The Pros (And One Con) Of Nicki Minaj’s ‘RHOP’ Reunion Performance

Nicki Minaj made Bravo history as the first person to take over hosting duties from Andy Cohen during a Real Housewives reunion, but just how well did she do during Part 4 of The Real Housewives of Potomac reunion? She did great! But also, Andy’s job is safe.

The RHOP superfan began her hosting duties (at the end of Part 3) with a disclaimer that she was only coming from a place of love, but throughout her hour of questioning, it was clear she was also coming from a place of compassion (nice) and nosiness (necessary). She, like many viewers, needed answers! And she got plenty.

Nicki was given permission from Andy to take sides, and while she managed to stay fairly neutral, she was also able to say a lot of things the rest of us have been thinking. She could call the women out on the spot (and did!). There was no sugarcoating. She had the passion and the information to back up her curiosity, and she speaks the language. It was nice to be able to see these women not gloss over things or talk themselves out of their shady behavior throughout the season, because Nicki sure as hell wasn’t worried about getting grumpy texts from any of them once the reunion was over (or worse, from any of their husbands).

And while Andy remains the undefeated champ of leading and controlling these installments of the Bravo shows, Nicki also did a great job of keeping things moving along while also bringing new elements to the show. The only downside is that a lot of topics that had been previously settled throughout the reunion were again brought up and dragged out and then finally dropped again, no more solved than before. However, Nicki also led conversations that would’ve never landed the same had Andy been in the host’s chair. We needed her expertise around Candiace’s album conversation. It was a lot of fun to see her bring up some of the sexier questions asked throughout. And Andy would’ve been dragged had he asked about women’s looks or the intersection of marriage and money. Plus, when topics such as the women’s relationships with their mothers came up, it felt like Nicki slipped more into a therapist or friend role than simply a host. It was a nice touch. And I will simply never not laugh out loud when I heard the way she asked Ashley, “What was you attracted to?”

While a break from Andy grilling the women had everyone intrigued, as we were unsure what that could possibly look like, ultimately, his job is not in danger. Nicki did great; her enthusiasm and investment in the show (plus her epic facial expressions) are what made this experiment work, though it should be noted that NO other franchise would’ve handled the heat from a famous fan as gracefully as these women did. It was a great way to add some extra attention to the show, and hopefully adds a boost to the ratings of the most consistent Housewives franchise on the network (yes really!). It proved to be a satisfying viewing experience, and the Potomac ladies seemed to have a lot of fun with it as well. So this can really only mean one thing: Jennifer Lawrence, you’re up next.

Stream The Real Housewives of Potomac on Bravo