KEMPIRE went live with Lailah Lynn and stacked two Atlanta stories that actually moved. NeNe Leakes walked back onto Bravo on Ultimate Girls Trip — they watched it the night before — and Kenya Moore hosted the 75th Miss USA with a face the comments are still pausing. Kenya co-hosted with Ian Ziering. The photos hit, people lined them up next to a younger Kenya, and the take in the live was she looks good and the work is not done settling. Same hour, Andy Cohen has already locked Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 18. This is the group. Here’s what landed.

Kim Got a Spin-Off for Worse

Look, NeNe Leakes made her Bravo return on Ultimate Girls Trip, and Lailah was all the way in. She loved seeing NeNe win the same way she loved seeing Mo’Nique win — two Black women people wrote off after they took networks to court. NeNe is the foundation of Atlanta. The brand is rich women who are messy, and she always deserved to be in that building. The line that stuck: all she did was close her computer at a virtual reunion. Kim Zolciak’s husband walked into a restaurant locked and loaded, five Black women in the scene, and Kim got a spin-off. Just saying. That’s the comparison NeNe put on camera, and the live did not flinch. Porsha Williams got the OG slot for the trip. NeNe clearly was not chosen. Sidebar: we finally got a little on-camera closure on Greg G. Leakes, because she had not been on the show to say it. Lailah’s forecast is The Traitors and more Girls Trip, not a full-time Housewives peach. I’m keeping an open mind. The return still hit.

“All I did was close my computer.”

Why Come Out This Soon?

Here’s the thing. Kenya Moore hosted the 75th anniversary of Miss USA with Ian Ziering. People were excited she was working. Then they saw the face. Lailah’s read: mid-face, the eyes still traveling, fox-eye energy, give it time. KEMPIRE said based on the last public look, this is a new facelift, and you need six to nine months — he’s heard nine to twelve — before it really drops. She looks 17 again to him. He’s not mad at it. He is clocking the calendar. Why come out this soon? Speculation, and he labeled it that way: she needed that check. She got fired, allegedly — she’ll deny it — after sharing that explicit photo with Brit Edy’s name on it during filming. It wasn’t even Brit’s photo. Miss USA still booked her. She’s not making RHOA zeros, and there’s still that $80,000 from the salon building. Just saying. They might have called last minute and this was the face she had. Denise Richards is the comparison for work that has actually settled. Give Kenya the months. The gig still happened.

Pay Attention to Who She’s Actually Hanging With

Let’s get into Season 17. Chat was handing out sevens. Lailah gave the season an 8.5, then a C+ on the cast because the friendships keep realigning like it’s nothing. KEMPIRE landed around 7.5. Good season. Missing real friendships. The only one that used to be real was Porsha and Shamea Morton, and he does not believe Shamea calling Porsha her best friend. Pay attention to social media: Porsha has hung out with Kandi Burruss more than Phaedra Parks off camera. Andy already said this is the group. Word is they start filming in September. Lailah’s recast: drop Kelli Potter — the team-up with Shamea reads like bullying — add NeNe, keep Pinky Cole and see. Landmark moments that told on people: Kelli throwing her legs up, Shamea holding a meeting in a thong. In all fairness, Pinky said on the reunion she is not a threat to anyone. Phaedra still looks like she’s moving scared. That’s the cast Andy wants to run it back.

Come In With an Open Heart Anyway

This is not the group for Lailah. KEMPIRE is coming into Season 18 with an open heart and still not following everybody back. I wouldn’t be surprised if a boring season makes somebody mash up. Two things can be true: NeNe still owns a Bravo frame when they let her in the building, and Kenya looking good on Miss USA does not mean the work is finished or that Atlanta is calling her back. Andy can say this is the group until the peach contracts say otherwise. I’m not surprised they want to run it back. I am surprised they think the friendships are going to magically show up in September. How would you guys rate Season 17 from one to ten? Did NeNe’s Girls Trip hour do what the reunion love-fest couldn’t? And are you giving Kenya’s face the months, or are you already in the comments? 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