So Monday was the long anticipated (by me at least) reunion show for Love & Hip Hop, and I have to say I really liked it! It had been two weeks since the last episode when an emotional Yandy drove away from her eight year managership of Jim Jones, a preggers Kimbella stood at a crossroads with her baby daddy Juelz, Olivia contemplated an uncertain future after turning down the EMI deal, Emily felt in control of her relationship with Fab (yeah right) and Chrissy and Mama Jones peacefully watched a sunset in Jamaica.
I, like other viewers, was salivating for the showdown that would inevitably happen in a typical reunion setting, but was I in for a surprise! Due to the MANY tensions between MANY of the cast members the shows producers decided to do a “Reality Check”, where they interviewed the cast members individually about what happened during the season. I was kind of bummed at first because Chrissy and Yandy wouldn’t come face to face and talk about what REALLY happened, but this narrative-style format kind of grew on me. They gave us a look into how reality TV works, which is something I’ve always wondered…I usually smell the roses, and I never know what is real and what isn’t.
The interesting part was getting to know Mona Scott-Young, an executive producer for the show (Yandy’s mentor who we also saw in a scene with Yandy after her email to Jim) and how she influenced the way the show went down. She shed light on some events, including what went on when cameras were down. I felt like I was behind the scenes, and was privy to why Chrissy had such a strong reaction to Yandy. According to Mona, Chrissy didn’t like that Yandy was taking over ‘HER’ show. If Yandy wasn’t there to kiss her ass and grow Jimmy’s brand, she wanted her off it. I guess people usually back down from Princess Chrissy, but being the strong person Yandy was, she pushed back. Chrissy was so pissed off by not getting her way and Mona’s ‘treatment’ of her throughout the season that she refused to be interviewed by her…hmm…bad Chrissy. She and Jim both hinted that they may not be returning next season because of this…DRA-MA!
We checked in with Emily, who insists she’s in control and is now being “claimed” by Fab left and right. Am I the only one that thinks she’s in denial? Like, seriously??? Anyway, we’ll have to wait till next season to see what happens, but my bet? She will be back to square one… sorry booboo. She did stir up some drama, claiming that Kimbella did know who she was when she hooked up with Fab. Kimbella was quick to shut it down…separately, of course. It would have been nice to see what they would have said if they were in the same room…oh well.
Mama Jones came on to spread her hustle and her feelings about Olivia…apparently she “just doesn’t like her.” Olivia made a stiff as usual appearance, a little miffed about her portrayal by the show. I liked that Mona gave her the opportunity to speak her mind fully, but also called her out on her ish. I saw this too with Somaya, who I agreed was a bit boring this season and as a result shouldn’t be featured as much. Uhm…I don’t want to watch you go on awkward dates with your boyfriend! Somaya got flustered by this and called Mona a b-word but later apologized, probably because she didn’t want to get axed off the show altogether.
The most surprising interview was with Erica Mena, the spitfire who came on the show gunning for Kimbella for no apparent reason. When asked about her behavior, can you believe she broke down? I guess she was past the denial and was finally accepting that it was her on the screen acting stupid. I kind of felt sorry for her, but she bounced back, jiggling her “girls” for us to see.
The last interview was with Kimbella, who kept it real about her sitch with Juelz. Apparently he cheated on her, and she wasn’t having any of that. But she was resolute in her decision to co-parent their children with him, and hopeful that he would change so her children wouldn’t have to grow up in the same environment she did.
Mona did leave us with a teaser, that there would be a spinoff show with a new cast in…Hotlanta! Who do you think will be on the cast? And what are you thoughts about the reunion/reality check? Also, who did you think was best dressed…I think Chrissy was FIERCE!
