“The Real Housewives of Potomac” Season 8 reunion part 2 ended with Gordon Thornton about to spill some tea, which is so unexpected. “I have been diagnosed with a mental illness, bipolar 1,” he tells the cast and Andy Cohen.
As Gordon tries to explain the difference between bipolar 1 and 2, Mia Thornton starts crying. He goes on, “Bipolar in and of itself causes your mind to really work opposite and your mind tricks you into saying you are normal. Everyone else is slow or lazy.”
Andy asks when he was diagnosed and Gordon answers, “Two and a half years-ish ago.” He shares that he thinks he had bipolar 1 since his 20s. “I could remember episodes over the course of my life. Here’s the thing that’s really key to this. My manic got worse over the years as I gained more control, more power, more money.”
Gordon explains that while medication can help, he needs to take control of his episodes but states that he doesn’t see them coming. Mia, however, does and he admits that he didn’t listen to her when she would point them out to him.
When Andy asks Gordon about locking Mia in her room, he doesn’t remember that part but does recall taking her cell phone. “Part of what happens when you have mania, you really don’t remember everything,” he says.
It’s clear Mia and Gordon Thornton still have love for each other
Gordon says that if he had gotten his mental health under control years ago, Mia wouldn’t have left him. He starts tearing up and Mia gets emotional and tells him not to cry. He shares that he checked himself into the hospital during a bad episode and the next morning, Mia was there tending to him.
“My place was 70 miles away. She came to see me, I believe, every day but one while I was there,” he reveals.
Gizelle Bryant asks what their situation is going to be moving forward and Mia tells her that she’s always going to live near Gordon. “I’m forever going to take care of Gordon,” she says. He tells the group that while he appreciates it, he’s okay and getting a handle on his mental illness.
Andy applauds Mia for being so caring toward her ex and states that she’s a good mother to their children. Of course, there have to be some shady questions so Andy asks Gordon how he feels about Mia’s new boyfriend, Inc. He says that they’re “cordial.”
Shrine-gate gets brought up
Wendy Osefo and newcomer Nneka Ihim could have bonded this season given that they’re both from Nigeria. However, Nneka accused Wendy’s mom of having a shrine for her, but in a voodoo way, which caused a lot of drama.
According to Andy, production wanted to bring Nneka into Season 8 as Wendy’s friend, thinking that they had mutual friends. “They said, ‘Okay we have somebody and they said, ‘Do you know X, Y, and Z? And I said, ‘I don’t know her.” This is the most Mariah Carey response ever.
Nneka says that she met Wendy at an event but Professor doesn’t think it counts. “I don’t know her,” she insists.
Andy then asks what the Osu comment made by Ashley Darby meant and it’s too taboo for them to talk about.
Even though Nneka apologized for calling Wendy’s mom a witch, the “RHOP” vet can’t move on and doesn’t want to keke with her. The husbands depart and are probably relieved as hell.
Keiarna Stewart talks about her stomach troubles in DR
Kiearna Stewart has joined the cast and she’s already giving full-on cast member vibes, which isn’t surprising given that 90% of the cast has since been fired left. She already has ties to the group through Wendy and Gizelle’s friend Kal and the other ladies seem to love her.
A fan shades Wendy for not checking up on Kiearna during the cast trip when she had nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea.
Flashback to Wendy saying in the Dominican Republic, “I’m not sharing [a room] with Kiearna!”
Wendy points out that no one else was sharing a room so why should she? Robyn Dixon whispers that no one knew at that point that they each had their own room.
Keiarna is grateful that at least Gizelle checked up on her but Candiace Dillard thinks it was “strategic.” Gizelle is all WTF.
“That wasn’t about Kiearna, it was about making Candiace and Wendy look like bad friends,” Candiace says, talking in the third person. Gizelle thinks it’s “ridiculous.”
Ashley Darby addresses her feeble storylines during RHOP Season 8
Let’s face it — since Michael Darby doesn’t want to be on camera and Ashley broke up with Luke Gulbranson from “Summer House,” she hasn’t had much of a storyline other than creating a tacky athleisure line with Gizelle. Even her divorce is boring, as it seems like it’s getting dragged out for no reason.
Ashley reveals that she’s seeing someone, so let’s see if we get to meet him in “RHOP” Season 9 if she’s not the next cast member to get fired.
She says the reason she and Michael aren’t divorced is because it got so contentious that they decided to just table it. Makes sense.
What makes even less sense is when Ashley says she still massages Michael’s feet every night. Ew.
She then clarifies that she “massaged” his feet, in the past tense. Girl, why wouldn’t you say that in the first place?
Andy wants to talk about Ashley and Gizelle’s new clothing line, GnA. Keiarna and Wendy don’t think it’s worth spending their money on. “Kinda grocery store, I’m gonna catch a man or booty call,” Karen describes of the look. Ashley and Gizelle are happy with that description, which doesn’t bode well for their company. How about a more elevated aesthetic?
The night of the brawl
It seems there is a fight on almost all the seasons of “RHOP” and this year, it was Deborah Williams against Candiace and Keiarna. “Essentially, I was there really just trying to de-escalate the situation and Deborah clearly came with the intent to have this moment,” Keiarna says.
Andy asks Keiarna what happened after Deborah threw a drink at her and she says, “I mean, at that moment I was assaulted. Someone hit me in the head with a glass, split my face open and so my first instinct was to defend myself in that moment.”
Candiace is asked if she was calling Deborah names that night, which she denies. She clarifies that her saying Deborah was “the help” and “vermin” and “Oscar the Grouch” was after the altercation.
Gizelle then says that not only Deborah is responsible for the fight, but everyone involved is, including Candiace, Wendy, and Keiarna.
Wendy is all like, what did I do, so Gizelle takes her out of the equation. According to Candiace, Deborah came up to her aggressively so she said, “Come get this vermin out of my face.” Mia says, “You can’t do that.”
“I’m not expecting you all to fight for me, okay? So I’m on my own, okay?” Candiace cries. Ashley rolls her eyes.
Candiace argues that Deborah would have picked a fight regardless of what she said but the other housewives think her words put fuel to the fire. As usual, Candiace fails to take responsibility for her mouth. The MOUTH.
The “RHOP” try to move on from Season 8
The “RHOP” cast and Andy can’t sit around forever so it’s time to wrap up. “Is there anyone who wants to step up and apologize or own anything and throw into the embers of yesterday?” the host asks. So poetic.
There is an uncomfortably long pause. “I don’t have any anger,” Robyn says of her feud with Candiace. “When you had a friendship that we had and you go through something like this, it doesn’t just heal itself in one day or in one sitting.”
Nneka wants to move on but Wendy still doesn’t. Candiace says she tried to make amends with Gizelle, “from the bottom of my coochie.” Gizelle’s face said what we were all thinking.
“I think the two of you need Jesus himself,” Andy says. And that concludes Season 8 of “RHOP.” We know Robyn, Candiace, Wendy, and possibly Nneka won’t be coming back, which leaves a lot of spots open for Season 9. Charisse Jackson is probably furiously texting Andy as we speak. Til next season Grande Dames!
