RHUGT, Season 5 :The Roaring 20’s, Episode 4

Sorry for getting this one up a little late! I was a very tired dinosaur last night. 🦖 Hopefully tonight’s episode gives us a little more to work with than the last few episodes, because this excavation has been getting dangerously quiet. Let’s see if these Housewives can finally wake up and give us some drama!

The ladies are hitting Atlanta, which will be the third city on their excursion, and Porsha is very excited to give them the full peach experience. First up is a drag brunch, followed by an alter ego party. And because this is Atlanta, Nene will be there. Now we’re talking.

Gizelle and Luann discuss Vicki, who has apparently become the Debbie Downer of the trip. Luann admits she isn’t really mixing with Vicki, which is probably for the best because Vicki seems to be operating on an entirely different frequency than the rest of the group.

Teresa, meanwhile, has decided that Lisa Barlow is a “fresh of breath air.” We are immediately treated to a montage of Teresa’s greatest malapropisms over the years, which is basically an archaeological dig through the English language. It’s one of those things Teresa does so naturally that you almost forget how spectacularly she mangles the English language until Bravo puts them all together in one place.

Phaedra is in charge of the drag brunch, so expectations are high. If anyone can turn a Housewives vacation activity into a full production, it’s Phaedra. We’ve got drag queens, Atlanta, Teresa butchering the English language, and Nene on the way. Maybe this excursion is finally about to get interesting.

We get even MORE flashbacks of iconic Atlanta moments over the years. And at this point, I’m starting to wonder if I’m recapping RHUGT or watching a Bravo clip show.

So far, this episode has once again been mostly flashbacks, and I am officially over it. I did not sign up for an archaeological dig through Bravo’s greatest hits. I need these women to actually do something.

This shit better not put me to sleep. I have to teach in a couple of hours, and I refuse to be standing in front of my students later looking like a dinosaur who hasn’t slept since the Cretaceous period.

Vicki does not like drag shows, which is unfortunate because everyone else is ready to have a good time and start drinking at 10 a.m. The group is clearly operating on vacation time, where the concept of “too early” simply does not exist. Vicki, on the other hand, seems determined to maintain her Debbie Downer status.

Nene arrives and admits she is a little nervous and hopes the ladies will be nice to her. Nene? Nervous? This is already shaping up to be a strange Atlanta experience.

We get more looks back at things that have happened in the past, because apparently Bravo has decided we need to excavate every available piece of footage before allowing these women to actually interact.

The drag show finally starts, and the MC speaks to each of the women for a little bit. And…that’s pretty much it. I’m sorry, but I cannot make this funny. There is simply nothing happening. I am sitting here trying to excavate some drama and hitting nothing but empty dirt.

I have to teach in a couple of hours. If this episode doesn’t wake up soon, I may be the one who needs a drag brunch.

The show starts and drag queens dressed like the women come out to dance and entertain. And you will never guess what we get more of! Flashbacks.

Nene finally comes out on stage, and everyone goes absolutely crazy. Thankfully, we have finally reached the part of this episode that actually feels like something.

All of the women love Nene, and Kyle tells us that she and Nene are really good friends and have been for years. Nene says it is emotional being back with the women, and she opens up about her departure from the show and what that experience was like.

Gizelle reveals that Nene has said some negative things about her in the past, so she decides to call her out. Apparently, Nene once told Karen Huger to beat Gizelle up. Oh, dear.

Nene says she was just talking shit, and thankfully, they move on pretty quickly. I was hoping for at least a little more chaos, but I guess I’ll take what I can get.

They then talk about Greg and his passing, and we get flashbacks of him throughout the years. It’s a much more emotional turn for the episode, and seeing Greg again after all these years is genuinely sad.

At this point, I am seriously considering calling out of work this afternoon and taking a nap. I have been awake for this entire excavation, and these Housewives are not making it easy.

Nene introduces her boyfriend to the women and he kinda reminds me of Greg. In a good way. 

Later, the women get ready for the alter ego dinner, and watching them get glammed up is just…not interesting. I’m sorry. I know I’m supposed to find this entertaining, but I am running out of ways to make watching women put on makeup sound exciting.

We do find out that Ashley Darby will be at the party, which should make things considerably more interesting. Ashley has been putting the moves on Mauricio, so I have a feeling this alter ego dinner might finally give us something worth excavating.

Lisa Barlow says she feels like she has been boring. She isn’t the only one. She is nervous about seeing the SLC girls who have been “mean” to her. 

So, we see flashbacks of that. Shoot me.

Each of the women explains her alter ego costume, and I’m going to be honest: I fast-forwarded through it. I have limits.

Kyle sees Ashley and decides to address the Mauricio situation. She introduces herself, and Ashley immediately tries to explain herself. Things get a little awkward when Ashley refers to Mauricio as Kyle’s “ex-husband,” and Kyle quickly corrects her. They are, in fact, still married.

That seems like a pretty important distinction.

They move on, and there is no beef between Kyle and Ashley, which is probably for the best. But at least we don’t get any more flashbacks. I’ll consider that a victory.

Gizelle starts asking Angie K. and Heather Gay about their problems with Lisa. None of them have spoken since the SLC reunion, so there is clearly some unfinished business there. Unfortunately, we don’t get much time to dig into it because…

That’s literally the end of the show.

And that’s it. It was nice seeing everyone, I guess. Nene was great, the drag brunch was fun, and we got a little bit of drama with Gizelle and Nene. But overall? Not exactly the roaringest of 20s.

I’m sorry, but this episode was a struggle. I spent most of it waiting for something to happen and the rest of it trying not to fall asleep. Maybe next time these dinosaurs will give me something to work with.