Season 17 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta has been a compelling watch, but it’s also exposed a frustrating power imbalance within the cast. Porsha Williams sits firmly at the top of the pecking order, and she is well aware of this fact.
And now that her feud with Shamea Morton Mwangi has reached new levels of toxicity, the women around them have largely fallen in line.
After two seasons of watching these ladies call each other “lapdogs,” Porsha’s lap appears to be fuller than ever at the end of this season. If Bravo doesn’t course-correct, we’re going to end up watching The Porsha Show instead of a genuine ensemble cast. History tells us that’s not a winning formula.
Bravo rolled out the red carpet for Porsha Williams’ RHOA return, and everyone took note
When Porsha made her return to RHOA after sitting two seasons on the sidelines, it wasn’t just an ordinary Housewives comeback. She inked an overall deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment for scripted project opportunities across all of the company’s properties. That means they didn’t just roll out the red carpet. They also backed up the Brinks truck to make Porsha an NBCU staple.
The timing couldn’t have been better. NeNe Leakes had already burned her Bravo bridges. Kandi Burruss quit, and then shortly after Season 16 began, Kenya Moore squandered her role. Their departures left Porsha as the most tenured Housewife in the lineup, and suddenly, the de facto OG.
Bravo has continued to make that clear. They tapped her to represent Atlanta on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th. She’s the only woman in the lineup who isn’t an original cast member of their franchise.
With that level of network backing behind her, it’s not surprising that RHOA Season 17 saw most of the cast falling behind her. When you know who the network’s favorite is, you play accordingly, and the Season 17 cast is definitely playing right now.
Giving one Real Housewives star too much power never ends well
Unfortunately, we’ve seen this trend time and time again across the Bravoverse, and every single time, it’s exhausting. Just look at The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Everyone on that cast tiptoes around Kyle Richards because they believe that crossing her comes with consequences. Dorit Kemsley dared to call out her behind-the-scenes influence at their latest reunion. There’s no word yet on whether she’ll live to see another season.
Over on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Teresa Giudice’s OG status has held a similar grip. Her feud with sister-in-law Melissa Gorga held the show hostage for years, forcing the rest of the cast to pick sides in a family feud with no resolution in sight. The show eventually went on pause until they could figure it out.
RHOA is reaching a similar dead end. Once Porsha drew her boundary with Shamea, the cast took sides. Kelli Potter appears to be the only person willing to sit in Shamea’s corner.
From Angela Oakley to K. Michelle, the women drifted towards Team Porsha. From the outside looking in, their attachment to Porsha seems less like genuine friendship and more like social strategy. The Drew Sidora situation feels especially telling.
Drew and Porsha feuded throughout Season 16, but they’re buddy-buddy now. In Season 17, as Porsha gave Shamea the silent treatment, she invited Drew to launch her own line of wigs with GoNaked Hair. With Drew literally on Porsha’s payroll, what are the odds of her speaking up against her new boss? Slim to none.
Reality TV vet K. Michelle also started the season feeling hesitant about Porsha, whom she referred to as a “bimbo” online. By the end of the season, she pulled a full 180 and had unfollowed Shamea on social media. What happened?
One by one, we’ve watched the RHOA cast ice out Shamea and elevate Porsha as some sort of spiritual guide and moral compass to their friend group. It’s Porsha’s world, and they’re all just living in it.
Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 18 needs to even the playing field
The easiest solution for Bravo moving forward would be to fire Shamea and let Porsha run the playground unchecked. There are plenty of rumors swirling that Shamea already received a pink slip. But firing Shamea at this particular moment, in the middle of a defining storyline, would be the wrong road. Shamea is one of the few cast members willing to challenge Porsha, and removing her only tips the scales even further.
Instead, Bravo needs to even the playing field so these women can be free to be themselves rather than doing Porsha’s bidding. There’s only so much room on one lap.
What this cast needs is a heavy hitter. They need someone with enough history, clout, and fearlessness to stand in their own spotlight instead of running under Porsha’s. Think NeNe. Think Kandi. Or, throw in someone who knows Shamea well enough to stand beside her without needing Porsha’s approval to do it. Without that kind of counterbalance, Season 18 might end up feeling like a stale, one-woman show.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs on Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo, and you can always stream new episodes the next day on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT DYNAMICS ON RHOA? DO YOU THINK THE CAST COWERS TO PORSHA?