By Ile-Ife Okantah, a freelance writer focusing connected Black media and celebrated culture

By Ile-Ife Okantah, a freelance writer focusing connected Black media and celebrated culture

Earlier this year, america Housewives recappers were tapped by Dame Brian Moylan himself to participate successful a March Madness bracket ranking nan worst Househusband of each time. I dutifully stepped up to nan sheet (anything for Brian), taking complete nan “Actual Villains” section, and RHOA’s ain Bob Whitfield was among nan men I was fixed to take between. Though he mislaid to Joe Guidice for a slew of reasons, Bob has decidedly earned his spot among nan villainous husbands we’ve watched torment various Housewives complete nan years.

Shereé’s conflict for a seven-figure colony aft her divorcement from Bob was documented passim nan first fewer seasons of nan show, pinch nan astir memorable segment being Bob’s 6-foot-5 grown ass sticking his lingua retired astatine Shereé aft successfully representing himself successful court. Or, my individual favorite, erstwhile Shereé poured h2o connected him during a heated speech astir his deficiency of support pinch nan kids. Then, aft seasons of dragging Bob for being a deadbeat, she brought him backmost connected nan show arsenic an effort at a storyline to springiness their narration a 2nd shot.

When Shereé accepted Bob backmost into her life, disturbing specifications astir their matrimony came to light. Their speech successful nan van during nan formed travel to Maui is 1 of nan hardest Housewives moments to watch and must’ve been unimaginably difficult for Shereé to relive. Shereé and Bob began speaking candidly astir their divorcement erstwhile Bob joked successful item astir nan existent physical, verbal, and intelligence maltreatment he inflicted connected Shereé. The speech led to Shereé having to show her children astir being abused by their begetter now that nan remainder of nan world was privy to those backstage moments.

While Joe Giudice yet precocious to nan adjacent information of my bracket alternatively of Bob, it was chiefly because Joe’s wide beingness successful nan Housewives canon is much important than Bob’s. But we’re reminded that Bob’s atrocities cognize nary bounds erstwhile he uses his grandaughter Mecca’s sip-and-see to uncover a caller kid of his ain decades aft her birth. There isn’t an charismatic announcement; he simply invited nan female himself, instructed her to deterioration pinkish for illustration nan remainder of nan family, and pulls her into a picture, unbeknownst to Shereé, who assumes she’s his caller girlfriend. In a hilarious enactment of pettiness, she summons Martell to jump successful nan image arsenic well. Two tin play that game!

Shereé doesn’t observe nan woman’s existent personality until aft nan picture. Her sanction is Candice, she’s Bob’s 3rd kid (Shereé was only alert of 2 others), and Kairo and Kaleigh already cognize her. In fact, she’s been coming astatine erstwhile family events without Shereé’s knowledge. The different women person a bigger guidance than Shereé, pinch Kandi starring nan group pinch a litany of questions for Bob we’re each wondering: Who is she? How aged is she? Why hasn’t Bob brought her up before? Did Bob cognize astir her while he was joined to Shereé? Bob claims they were connected a “need-to-know ground backmost then.” Since I’ve dated my stock of gaslighters, I’m assuming “back then” refers to earlier they were legally married, and it didn’t hap to him to bring it up successful nan years that followed.

Bob slithers away, avoiding further questioning, saying he didn’t cognize it was going to beryllium “Bob’s inquisition.” And conscionable arsenic quickly arsenic this absurd storyline was talented to us, it’s taken distant by ending credits popping up connected nan surface and Shereé declaring that Bob has “been a portion of crap and still a portion of shit” (amen!) earlier posing for a picture. I’m sorry, but were we erstwhile again robbed of a perchance bully infinitesimal this play earlier it moreover had a chance to go something? Thanks to a clip of nan aftershow that leaked earlier nan section aired, I’ve seen immoderate reactions I wish could’ve been featured successful nan episode. Kenya notes really Shereé has historically kept a bully poker face, ne'er showing her existent feelings until things scope their breaking point. Sanya points retired that Shereé is truthful acold removed from being emotionally attached to Bob that it doesn’t faze her. And, Shereé says that Bob hasn’t done a paternity trial yet. (Personally, I deliberation they look capable alike to cognize nan truth.) Shereé astir apt didn’t cognize astir nan paternity trial until aft filming, but astatine slightest nan uncover was documented connected camera for america each to see.

Our resident character Drew provides nan B-plot astatine Mecca’s sip-and-see erstwhile she refuses to participate nan premises because Anthony, her messy aged adjunct from past season, is inside. Apparently, Anthony threw a footwear astatine Drew 1 nighttime astatine nan club. According to Drew, God Himself is watching complete her and prevents nan 2 from interacting astatine Mecca’s party. In her words, God intervened simply seconds earlier she “walked correct into his trap.” According to Anthony, nan footwear propulsion was successful retaliation to Drew throwing her “cheap ass” handbag astatine him. I wish that night could’ve been caught connected camera, too.

Outside of nan sip and see, this section is simply a spot for illustration Mecca: sleepy. Sanya attends an assignment pinch Dr. Jackie astir her gestation (which is fundamentally an Atlanta rite of transition astatine this point), and Marlo hosts a rubbing arena celebrating group who grew up successful foster care. Kandi and Drew are engaged filming Todd’s movie The Pass. It’s unclear if a awesome distribution institution will prime up nan movie, but if I had to springiness it my champion shady guess, it would beryllium that possibly Tubi will put successful a bid. Even Drew said that aft filming The Pass, she’s only accepting “Lifetime and above” roles.

Todd has adopted his buddy Tyler Perry’s philosophy: usage arsenic small money and arsenic small clip arsenic imaginable to crank retired a last product. To trim backmost connected nan budget, they utilized their ain location and chamber for scenes, and nan full accumulation took 10 full days, truthful he decidedly made nan astir retired of his allowance. The filming of Drew’s same-sex chamber segment is ironically anticlimactic, and she continues her puritanical consecutive woman act, saying that being pinch a female is very overseas to her. But erstwhile she describes resorting to nan Uta Hagen technique, specifically relying connected her consciousness of sensation and smell, it winds up sounding a batch much seductive than she astir apt intended.

Of course, Ralph makes judge to find a measurement to beryllium disruptive erstwhile he visits Drew successful her trailer later that day. He is predictably insecure, ignoring Drew’s database of ways she relates to her characteristic and focusing only connected nan lesbian aspect. Then successful his interview, he says that picking up “the slack” astatine location is chaotic, utilizing quotations arsenic he calls her a thespian, sending a nonstop connection astir really he feels astir her career. In her trailer, Ralph grills Drew astir what explicitly happened during nan emotion scenes, asking questions astir whether nan buss progressive tongue, if she had an orgasm, and if nan character was “munching.” Drew reassures him that it’s each activity and nary of nan activity scenes are real, and successful her interview, she says she wishes Ralph would return her occupation seriously.

It’s clear that nan producers person been trying to nudge america successful nan guidance of wondering if Ralph’s guidance to Drew’s activity segment is much warranted than it appears successful tonight’s episode. The teaser for nan play finale shows that we’re yet going to perceive astir Drew’s alleged narration pinch Ty Young and spot nan bid of events starring to her and Ralph’s title to nan courthouse. Let’s dream it’s worthy our while aft making it done nan season!

• Not to beryllium outdone by Ms. Leakes, Kenya did her ain sit-down pinch Carlos King, which dropped this week. It wasn’t each that explosive, but seeing a different broadside of Kenya was cool. I wish personification other did these interviews because Carlos is intelligibly biased, arsenic he has a typical narration pinch these women. As overmuch arsenic I emotion proceeding his position arsenic a producer, it would beryllium bully to person a much nonsubjective personification asking questions. Part 2 comes retired adjacent week, and I stake it’ll beryllium better.

• It was awesome to perceive some Kenya’s and Carlos’s thoughts astir really nan casting process has drastically impacted nan value of nan show. They said astir really casting was erstwhile Kenya first joined, pinch women filming aggregate scenes without being guaranteed airtime, fto unsocial a full-time position, to now, wherever they said conscionable astir anyone tin get approved. Kenya herself said she hadn’t moreover signed a statement yet during immoderate of her play 5 scenes.

• I’m not amazed that Anthony’s messy ass was nan 1 who hooked up Shereé and Martell. He’s gross for body-shaming Drew while simultaneously telling Kandi he “lives for women.” You tin propulsion shadiness without assemblage shaming!