'RHOA' Cynthia & Kenya Have a New Alliance

Hey, Bravo fans: we're back for The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 7! It might feel like no time has passed since Season 6 ended, and that's because it did, it's only been a few months since it came to an end. And it almost feels like another Season 6 episode, because we didn't even meet Claudia Jordan or Demetria McKinney, the two new additions to the cast, and we heard from Porsha, who was demoted after the incident went down between her and Kenya. And while most of the attention this week was paid to Phaedra's split from husband Apollo Nida just before he headed to start serving an eight year sentence, other big news was that Kenya Moore and Cynthia Bailey are now BFFs. RHOA has always relied on friendships and rivalries to spice up the proceedings. When Kim & Nene spilt up, the ripples made for an awesome season. Talls vs. Smalls was a classic. Now, this is the third season in a row of Kenya vs. Porsha, with a little bit of Cynthia vs. Nene to top it all off.

Cynthia has chosen Kenya over Porsha in the Season 6 reunion debacle. And, maybe coincidentally, maybe not, Cynthia is not looking too great. Her face is suddenly suspiciously immobile (I don't think her eyebrows moved once, not even to form her characteristic "shocked and surprised at Nene's audacity" expression) and her limp hair is nowhere near her usual wig/weave fabulousness standards. Could Nene Leakes' friendship have been the thing keeping Cynthia Bailey so chic and youthful all these years? Or maybe Peter's vampiric ways are draining away her life force? I know going into business with him would literally kill me.

Either way, it seems that Cynthia is now been swayed to team Kenya, and away from Nene, who spends the episode off emceeing Zumanity, which is like a hornier Cirque du Soleil, and laughing with Gregg about threeways and whether or not they're orgies. Porsha, too, has started to tap into her sexier side, inviting Kandi to visit a photo shoot where she's dressed in a very skimpy bikini.

Kenya's gone the opposite way, having a small-voiced, serious conversation with Cynthia after returning from "traveling the world" in the show's hiatus. Hm, I think I sense what's happening here — she's trying to revamp her image as the smart, thoughtful, worldly type, while she casts Porsha in the part of gullible hothead. Now Porsha does play into that type frequently, but there's no way Kenya will be able to resist her instigating ways. Even a friendship with even-keeled Cynthia can't hide Kenya's light under a bushel: that woman was born to start things on a reality show. And we love her for it.

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