Reality Recap: RHOA Season 16 Premiere

Sunday's Season 16 premiere of The Real Housewives of Atlanta featured blasts from the past, a few fresh faces, and an untrustworthy wig. Some viewers may have been worried about the survival of the franchise without the other OGs, but in the first new RHOA episode in over a year, the ladies wasted no time in getting straight to the drama.

Source: Bravo

While some Housewives embraced their relationships, Drew and Porsha dished on their unique divorce battles. Instead of moving into a bachelor pad, Drew's soon-to-be ex-husband, Ralph, was banished to the basement. A broken marriage wasn't the only common denominator between the Chicago-born singer-actress and the Dish Nation co-host - Drew has allegedly been getting quite comfortable with Dennis, Porsha's ex and the father of her daughter, Pilar. While Porsha didn't appear to love the idea, she had bigger fish to fry...or should I say a bigger bag to secure? Porsha met with her lawyer to discuss options for divorce from her estranged husband, Simon, who tried to put a stop to filming in their home, but in the words of the Underground Railroad Queen, "You don't play with where I make my money."

We may not get to see Porsha's house this season, but Shamea's enviable $9 million mansion, Sterling Hall, compensates for it. The audience saw glimpses of Shamea's life living in the shadows of her BFF, Porsha, in previous seasons, but the jack-of-all-trades is showing the world that she is more than a faithful friend. With two kids, a husband, and a successful career, Shamea juggles more titles than a library.

Speaking of libraries, mom of four and restauranteur Kelli Ferrell read Porsha without skipping a beat, saying that Porsha shouldn't have "taken" Falynn's husband. I see why Kelli is a chef, considering how she stirred the pot with her new cast member. When she wasn't taking shots at Porsha, Kelli was busy showing off her wealth, buying her daughter 17 designer bags for her birthday. Who knew waffles were such a money-maker?

I was pleased to see Kenya back on our screens, although she has a "friend" role, hoping she would spill some tea as usual. In true Kenya fashion, she did have some drama with one of the new ladies, Brit Eady, involving some alleged explicit activities. The drama didn't end there, though. Kenya's curiosity got the best of her, and when she inquired about Brit's ring, Brit got offended. Kenya then segued into Porsha's drama with Kelli, deflecting the attention away from herself.

Angela Oakley, wife of basketball star Charles Oakley, had minimal screen time and was not very memorable to me, apart from almost losing her wig to the Atlanta heat.

The episode concluded with some verbal volleyball between Porsha and Kelli, then Shamea and Drew, leaving the audience with a cliffhanger as Drew gets asked if she's dating the hotdog king. I'm counting down the days until the next episode. It's a relief to have RHOA back on our screens!