Okay, remember last week when I said the producers weren’t ready for Quad to walk the plank? Well, I spoke too soon. They indeed ordered her off the boat — they just wanted to make sure the cameras caught it all. And I’m ecstatic they did. Picking up where last week left off, Quad continues to plead her case before the Core Four at the first dinner of the Napa trip. Things begin to go sideways when Quad admits to having “no emotional attachment†to the rest of the women, a phrase that, shortly after leaving her lips, transforms into the bullet that eventually takes her out.
Heavenly is hurt the most by this comment; until now, Heavenly was under the assumption that she and Quad had a relationship that mirrored the one she had with her biological sister. She looked at their ups and downs and periods of disconnect as the natural ebb and flow of their particular friendship, not that Quad felt a lack of emotional connection. In retaliation, Heavenly puts it all on the table and inserts into the conversation what this argument is really about: filming. As followers of the Dame Brian Moylan School of Thought, we know that in this era of Bravo, most arguments on these shows are about the show itself. For a while, with the exception of gripes about Ms. Huq being an EP, Married to Medicine has shied away from arguments centered around the id and ego that come along with being a cast member, as the show was framed around real friendships. But, as the show got bigger and the weight of Bravoland seeped into the women’s identities after so many years on the cast, it was inevitable that the dynamics of being on the show would come up during arguments. However, Quad accelerated this process.
Quadriyyah Webb was essentially plucked from obscurity by Mariah Huq when she was a newlywed, transitioning from young adulthood in Memphis to navigating the medical social circle in Atlanta. Rumors about Quad’s life prior to Gregory swirled for seasons, with her essentially being painted as a girl from the hood looking for a come-up, but her tenacity prevailed. She stood her ground as a valuable cast member, even after her divorce (insert Mariah saying, “You’re not even married to medicine, my loveâ€). What is undeniable, despite anything her castmates or fans say about her, is that Quad has it. Quad’s “It†factor and larger-than-life personality kept her on the show for this many years. Similar to Porsha Williams, the show served as a cocoon for Quad to transform into her true final form: an over-the-top, snatched-bodied, hair-laid, beat-face, meme-worthy Atlanta influencer.
Once it clicked in Quad’s brain that the camera loved her — and that she loved the camera — she did anything to maintain that link to relevancy, even if it meant staying on a show about friendship when she had no desire to be friends with anyone on the cast. For a moment, she thought she could transcend the show as a host on Sister Circle, perhaps using it as a jumping-off point for a high-profile career that wasn’t dependent on M2M. She even said on-camera — in front of the ladies — that if it wasn’t for Sister Circle, she thought she would give up on women. When that show got canceled, she clung onto M2M for dear life, but the chip remained on her shoulder as she believed her personality guaranteed her a place on the cast. But, like I always say, this ain’t Housewives, so being on the show for the sake of being on the show isn’t enough. According to the other ladies, Quad’s holier-than-thou attitude, lack of accountability, and penchant for spreading rumors leave little value for her within the cast. So, it’s time for her to walk the plank.
After Heavenly and Quad’s tiff over Quad using Heavenly to film fizzles out, Jackie, the ultimate voice of reason, delivers the Core Four’s closing speech. She tells Quad that at the end of the day, to maintain her place in the group and rebuild friendship, accountability is required, which can only be proven through action. Toya chimes in, nearly begging Quad to apologize for the horrific burglary rumor, and Quad deflects again, saying things have been hard for her. Simone spells it out as best she can without breaking the fourth wall by saying, “When you are not fucking with us all year long, and then conveniently you pop in because some events are happening, it comes off as disingenuous … longevity means you make friends.†Basically, it’s time to shit or get off the pot.
The women disperse from dinner back to the hotel, and then the Core Four (plus Phaedra, serving as a witness) deliberate before summoning Quad to Toya’s room for a final verdict. Simone bluntly uses Quad’s own words to deliver the ruling — she tells her no one has an emotional connection with her anymore, so she should leave. Quad tries to overturn the verdict, stating that the resurrection, of all things, was her peace offering. Abandoning any ounce of self-reflection, she restates that she was hurt, and in her confessional, she does her best to squeeze out a microscopic tear with her final scene showing her closing the door to her hotel room. Before the door even clicked, LaTeasha swooped into the room, immediately grabbed Quad’s carcass, and wore the skin. Just kidding, but you can practically smell her excitement as she relays the Quad situation to Greg, who salivates at the mouth when speaking about it in his confessional. Throughout the rest of the episode, her “It†factor lingers as her name remains on everyone’s lips despite her exile; even the guys talk about her during their outing back in Atlanta.
Now, personally, while I agree with the other women’s grievances, I don’t think Quad needed to be banished (and by the look of the mid-season teaser, she’s not gone for good). Did it make for great TV? Of course; I was eating it up. But as a fan, I have never subscribed to being a messy liar as a reason not to be on a cast. I am here for all the villains because I enjoy shenanigans and tomfoolery. Before you throw tomatoes at me, I will reiterate that the burglary rumor regarding Toya’s family was too far, but if she would just admit it, apologize, move on, and adjust her behavior, I would love to see her stay on as a villain. On the other hand, I don’t necessarily think Quad taking time away from the group is a bad thing. In her absence, we can focus on the Core Four, who, despite standing united against Quad, have some fissures in their foundation. Simone and Jackie still have an underlying tension that’s not being addressed, and the sneak peek of the Hilton Head trip might be the catalyst for that conversation.
But back to this episode. After Quad’s departure, the rest of the Napa trip is smooth sailing, with the spotlight moving to Toya’s business venture with Kendall Jackson Wines. We see her meet with the PR team at Kendall Jackson to discuss her wine-subscription services, specifically on incorporating more Black-owned wines. It’s fun to see businesswoman Toya — she’s gone from running up Eugene’s pockets on fancy wine decanters to being in the wine industry. Then, it’s finally my girl Dr. Alicia’s turn to have a story line. Sadly, the more she spoke, the more I wanted her to take the words back, because now we’re privy to details about her marriage I could’ve done without. It’s another relationship dictated by genitalia, with both halves of the partnership strictly abiding by outdated gender roles.
Apparently, before this trip, Alicia’s husband, Kema, had never been left alone to watch his kids. Mind you, the oldest child is 5 years old. During dinner on the second night of Napa, Alicia discusses her difficulty adjusting to being in the submissive role in a relationship, noting that she’s told him that he’s not a man when she’s had to do manual work. This is what happens when value in relationships is boiled down to made-up gender roles — now there’s resentment and unrealistic expectations. The women have noticed that Alicia acts like a different person around her husband, coming off as subdued and directionless without him, which is not at all her personality when she’s alone. It’s not the character development I envisioned for Alicia, but with the Quad cloud out of the way, it’s time to focus on other things. Like, where is Phaedra’s anonymous doctor boyfriend, who I’m not sure ever existed? She says they “broke up†(likely story), but she has “a new one†already (another likely story). One thing about the women of Married to Medicine is that they’ll keep us on our toes.
Doctor’s Notes
• This morning, I awoke to a picture of a gathering at Toya’s home featuring Jackie, Heavenly, Phaedra, Alicia … and none other than Anila Sajja, the woman who claimed Toya set her up to get robbed. Toya, you have some explaining to do!
• When it comes to politics, I’m not about talk; I’m about action and policy, which is what we got from Jackie’s conversation with Vice-President Kamala. Moms are now entitled to up to one year of postpartum Medicaid coverage. That’s huge! Also, there is a hotline for emotional- and mental-health support. It’s 1-833-TLC-MAMA. Share it with your friends!
• Like Toya, Heavenly has evolved over the seasons. Remember when she refused to admit to drinking on-camera but insisted on carrying that damn coffee cup? Now she’s openly saying brown liquor brings out the best in her and swigging from a flask. I love to see it.