Posted Sunday, December 17, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Typically episodes of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" without any direct conflict among the ladies tend to be snoozefests.
This one was an unusual exception, with three of the single ladies dating with varying results.
Let's start with Sheree:
She's going out with a dude named Tyrone Gilliams but we haven't seen him yet for a reason. He's in prison for fraud. Sheree and Tyrone were together before he landed in prison a few years back but he ghosted her because he said he was protecting her as the Feds started going after him. She said he called her out of the blue 18 months earlier on her birthday and they began dating event though he is behind bars.
They talk a bit on the phone while the cameras roll. She is practically glowing.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
RELATED: Phaedra Parks' hubby Apollo in prison for white-colllar fraud
After the call, her life coach Jack Daniels asked her a reasonable question: "Is this a fantasy? What happens when he gets out?"
Clearly, the long distance allows her to "fantasize" a perfect relationship without the stresses of living together.
"It's going to be beautiful," Sheree rhapsodized, "to be able to connect and see each other... He's my soul mate."
She said there's a chance he'll be out of prison by the end of the year. But he could stay in another four years. When Daniels asked her what happens if he's stuck until 2022, she scrunched up her face.
This seems to be a new Sheree, a Sheree who is more open and willing to take a chance on love. This is a more likable Sheree.
Earlier, she even took her coach's advice and told her kids about ex-husband Bob's physical abuse. All three were quiet at first but then expressed support for their super mom.
Sure, Sheree has not always comported herself well on this TV show over the years but she appears to have raised three great kids and they love their mom. So kudos for her for that.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Porsha wants to date. The producers recapped some of her past boyfriends, none of which lasted. She checked in with One on One Matchmaking.
They find someone for her but it had to be a blind date. Unfortunately, the man was not exactly a catch and she made up some lame excuse to leave in 30 minutes. This wasn't exactly great advertising for One on One Matchmaking.
A trailer for the next episode, we see some sort of weird discussion of Porsha with... Rickey Smiley, her boss? I'm sure that's a non-starter.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Cynthia is dating this dude named Will. Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker went on a double date on Lake Lanier with them. Will wa a smooth talker and pretty darn good looking. But Kandi was super skeptical about the man. She had done some Googling and had seen him on a Steve Harvey dating episode and heard he had possibly tried out for some dating show. Is he a player?
Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Based on social media, it appears her relationship with this guy did not last.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
And surprise! Peter Thomas showed up for a brief moment. He and Cynthia at this point had been divorced for a year and they hadn't seen each other in months. But they still talk. Peter came back from Charlotte to Atlanta to check out the Old Fourth Ward Bar One space that has not been developed for ages. She has a 25 percent stake in it.
RELATED: Peter wanted to open Bar One in 2015. It didn't happen.
They talked a bit and there is clearly still chemistry there. He said she is 50 but looks 32. She giggled. It's a little sad they couldn't make it work.
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Kenya Moore fended off inquiries from supposed good friend Cynthia about why Cynthia had not yet met Marc Daly, Kenya's husband, with excuses. Daly, as we now know, refuses to be on the show and this is cramping Kenya's ability to get airtime, for sure.
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NeNe Leakes appears to get full-time status without having to be in every episode. She was in Los Angeles and took the week off but she'll be back the next time a new episode airs.
Next week is Christmas Eve so obviously, Bravo is not airing a new episode. I'm not sure if the network will air a new episode on New Year's Eve: probably not. So we may not see the ladies again until 2018.
