The season has barely begun, and the Greenleaf family ends up with their own personal Judas and the first sets of battles with Bob and his ambitious house negro.
| Network | ||
| OWN | ||
| Director(s) | Clement Virgo | |
| Writer(s) | Craig Wright | |
| Air Date | 9/3/2019 | |
| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Doris | Diane Sellers | |
| Perry | Mark Taylor | |
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Life Outside The Church: Zora, Sophia, Kerissa, Mae, James, Doris, Perry, Jacob
While many are wheeling, dealing, trying to carve a place for themselves in HNH’s cavalry, that isn’t everything for everyone. Jacob is working on mentoring an up and coming sports star, with the boy’s mother, Doris, advocating for him, and the coach being cool with it if Jacob can obtain an associated pastor position at a church.
But, this may end up a double-edged sword. Why? Well, Zora already has a crush, and you know that girl isn’t against making her feelings known. Damn what happened with Isaiah, maybe less than a month ago. She is ready, willing, and she convinces Mae to give her the cottage outside the big house. A place she won’t even have to share with Sophia since apparently she is going away for college.
Though, let’s be real, Mae didn’t give that cottage up out of the goodness of her heart. For one, with Sophia’s meltdown, she knows she isn’t going to take over the church. Losing the ability to have kids hit far too hard. So now, if the dynasty is to continue, it has to be Zora. Someone who doesn’t feel like she has received the call, but Mae is willing to dial up the phone if she has to.
Another thing which may have also led to Mae being so kind is that she put James on notice that he is courting again. An idea which he doesn’t take as insulting but a challenge. Meaning those two about to have all kinds of fun.
Testing The Waters: Grace, Phil, Bob, Charity, Jacob, Mae, James, Connie, Kerissa
The whole takeover is still fresh and new, and that comes with everyone trying to figure each other out. Some in subtle ways, like how Phil maneuvers. Others in private, like Bob telling Grace to keep her sermon short, and making it clear to Phil, when in conversation with Phil, he hunts for vulnerable mega-churches. Yet, then there are those who are direct, demanding, and maybe a bit shady – sometimes in public.
Take Connie and Mae. Their battle, which features Bob, is done in public and while they maintain a sense of decorum, if words were knives, there would be blood all over the floor. However, the one who cuts at the flesh the most is, well a tie between Kerissa and Charity. Kerissa, as always, puts on Grace every issue in her life. She probably blames her anytime she got to pluck a hair out of her chin. As for Charity? Well, you know the victim mentality. She is under the idea no one supports her, cares for her, fights for her, and Grace especially.
For example, Charity, despite lack of experience or a degree, wants to be an associated pastor, as does Jacob. When Jacob gets the opportunity, and she doesn’t, she flips out. I’m talking to the point when Kerissa isn’t on her side, bashing Grace, those two seem like they were about to fight. Making it appear, while she isn’t drinking, Charity is in desperate need of a vice or outlet.
From The Ashes, Many Things Can Rise: Phil, Charity, Grace, Noah, Bob
Noah is back, or at least calling, because someone in prison, a son we’re told, that is his and Grace’s, is calling. Meaning Sophie might be gone, but her brother will be walking in as she is walking out. Great.
But, perhaps the bigger issue is Phil. From the way it appears, his dynamic with Bob is nowhere near equals, or Phil being genuinely respected. Phil just is in the right place at the right time, or maybe is one of the good ones? Who knows? Bob isn’t necessarily easy to pin down just yet.
However, what is clear is Phil wants to be the pastor of Calgary and not a second to Grace, or maybe even have Grace involved. So, when Charity approaches him, since she is trying to build up power that isn’t associated with her family name, he sees this as an opportunity. She is disgruntled, hateful of Grace, but ambitious. Hence why Phil pushes Charity to become his personal Judas. Someone tasked to spy on her own family with a promise of a reward within a year. A proposal she accepts.
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
Satan can take a gift that God has given you and use it to hold you in bondage.
— Charity
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Is Sophia just going to be reoccurring, or is she being written off?
Highlights
Mae
Plain and simple, Lynn Whitfield is the driving force of this show, and anyone who shares a scene with her immensely benefits from the time. Be it her flirtatious scene when Mae makes it clear James will have to work to be in her bed, or Mae going toe to toe with Connie. While most characters have their drama be the driving force behind why you should be invested, it is Mae’s personality and not only what she does, but how she responds.
Also, she is the most well-rounded characters and shows the various sides to her all in one episode. Heck, even when we are seeing her maternal side with Zora and Grace, there are shades to it. In both cases, it is clear Mae is using either her daughter or granddaughter to further her goals. Yet, with Grace, this is done almost like an old school Disney stepmother who is calculated and wants things settled before she goes for the kill. Not to say she doesn’t love Grace but the kiss on Grace’s cheek felt more like a warning than a showing of affection.
Then, when it comes to Zora, what she essentially is doing is putting that girl on a long leash. A short one proved to be too bothersome, and Zora nipped at her one too many times and ran. So with a long leash, time spent, and mentorship, so comes the vibe that while she may lost her star in Sophia, she can craft a backup.
Low Point
Noah Is Back
Shows getting this far along has its benefits and liabilities. The benefits are they can bring back someone like Noah, after he has been gone for more than a season, and it’ll present both a sense of familiarity and something fresh. However, the liability of being around too long is bringing back certain characters makes it seem like they are digging deep and perhaps running out of ideas to move things forward. So they have to look back and seek out what hasn’t been fleshed out or tapped out to fill in screen time.
Kerissa’s Story Needs To Be Told
Which is upsetting for me since Kerissa remains a person who we barely know. 4 seasons in and we haven’t met her family, really gotten to know who she is beyond Jacob’s sharp-tongued wife, and it is getting ridiculous. Everyone has had these full-on arcs, transformations, huge reveals, and a whole lot of growth, but the Kerissa we met in season 1 isn’t that different from season 4. It’s just now we can tell you why Grace gets on her nerves and why she talks so much crap about her.
Charity
Speaking of arcs and transformations, is Charity stuck in the middle of one? I can understand with being a single mom, losing her husband to a man, in a family which often favors light-skinned women, being a big girl, and feeling put into a box, why she is angry. Yet, she is erratic to the point I feel like Charity is an escaped character of a Tyler Perry movie. Where is this story going and her playing Judas now, working with Phil? Is it wrong to believe this is more so about drama than Charity growing out of this victimhood she clings to?
On The Fence
Zora Going Back Down The Road She Was On Before
Don’t get me wrong, I love Zora for she has Kerissa’s attitude but shows the ability to be multifaceted like Mae. However, can she not get with a guy who got issues and fame again? Not to say Dante might be as bad as her ex but, I need her to learn from her mistakes instead of thinking because she isn’t walking down the same path, that negates her refusal to leave the forest she is in. Especially if Sophia is leaving and she is going to be a representative for the youth on this show.
Greenleaf Show Directory
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Creator |
Craig Wright |
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Character Guide |
Not Created |
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Collected Quotes |
Not Created |
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Current Status |
Active |
| Buy a TV Pass From Amazon To Watch The Entire Series. | |
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Season Reviews |
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| Season 3 | |
| Check Out The TV Series & Specials Page | |
| Season/ Episode | Synopsis | Episode Information | Storylines & Characters | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Season 4, Episode 9 “God’s Justice” | Between blackmail, backstabbers, someone getting fired, another resigning, and more, like Karine said, “This sure don’t feel like church.” |
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| Season 4, Episode 8 “Surprise!” | We learn, blood or not, petty runs deep in the Greenleaf family as does Phil using vulnerable women to try to get ahead. |
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| Season 4, Episode 6 “The Stranger” | Nearly everyone acts messy, stupid, or sets aside things they said in the past for some form of comfort in episode 6, “The Stranger.” |
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| Season 4, Episode 7 “Reunited” | Mae may have finally found a way to earn a prominent place in the church! However, with so many fools and backstabbers around her, is it too late? |
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| Season 4, Episode 5 “Unwanted” | AJ presents himself as a possible lost cause as Kerissa shows her whole ass to Lady Mae. Also, Charity gets to know Phil and sees whether it is worth being on his side. |
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| Season 4, Episode 4 “A Common Enemy” | Bob and Grace begin to clash, so he checks her. However, he ain’t the only one checking people this episode. |
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| Season 4, Episode 3 “Visions and Dreams” | Grace spends some time in Phoenix which allows Phil to make a move and Mae to learn why Calgary will never be hers. Also, Zora may have made a friend. |
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| Season 4, Episode 2 “Did I Lose You?” | Grace and Noah’s son is introduced, as Jacob finds himself back in Cavalry drama and trying to work with an antsy Kerissa. |
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| Season 3/ Episode 13 “The New Life” [Season Finale] | The season comes to an end by having a soft reboot. One which allows a new threat to get every Greenleaf’s undivided attention. |
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| Season 3/ Episode 12 “Day of Reckoning” | It is said God always has a plan. One could argue all we’ve seen, especially in terms of Basie and Rochelle, was part of the lord’s plan to correct the path of each Greenleaf family member. Blood or otherwise. |
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| Season 4, Episode 1 "Original Sin" | The season has barely begun, and the Greenleaf family ends up with their own personal Judas and the first sets of battles with Bob and his ambitious house negro. |
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The s*** officially hits the fan and it is so much it may clog up the gears and stop everything people have long been working towards.
Featuring: Rochelle, James, Charity, Mae, Grace, Connie, Tasha, Basie, Jacob, Kerissa, Maxine, Lionel, and Aaron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
So many surprises jump out at us you’d think this episode of Greenleaf was a haunted house attraction.
Featuring: Rochelle, Coralie, Grace, Isiah, Zora, Kerissa, Jacob, Tasha, Michael, Charity, Lionel, Mae, Basie, Maxine, and James | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
With Greenleaf being an ensemble show, rarely does any character get an episode which hones in on just them. Making Keith David (James) taking on this one solo such a treat. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zora deciding to leave leads to all hell breaking loose but with her dramatic exit, that might be the catalyst to the healing many need. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
It seems like history is repeating itself on Greenleaf for some characters as others press on forward despite many an obstacle in their way. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charity hits rock bottom, something huge happens with Sophia, and Tasha and Rochelle take additional steps in their plan. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
As Sophia loses her faith, and Charity finds Iyanla Vanzant visiting her, James and Mae’s plans may have resulted in mutually assured destruction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
There are many last-ditch efforts to salvage, sometimes, selfish plans, and when they don’t come through? Well, people get nasty. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
It’s an episode of facing the inevitable on Greenleaf. Especially if your name is Mae or Charity who both get serious wake-up calls. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Guilt and insecurities are the focus of this episode. Especially as people expose their soft under belly to those who can, or have, hurt them the most. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
What Basie Skanks started, bringing up homosexuals during that church meeting, comes to a head as Lionel and Aaron come to Cavalry and dig up old and new skeletons. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Faith, money, morals, and understanding. Four words which are the themes as temptation lurks about and few can say they are truly holier than thou on Greenleaf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
From the beginning, I’d like to believe Greenleaf has always been about how those in the pulpit aren’t necessarily holier than thou and in the season 2 finale, with a few exceptions, everyone gets a glimpse of their own personal hell. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Despite all the programs currently on OWN, for the most part, if it didn’t have Oprah’s name on it, if she wasn’t interviewing someone, I honestly felt it wasn’t worth watching. Yes, there are a million and one Tyler Perry shows on the network, but there is something about his brand that I just don’t feel compliments, Oprah. However, Greenleaf, as messy as it is, as religious as it is, and as much as this seems to be something Shonda Rhimes would advise the writing of, it seems to fit what you’d expect from OWN. Which may not make much sense in hindsight, but considering Oprah’s acting choices and what her brand is, it comes to make sense with time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
“What Are You Doing Here” is not solely the episode’s title, but a phrase repeated throughout. One which will join the thought of “What are they referencing?” | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Let me be straight up – Thanks to Tyler Perry, when OWN started having scripted shows without his name on it, I did not for a second think they would be good. Granted, they were under the Oprah umbrella, and she was giving us the rare opportunity to see her act, but I was skeptical. However, Greenleaf opened the doors to the type of brilliance I still, to this day, wish BET would reach for. Now, I covered the first and last episode of season one and with me buying a season pass. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
As Jacob leaves the house and transitions to becoming a member of the Triumph community, he leaves a church and home still reeling from scandal and seemingly not bouncing back anytime soon. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Poor Lady Mae. All her children, in some form or another, make it seem that she only thinks of herself. Of her reputation. But really, with one son working for the competition, a daughter who nearly brought the whole family to their knees, and the youngest’s marriage seeming suspect, can you blame her for being worried? It isn’t like what they do doesn’t reflect on her. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
While “Revival” reminds you of the importance and beauty of the church, at the same time it makes you want to shout Mac’s line “And you call yourself a Christian!” | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jacob and Kerissa, after spending most of the season, and Kerissa’s case the show, in the background, have the type of performances that will leave you shook and will explain why this episode is called “Point of No Return.” | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
How Triumph stays afloat gets revealed, Zora returns to the show in time for Sophia’s birthday, and Kevin and Charity’s divorce starts to get ugly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
It has been nearly a year since Faith’s death and everyone, including Mac, is still reeling from it. But with everyone sure on the idea it was his fault and feeling powerless to do more than leaving it up to god, he remains ostracized. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Let me tell you – If you thought this season was a bit too ho-hum and lacked some quality drama? Oh, this episode will compensate for all of that. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greenleaf returns and there is the question of whether Grace is going to Jail and how will everyone will handle their own personal struggles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Since season 1, everyone has had some issues with Grace leaving and how that held them back. But it seems the frustration Kerissa has long been willing to share is coming out of other people’s mouths now. Leading you to wonder, as cracks in the family start to show, can they survive each other? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
A truly shocking moment happens: Lady Mae admits she is wrong, apologizes to Grace, and all in one episode. But while there is that major shock, so builds to a few other ones. Be it Grace taking an interest in Basie Skanks or Carlton coming back to the show – which are two situations which may come into contact. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Patience and trust are major themes in “House Rules” as everyone is tasked with having faith in their significant other while in a precarious situation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greenleaf returns and with Mae and James’ relationship on the rocks, the foundation of the family is splintered and puts all on unsteady ground.
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Lady Mae is put on the defensive and while she is getting hit every which way, she refuses to go down without a fight.
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Zora Going Back Down The Road She Was On Before - 70%
Charity - 65%
Kerissa’s Story Needs To Be Told - 66%
Noah Is Back - 69%
Mae - 90%
72%
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