Marlo decides right then that they will not get their day started until she and Kenya have a conversation, but when she asks Kenya to step aside with her, Kenya declines, disliking Marlo’s tone. After hearing Kenya’s feelings, Sanya takes her gold medals and sprints to Marlo to relay the information, winning the bone-collecting relay race Shereé started for her. The entire second day is an RHOA Rugrats crossover episode, and poor Monyetta had no idea she was signing up to go to daycare.

When they get into it in the driveway and Marlo says that nothing will separate her from her nephews, Kenya’s jab is, “Yeah, cause you gave them away,” which sounds like “You’re just as bad as the adults who failed us.” Marlo yells at Kenya, saying she’s not wanted on the trip - which sounds like “There’s a reason you’ve been rejected throughout your life.” This scene will be played as a training video for psychologists. And you can feel the pain behind the words they choose to use with one another. We’re watching two sad little girls in adult women’s bodies lash out at each other, still hurting from how badly they want their moms. What’s interesting about Marlo and Kenya having similar childhoods regarding their estranged relationships with their mothers is that it adds a particularly raw dynamic to the show that I sometimes find uncomfortable. In her confessional, Kenya expands on those feelings, explaining how relinquishing responsibility of a child can cause the child to feel that they aren’t wanted, especially if that child already feels abandoned by their biological parent. Hearing that Marlo kicked the boys out hit her nerve since she experienced something similar as a child when her maternal grandmother shipped her back to her father’s house, claiming that raising her was too much. Sanya and Kenya sit down while waiting for everyone to get ready for gem mining, and Kenya opens up about her past issues with abandonment. And Kenya staying elsewhere may have been the best for the group because her energy when she arrived at the lady’s cabin was much better than it would’ve been after hours under Marlo’s roof. Marlo is beyond petty for policing Kenya’s actions - my thing is, if Kenya bothers Marlo so much, why does she care where she sleeps? If my mortal enemy decided to spend less time with me, I would be elated. Kenya arrives, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, after sleeping in her own cabin. That evening, Marlo declares that if Kenya doesn’t come to the cabin by breakfast, she will not be welcome to any activities during the day.

Kenya’s appearance at dinner the night before wholly derailed Marlo’s attitude as host of the trip. My keyboard is begging and pleading to stop typing the names Marlo and Kenya, but here we are, day two of the Blue Ridge trip, still dealing with a rivalry years in the making. Another week, another Sunday night I’m spending discussing two grown women who apparently made a pact with the devil himself not to be the bigger person.

Cabin fever vacations above and beyond