In a first for the series, the focus is squarely on one couple, Felicia and Karega Bailey, and the topic is their relationship and the loss of their daughter.
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In a first for the series, the focus is squarely on one couple, Felicia and Karega Bailey, and the topic is their relationship and the loss of their daughter.
| Director(s) | Codie Elaine Oliver |
| Writer(s) | N/A |
| Aired (OWN) | 10/10/2020 |
| Introduced This Episode | |
| Herself | Felicia Gangloff-Bailey |
| Himself | Karega Bailey |
This content contains pertinent spoilers.
“Stand By Me” Recap
In The Beginning – Karega, Felicia
To begin, Karega and Felicia are high school sweethearts who went on to go to the same college and have been together, overall, 16 years and married for 8. Their engagement was this grandeur thing where Karega proposed on the plane, and when they touched down in Cali, they went to an engagement party that had all of her family there. Also, their wedding had 300 people and was just this huge thing for so many people were invested in this young couple who remind you the stories we read in books or see on screen, they’re real.
The Pregnancy – Felicia, Karega
When it comes to getting pregnant, Felicia learned she was within a week, give or take, of Karega’s birthday, so the reveal was his present. And for the most part, the pregnancy went well. Felicia notes she didn’t get sick, the baby, Kamaiu, had a strong heartbeat throughout the process, and Felicia even ran a mile at 39 weeks. Also, just to note, Karega was an active participant in any and all classes and was right there through the whole process.
The Life of Angel Parents – Felicia, Karega
But sadly, Kamaiu passed away. After a cesarean surgery, Kamaiu was born into the world on September 30th, 2019, and while she may lack a physical presence, she continues to live in the hearts of her parents and their family.
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
New relationships, young relationships, they grow in increments.
— Karega
You may have lost the place where you want to center that love, but you didn’t lose the love.
— Karega
Review
Highlights
A Singular Focus
It’s a bit weird to focus on just one couple who dealt with a situation like the Bailey family. Yet, as much as numbers help to normalize things, having one singular story allows you all the details to understand a situation and appreciate the vulnerability. This isn’t to say stories from this season, or past seasons were less than since they were chopped up, and they shared a spotlight with at least 4 or more people.
However, in the format “Black Love” usually does, it makes it so the Sterling K. Brown, Viola Davis, and people like that, either because of how animated they are or their fame, often stick out in your memory. Thus leaving those who have less high profile jobs welcome additions, and usually getting equal treatment, but not always able to give the same lasting effect.
So, with the Bailey crew, that singular focus did a multitude of things. It presented another example of the Black infant mortality rate, connected it to this ideal couple (from the outside looking in anyway), and showed how out of your control things are when labor is happening. Also, without any noted medical issues, be it with Felicia or Karega, or the hospital, it really pushes the idea that these things unfortunately happen, and there isn’t always a direction to point a finger. Which, alongside losing the baby, might be the hardest thing to deal with – the idea that you can do everything right, yet the absolute worst thing can still happen.
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