KEMPIRE’s Tuesday takeover recapped this week’s Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip and stacked two bombs that are not the same size. NeNe Leakes walked back onto Bravo looking nervous, a little pulled back, not the spark people queued up for — and Gizelle Bryant dropped that Candiace Dillard Bassett was fired from Real Housewives of Potomac. Candiace has said she was not fired. Andy Cohen’s network does not use that word. KEMPIRE does not 100% believe the fired story, and he is holding some of why for After Dark. Here’s what actually aired.

Great Entrance — She Still Didn’t Seem Like Herself

Look, before they even introduce her, we see NeNe Leakes outside with production. She says she is nervous. You can tell. Great entrance. Not herself. Kyle Richards basically jumps into her arms. Vicki Gunvalson says she missed her. Here’s the thing. Y’all really didn’t have to miss each other that much. You could have picked up the phone without a camera. NeNe talks about leaving Atlanta because they were only offering her so many episodes — she wanted more, she walked. In KEMPIRE’s exclusive, she was never asked to be a principal on this Girls Trip. She wanted to do more, show up in other cities. They didn’t ask. You’re getting two episodes. This week’s hour felt tame. Little inklings. She didn’t know how the women would receive her after the lawsuit, and a lot of them steered clear. Just saying: nostalgia is not the same as letting her cook.

“I felt like she was a little pulled back. I felt like she was a little tame.”

Gizelle Wanted a Moment — NeNe Took the Wind Out

Let’s get into the group. Porsha Williams and Gizelle are the better part of this trip, even if Gizelle’s producing is getting tired. Gizelle skips the starless comment and hits NeNe with the old “next time you see Gizelle, beat her up” line. NeNe owns it, says they were drinking, no hard feelings, apologizes. Some people clocked Gizelle trying to manufacture a scene. NeNe took the wind out of the sails. Same franchise history: Porsha allegedly walked off an Upshaw Housewives-inspired episode and told production she couldn’t work with NeNe. NeNe put that on social. That cloud is still in the room. Andy has been saying this is the group in Atlanta. After this week’s reaction to NeNe, the people who sign his checks get to decide if she is needed. Let’s be honest. KEMPIRE still doesn’t see her as a Season 18 peach. This is her in back to the network. Two episodes. Hope the next one has the spark.

The Network Never Says Fired — They Say Put On Pause

Then Gizelle does not want to talk about Candiace, so they play the iconic Potomac clips anyway — not today neck, not today Satan, not today ankles. Gizelle’s bomb is that Candiace was fired. Candiace has already said she was not: she knew she was pregnant, she wanted that protected, and she had issues with production. I wouldn’t be shocked if it was mutual. I definitely don’t believe the network wanted to miss following that pregnancy. Here’s the thing. I was shocked nobody in production corrected the record on camera, because according to the network no Housewife has ever been fired. Put on pause. They decided not to come back. They weren’t offered a contract. We don’t know which. Robyn Dixon is the one who came out after a season wrap and said she was fired. KEMPIRE hasn’t always been a Candiace fan. She is good reality television. Traitors proved it. Confessional queen. I don’t believe she was fired based on what I know now. That part waits for September 25.

A Tame First Episode Doesn’t Make It a Peach

This is the group, Andy says, until the higher-ups watch the numbers on NeNe’s hour. Two things can be true: NeNe still owns a Bravo frame when they let her in the building, and a tame first episode is not the same as a firing. I don’t 100% believe Gizelle’s wording. I also don’t 100% disbelieve that Candiace and production were done. She is good TV. Traitors already proved she can carry a confession. A pregnancy is a story Bravo usually does not leave on the table. The After Dark hold is real — he said based on what he knows now, the fired read is not it, and September 25 is when he says it like he means it. How do you guys feel — was NeNe too pulled back, or is that just rust after the lawsuit? And was Candiace fired, or is Gizelle producing again? Drop it. Empire After Dark hits The Green Room 42 on September 25. Here we go.

Disclaimer: This post is based on publicly available information and credited sources. All allegations are unproven