‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ season 8, episode 11 review: NeNe Leakes returns; Phaedra Parks in Washington

Have you been missing NeNe Leakes on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”? If you have been then tonight’s episode is going to be right up your alley. This season has had a very different feel to it since she left the show (less drama and more focus on the housewives families) and while not everyone has been a fan of it, we have rather enjoyed it. We tune in every week to see the glamour and family struggles more so then the pot stirrers and drama makers, but with NeNe coming back, we are expecting the sparks to fly.

The bummer about this episode is that despite all of the hype going into this episode about NeNe, it took us until near the very end of the hour to actually see her. Most of the time this week was actually spent in Washington DC, where we had a chance to see Phaedra Parks, Porsha Williams, Sheree Whitfield, and Kim Fields all taking part in a campaign to help provide better role models for young African-American men. It was a worthy cause, and it’s too bad we didn’t get to see more of that instead of the ladies complaining about Kim, who brought along her two kids and kept ducking out of events for various reasons. She ended up also leaving early because of another event commitment.

We do like Kim, given that she is the most relatable and seemingly-normal of the bunch; however, is she really fitting in with this cast, or with the tone of the show? When we got around to the march and the events at the end of the episode, it was moving … probably more so than the rest of the season so far with its message about responsibility and care.

Elsewhere, most of Kandi Burruss’ time was spent with Todd trying to convince her family that a restaurant named Old Lady Gang’s was a good idea. They weren’t biting on it, and we really did not get the impression that they were willing to give up some of their recipes.

Finally, let’s get to NeNe. She and Cynthia Bailey tried to mend some fences courtesy of a dinner party. They started to piece some things together, but let’s face it: This is going to take some time … a lot of time. Some of Cynthia’s new friendships may be problematic. Grade: B+.

What did you think of tonight’s episode of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”? Leave us a comment below and share your thoughts. If you are looking for more news on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” season 8 then head on over to the link here and let us be your guide. Also, if you want more great TV news sent your way then be sure to sign up for our weekly CarterMatt newsletter. It comes out every weekend and in addition to getting the top stories of the week, our subscribers also enjoy some first look scoop. (Photo: Bravo)