!!

[Aging Goth]

My take on this week’s episode

Kandi, just hugs that fence just a little too much.  I did like that she shut down the three WoAtl when they tried to grill her on her knowledge of the alleged affair.  As for the awards ceremony, it was as bogus as a office meeting to decide what water pitcher to buy.  It smelled like a total setup to entice Kandi to their side of thinking against Nene, Phaedra and Porsha.  Because Kandi rides the fence like a bucking bronco, they feel they can tip her over to their side. 

I also believe Todd is acting disinterested in Kandi because she tries to control him and allows others close to her to emasculate him.  That gets tiring to a man real quick and I can see why he likes getting away.  She has been so messed up and abused by her mother all her life that she is becoming her mother.

Every time she tries to stand up against her mother and call her out on the bullcrap, Joyce comes back with a whopper that puts Kandi back in subservient mode.  She wants the OLD house back, now?  I just can’t deal.

 

Cynthia is showing she can be a very ignorant, insensitive, annoying bitch when she wants to.  With Peter and Kenya’s guidance, she will become the most hated housewife in any of the franchises.  For her not to apologize for her behavior at the dinner but to also CONTINUE to degrade Phaedra was just nasty and classical KENYA behavior.  As I mentioned before this was almost a replay of the Porsha/Kenya coffee house altercation where Kenya degraded Porsha while trying to convince her to cut ties with Phaedra.  Cynthia was doing the very same thing to Phedra while trying to convince her that bringing the bogus affair up in front of all the castmates was the “right” thing to do and Phaedra should just understand.  I would have done the very same thing Phaedra did and just get up and leave.  You KNOW Cynthia is going to RunTeelDat to her new coven as soon as she can

(WoAtl = Witches of Atlanta)

 

Nene is trying to repair a very broken group the best way she knows how.  However, work group therapy just never works in my opinion.  It was tried at my office when I was with a bunch of Drs who all wanted to be the AlphaDoc in our office and we called in a corporate psychologist to help get us to a point where we could just play nice with each other.  It failed miserably for the same reasons this appears to fail.  Everyone pointing fingers at everyone else and not taking responsibility for their own bad behavior.  That could be seen right at the luncheon when Cynthia kept interrupting and trying to pick a fight with Nene and not letting her explain why she called them there.  It would be better to work with these women in smaller groups so that they cannot go after another person.

 

Peter I know feel, is working with Apollo to go after Phaedra.  I believe he KNOWS the texts were bogus but Apollo is his friend and his chance to keep Cynthia relevant on the show.  All he had to do was plant the seed in Cynthia’s empty head and water it occasionally to make sure it grows the way he wanted it to.  That is why he appears to want updates to how that rumor is flowing and Cynthia is playing right into it like the puppet she is.

 

Unfortunately, she is not just a PeterPuppet, but a KenyaPuppet as well.  I really believe there was an affair between Kenya and Apollo.  I do not think it got to physical sexual levels but there was something going on between them.  You could see it in Mexico where they both just didn’t even try to mask their feelings for each other even with Phaedra present.  It was the way Kenya reacted to the texts. Even for her it was way too over the top like a very bad actress doing her lines.  Like someone else mentioned it was like she felt she could have bedded down with Apollo if she knew Phaedra was cheating. But it was more than that.  She seemed to want to make sure no one questioned the texts and fully believed that Phaedra had taken time from her law practice, book signings, morturary classes, child rearing,  business ventures, and caring for the house, to find time to have a long distance affair with the omnipresent African Prince from Zumunda, complete with Lion Pelt cape and golden crown.

 

Thank gawd Kenya was not as present as usual this episode.  A little of her is way too much to endure.

 

Claudia and Demetria are nothing without their nemesis Porsha/Phaedra to talk about.  And yes, Claudia drinks a LOT!

 

I understand why Porsha brought up the distanced relationship between Kandi and Phaedra.  Porsha and Phaedra became close when they both realized they both had been married almost the same amount of time and now they have other things in common which is also drawing them closer; a failed marriage and psychological abuse by their spouses.  Porsha does not want Kandi and Phaedra to stop being friends, she just wanted to wake Kandi up to make her realize that Phaedra needs her now.  However, Kandi, like her mother, cannot see beyond her own problems.