Real Housewives of Atlanta-Episode 19

On this week’s Real Housewives of Atlanta ,we continue the downward spiral of the Mexiloco vacation, which finally erupts when Kenya tries to redo the PJ party from hell.
The episode starts off with Phaedra confronting her husband Apollo and Kenya having walked in on a friendly/flirty chat session between the two. The best part of this confrontation is the commentary by the other husbands, Todd and Peter, in the background. “Oh no,” “here we go” is heard stifled by quiet chuckling. Apollo and Kenya try to explain to Phaedra what their conversation is about, but she’s having none of it. Her face is screwed up, as Kenya would say, and she’s doubtful anything good is coming out of this conversation. They are saved by the bell when Porsha and NeNe enter the room with bright smiles and hugs for everyone. Apollo takes the opportunity to jump out of his chair and run from his angry wife. Phaedra announces that she’s tired and going back to her room. As soon as Phaedra is out of the room, Kenya wanders over to the husbands group and starts to chat up Apollo again. Can’t she leave well enough alone? Luckily NeNe and Porsha pull Apollo to the side and command that he respect Phaedra’s wishes and their marriage and go chase her. He finally does and finds her sitting outside their hotel room because she doesn’t have a key to get in. They bicker about why she left the party and she asks him to go get her a key to their room. He says no, he’s going back to the party and she can get the key herself. In the end, he leaves promising that “someone” will get her a key and he’ll be at the party. Bad move Apollo.
The next morning, he approaches her while she is on the patio studying for her mortuary exams. He tries to act like none of the drama from the previous night happened and presents her a lily and calls it a rose. She smiles politely to him, but is in NO mood to forgive him yet. He tries a different tactic and asks her what she’s up to for the day. She explains that she has her final exams in a few weeks and she’s up to her neck in studying. Apollo asks when she’ll have time for some laughter and fun. He tells her that they are in Mexico with it’s tropical breeze and sunny weather and asks why they can’t they relax a little. Here’s where I side with Apollo a little bit. Even though Phaedra is mad and has every right to be, Apollo has a point. It seems like there isn’t a lot of fun in their marriage these days. It’s taking care of kids, focusing on business, studying for tests. It’s not an enjoyable life if you can’t let loose every once in awhile. Phaedra brings up the fact that she’s still mad that Apollo would even entertain a conversation with someone who’s spread rumors and tried to destroy their family. Apollo doesn’t have much to say except that he doesn’t feel the same about Kenya. He then changes the subject completely and brings up her birthday. He wants to do something romantic to rekindle her fun side. Phaedra isn’t biting on that idea yet. Apollo then excuses himself telling her that when she’s ready to relax and have fun, he’ll be there.

Meanwhile, on the beach, Miss Lawrence and Kenya are wading in the water with Kenya explaining how at peace and refreshed she is now that her and Apollo have spoken. To me it’s more like she feels sweet success at causing more problems between Apollo and Phaedra. Cynthia and Peter join the two on the beach and they quickly get down to discussing the drama from the previous night. Cynthia asks what actually happens because she wasn’t there. Right away Kenya speaks up and says that she saw Apollo without Phaedra and decided to take the opportunity to set things strait. I love that Peter jumps in and asks, “is that your version of the story”. Miss Lawrence puts in that he think Kenya and Apollo have Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie kind of chemistry while Phaedra is sitting on the outside like Jennifer Aniston wondering what’s going on. Kenya denies, denies, denies, but she’s giggling like a middle school girl. Peter gives his two cents by saying maybe Kenya needs to have a conversation with Phaedra reassuring her that she is not after Apollo. Kenya shoots back with the excuse that she has and she’s not going to do it again. She goes on to say that she can find a man anywhere. She doesn’t need to steal one from one of her friends.
Suddenly it’s nighttime and we learn that Apollo has enlisted Kandi’s help in planning a surprise birthday party for Phaedra in order to make up for the drama he caused the previous night. The gang shows up in jovial moods and ready to party. Of course Kenya has to get a dig in by saying Phaedra must be 45 if she’s a day old. NeNe cuts the nastiness with her own snide comment and I like NeNe a little more.
Apollo and Phaedra arrive in a golf cart with Apollo telling her that he doesn’t do nice things often for her because she’s usually so mean to him. However tonight he wants to have a good time with her. Apollo, let’s leave out the nasty comments while you’re trying to do right by your wife.
The party starts off well. Apollo has arranged for a piñata and Phaedra takes joy in taking swings at it, while visualizing Kenya’s face. Porsha jumps in and takes a turn cracking it open and revealing that it’s filled with condoms. I guess that’s Apollo’s idea of romance for his wife? The next swing that Porsha makes sends the piñata flying and knocking over the cake. Speeches are next. Kandi starts by telling Phaedra that she values their friendship and she loves her. It brings Phaedra to tears. Next up is Apollo. He thanks Phaedra for being the mother of his children and wants them to move forward. Not so romantic, but at least he was nice. Phaedra thanks everyone for being there and gets a little shade in by telling “most” of them they are her good friends.
It’s finally the last day in Mexico. The gang separates for fun in the pool, a boat ride, and just relaxation time.
Kenya is excited that for the last night. She’s planned a special dinner and get together. Everyone shows up and certain people are surprised at the seating arrangement. Beanbag like chairs arranged in a circle remind them all of the pj party that went array. No one wants to be reminded of that night. Finally Kenya traipses in and announces that this is a “redo” of the pj party. The faces around the circle go from uncertainty, to amusement, to “oh hell no”. Kenya promises that the questions for this version of the game are not provocative and are meant to be light and fun. Porsha goes first. She gets a question about kinky sex or romantic sex. When she explains that romantic sex reminds her of being with an older guy that moves slower, the jolly good times start to fade. Peter and NeNe take offense saying that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about and to sit down. The next question is for NeNe-name something that annoys you about someone else here. She continues her complaint from the last question and says that she’s annoyed by the ignorance that Porsha thinks old men have slow sex. Porsha fights back saying that it was her opinion and why can’t she have it? Peter jumps into the argument and NeNe goes after him telling him to stay out of the women’s business. Next up NeNe turns on Kandi. She tells her that it was ignorant of Kandi to assume that she doesn’t get her period anymore because she’s too old. Kandi speaks up to say it was an offhand comment not meaning to offend because she doesn’t even know how old NeNe is. She takes offense to NeNe calling her ignorant. Todd jumps to Kandi’s defense by saying that it’s all about delivery. NeNe is speaking down to them and not just expressing her feelings. He said it’s ok to not like what Kandi said, but don’t talk down to her while you’re telling her that. NeNe claims that the delivery of her words isn’t her problem; it’s their problem. Kenya puts a stop to that nonsense, probably because it doesn’t have anything to do with her and she’s getting no attention. She has Miss Lawrence read another question. This one has to do with the definition of cheating. He doesn’t consider one night stands cheating and continues by saying that he assumes that all men cheat. He then points the finger to Apollo and Phaedra for their opinion on cheating. Phaedra says that if she catches you cheating she’s out. There are no excuses and no forgiveness. Apollo’s views are slightly different. He feels like everyone cheats. He goes into all relationships with the assumption that at some point someone is going to cheat. Peter shoots that theory down and asks why he would ever get married if that’s how he thought. Apollo compares it to getting insurance on your house. You don’t EXPECT it to burn down, but sometimes it does. He doesn’t want his woman to cheat, but realizes that sometimes it happens. Peter stands by his statement and this time Kenya jumps up to defend Apollo’s thoughts. She says that it’s always a possibility. Todd, being the voice of reason, says that if you feel that your spouse is going to cheat, then you haven’t found the right person.
Kenya ends all of the chatter by announcing that the game is over. She sends the guys to her room for a continuation of the party and she sits down with the ladies to clear the air.
Kenya starts off by asking NeNe what’s going on between her and Marlo. NeNe refuses to discuss Marlo. Kenya plays innocent and tries to sweet talk NeNe into some drama talk, but NeNe holds strong and refuses. So Kenya needs to move onto another subject in order to cause some drama. She goes after Phaedra. Phaedra is calm at first, explaining that she’s asked Kenya before not to engage with her husband and Kenya has crossed that line over and over. Things quickly escalate when Kenya says that Phaedra can’t speak for Apollo and she can be friends with him if she wants to. Porsha defends Phaedra by telling Kenya that she’s never been married, so she doesn’t understand the rules that go along with a married couple. Kenya spits back that Porsha had a fake arranged marriage so she doesn’t know what it’s like either. The rest of the ladies watch the bickering back and forth like a tennis match. Things calm for a moment and NeNe asks if Kenya and Phaedra can ever get along. Phaedra claims that she can keep it cordial but she doesn’t want to see Kenya with her husband again. Kenya agrees that she will keep it cordial too and the conversation is over.

Meanwhile, the guys are sitting in Kenya’s room asking Apollo what was up with his conversation with Kenya the other night. Apollo explains his decision calmly.
Gregg decides to take this opportunity to confront Peter for his words to NeNe at Kenya’s charity ball weeks ago. Gregg tells Peter to never step to his wife again or he’s going to answer to him. Peter defends himself by saying that NeNe walked up to him and started things about the charity ball. It accelerates quickly as the male egos get pumped up. Both Gregg and Peter stand and start poking each other in the chest. Todd immediately jumps into the middle of it to try and calm it down. Hilariously, Apollo sits on the couch calmly telling Todd to sit down and get out from between the two.
In the last scene of the episode, the ladies break into the fight between Gregg and Peter. They explain that they are fighting about the charity ball and how Gregg thinks Peter was out of line talking to NeNe about his disappointment. Of course NeNe jumps into it and steps up to Peter again, telling him he WAS out of line that night. Peter is making sense and I think NeNe knows it, so she changes the subject and tells Peter that he just needs to stay out of the ladies business. And we cut to the scenes for next week’s episode.