After enduring gun threats, alleged revenge porn, midseason cast changes, divorce, and death, the chaos that is Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 16 has come to an end. We can breathe a sign of relief knowing that we’ve endured one of the most controversial RHOA seasons of all time. We’re hopeful that there are brighter days ahead for this franchise, but for now, let’s dish about how Season 16 ended with a bang.
Last week, a random dude named Marcus showed up out of nowhere, claiming to have tea on Charles. After that, Angela kicked off an investigation that would put Nancy Drew to shame. She wasn’t going to let Marcus get away with what he did. In Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 16 Episode 17, “Game Over,” Angela shared the results of her investigation, but some people weren’t ready to hear the truth.
What happened on Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 16 Episode 17?
Emotions ran high during the RHOA Season 16 finale as Porsha mourned the sudden loss of her beloved cousin, Londie. Meanwhile, Angela and Drew were running around town, shaking down Marcus for information. Shamea performed a showcase of her music, and then a positive night with the Charles Oakley Foundation ended on a sour note after accusations started flying. Of course, we’ve got the full breakdown on the supersized season finale.
In loving memory of Londie
Episode 17 opened with Porsha, still grieving over Londie’s death. The cameras rolled as she and her sister, Lauren, spoke with Phaedra, who had been tapped to oversee the homegoing ceremony.
Although Porsha didn’t reveal too many details about what happened to Londie, she said that she was “in distress” before her passing. We also learned that Lauren was on the phone with her when it happened, adding another emotional layer to the difficult time for their family.
In a confessional, Porsha pointed out how this loss was just another unexpected blow for her this season. She started Season 16 off with a messy divorce. She had a falling out with her best friend, and now, she’s lost her cousin. That’s a lot for one person, but Porsha has been handling it with grace.
Farewell, Brit
With Brit choosing to skip the Season 16 reunion and then immediately trying to sue Bravo, we’re assuming that Episode 17 marked her final appearance as a Housewife. This episode was a series finale for her, and all throughout, she reminded us what made her such a bad choice for the show in the first place. There’s nothing authentic happening anytime she’s on camera.
Remember earlier this season when she had her sister screaming and crying over her family’s broken relationship? This week, Brit’s entire family managed to patch things up with a dinner, where Brit pretended like she was going to make a pregnancy announcement.
Then, she and her husband pretended like they were shopping for a private jet. The cameras rolled as they poked around inside the plane, knowing damn well just a couple of weeks ago she got clocked for only donating three rolls of paper towels to hurricane victims in Grenada.
We rolled our eyes when she and her husband went car shopping at the beginning of the season, but to act like you’re in the market for a private plane is borderline insulting. If you couldn’t afford to cater the Country Club Classic, why would you be in the market for a plane? Enough already!
Shamea takes center stage on Real Housewives of Atlanta
A chunk of the Season 16 finale centered around Shamea hosting a private concert for her friends and family. When you have money, you can literally just put on a full concert on your own without selling a single ticket. It was a cute moment for Shamea to see her living out her dreams, even though Drew tried to throw shade at her vocals.
After the performance, Brit and Shamea had a heated backstage exchange. It all sparked because of Cynthia, of all people, who told Shamea about a conversation she had with Brit in Episode 16, where she told Porsha that Shamea had been showing their private text messages.
At this point, trying to get between Porsha and Shamea is old news. Their moms have that covered. With that in mind, Shamea didn’t pay too much attention to what Brit. She called Brit a “lady of the night” and a pill-popper before storming off. Nothing resolved there!
Keeping up with the Oakleys
Angela and Charles had a whole lot going on this episode. We might as well go ahead and call them the MVPs of this episode, if not the entire season.
Their Episode 17 storyline started with Angela visiting her therapist. We learned that she and Charles see the same therapist and have been for years. She’s the only third party in this marriage.
During the therapy session, Angela revealed that she reached her breaking point with the investment properties she’s been working on. She said she didn’t want to continue working on them because it put so much strain on her marriage. It gave some solid closure to a storyline we’ve been following all season long.
Separately, the dynamic duo were planning a gala for the Charles Oakley Foundation. With a fundraising goal of $50,000 and a mission to feed 100,000 kids, they had something positive to look forward to, even though the situation with Marcus loomed in the background.
Is Phaedra the Godfather of Atlanta?
Angela would not rest until she got to the bottom of the Marcus dilemma. In a flashback, the cameras rolled as she and Drew met up with Marcus to figure out who sent him to the Kooking with Kelli event. Armed with information, the ladies decided to use the Charles Oakley Foundation event as the moment to bring Marcus back in front of the group to set the record straight.
When they went to bring Marcus in front of the ladies, Charles showed up and shut it down. He reminded everybody why he used to be called “The Enforcer” in the NBA. The former baller got in Marcus’s face and tried kicking him out of the gala. You don’t need security when you have Charles, but his timing was off with this one. We all needed to hear what Marcus had to say, and Charles showed up ready to enforce right before he could spill the beans.
Eventually, the chaos settled, and Marcus was allowed to share his side of the story. He wound up accusing Phaedra of orchestrating everything with the help of a middleman named Junebug. Supposedly, he got an envelope with this information in it. It all sounded like the plot of a Tubi movie.
“Phaedra is the godfather of Atlanta,” Marcus claimed. “She controls Atlanta.”
With the accusations out on the table, Angela proceeded to pop off on Phaedra, who repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. She did, however, let the mask slip during the confrontation, when she randomly called out Angela for facing foreclosure. You can’t pretend like you don’t know anything about Angela, and then start rattling off facts about her in the next breath.
Despite the confession from Marcus and Phaedra’s well-documented history of spreading falsehoods, the rest of the RHOA cast didn’t believe wnt to believe she was behind the Oakleys’ drama. They all pointed to Brit as the culprit. We, however, think this might be the one time where you shouldn’t point a finger at Brit.
How did Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 16 end?
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much closure when it came to the Phaedra and Angela debacle. Phaedra just kept denying having any involvement in it. Meanwhile, Shamea started going after Brit, prompting her to walk off and take off her mic. The night ended with everyone going their separate ways.
Five months later, the cameras picked up again at Porsha’s home, which used to be Simon’s. She finally got the green light to film inside the house, something she fought for in court for months. This was a small step in the right direction, especially since we know that today, the divorce has been finalized.
Season 16 was supposed to be Porsha’s big comeback season, so it felt right to see her have a little victory at the end. However, in a sneak peek of the reunion, it looks like she’s gonna be back in the hot seat. When you’re a Real Housewife, you don’t get to relax for too long.
