NeNe Brings 'RHOA' Season 8 To An End

With the third and final segment of the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion, Season 8 finally comes to an end. Even though it feels like the season took months to get going and barely generated any heat, Part Three of this reunion reminded me that there were some shocking moments this season, especially about NeNe Leakes' return to the series. And when NeNe entered the reunion, she made another surprising declaration: she called the show her "baby," and said she's open to returning, possibly as a full-time cast member. Since as NeNe also said, she's one of the original cast members, and the only person to appear on every single season of the show.

Her appearance on the Season 8 reunion, meanwhile, was all about whether or not people are friends with NeNe or not. Aside from Kandi, who's always kept her distance from NeNe, and Kim Fields, who never had the time to get to know her, everyone seems to have at least a good word for NeNe. Most notably, NeNe & Shereé joked over their shared friendship (it seems like it's not just Shereé's body and NeNe's face that's been "fixed") and a clip package reopened the whole Cynthia Bailey BFF-gate from the Jamaica trip. Cynthia apologized for downplaying her friendship with Kenya, but that didn't stop Ms. Moore from glaring at NeNe for the rest of the time she spent on the couch.

Porsha and Phaedra, or "Frick & Frack," who used to be super tight with NeNe in Season 7, could barely stop from giggling at their own private jokes or hugging one another through the entire three-part reunion. And even that earned them some slight shade from NeNe — no matter how much the Atlanta OG tries to move on, even if it's to Broadway, she'll always be possessive of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. And even after eight seasons, I have to say, I'm still in favor of NeNe Leakes returning full time for RHOA Season 9, because no one else quite masters the art of this show the way she does.

Image: Mark Hill/Bravo