Queen Sugar: Season 2/ Episode 16 “Dream Variations” [Season Finale] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Collected Quote(s) Marred by challenges but exalted by triumph. Hurt fuels me. I don’t let it sit and fester, I let it drive me. I let it save me. Dreams are funny things. They morph and reshape in an instant. If you set after doing something and learn a lesson on the way, even if…
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Collected Quote(s)
Marred by challenges but exalted by triumph.
Hurt fuels me. I don’t let it sit and fester, I let it drive me. I let it save me.
Dreams are funny things. They morph and reshape in an instant.
If you set after doing something and learn a lesson on the way, even if you lose, it’s still a victory.
Rumors usually start with a seed of truth.
Highlights
Aunt Vi and Hollywood
I’m not sure how and where this sudden influx of money storyline may go, but I’m here for an Aunt Vi and Hollywood wedding. Just as long as there won’t be some network TV nonsense, like the “Blue may not be your child” storyline. Such as Aunt Vi fainting at the wedding, us learning she was diagnosed wrong and it is something worse than Lupus and etc. For while I get there has to be drama and the show can’t be all about representation acclaim, there is this fear inside me. The kind where, to keep ratings high and even mainstream the show a bit, they start tapping into the kind of storylines that make many a network TV show a hit.
Bianca Lawson & Kofi Siriboe
Though perhaps unfair to say, it is pretty much these two who are making Queen Sugar their breakout roles. At the age of 23, Kofi Siriboe probably has the most compelling role a Black man has right now. He is shown as a caring and devoted father; an often terrible boyfriend who tries to use grand romantic gestures to make up for his immaturity and tantrums; and all the while he is dealing with this cloud of his past hanging over him. Something that through hard work he has been trying to clear up. Including by going to school, his least favorite task which could better the farm.
In this multi-dimensional role, he gets to play every trope we know for Black men and remind us that, at one time, these tropes, these stereotypes, they were once considered just part of being human. As perhaps the latest special of Iyanla: Fix My Life shows, you can be an ex-con and still have feelings. You can still want a close relationship with your family and kids, and some of your community can accept you back after a long time away. Yet, do you ever really pay your debt to society when everyone has a different price of what they think you owe?
Something we see with how Bianca Lawson plays Darla in the finale. No matter what she does or says, there are all these children’s toys on the floor and she is walking barefoot. Tell the truth, and she gets hurt. Speak respectfully and not go off, still getting hurt. Making it surprisingly, and sort of a cathartic release, when we finally hear Darla yell. Something she had yet do this entire series.
But even with the way she yells, there isn’t this vibe she is going to lash out. Everything is internalized with Darla. Unlike the Bordelon family, there isn’t this need to push the blame on external figures and take little to no credit. Which is perhaps part of the reason she could never really integrate with them properly. Darla’s maturity, thanks to her parents and actually seeking out help to end or manage her destructive desires, has made her a more mature person. Meanwhile, everyone else ducks and dodges from their own hypocrisy or need for reflection.
Which is perhaps why Darla stands out so much on this show. Like with Ralph Angel, it isn’t necessarily because she represents a rarely seen person, especially a Black person. More so it is because with Darla we got growth and she has kind of been dragging Ralph Angel, pushing him with all her might, to grow as well. For despite the best intentions of Ernest, maybe even Aunt Vi, the Bordelon children are all stunted in their ways and unsure how the hell to get out of their own way. Yet, through almost toxic validation of each other, including Aunt Vi co-signing, they think there isn’t a single problem with how they live their lives. Never mind how they treat people who even do them the slightest bit wrong. For, at the end of the day, everything is very much an ultimatum. Either you ride or die or you are someone getting in the way of me lying to myself about my part in this messed up situation.
The Future of Charley
With all that goes on between Darla and Ralph Angel, as a couple and individuals, you have to give props to Charley and Ms. Gardner. Despite those two having the most drama, she is still able to carve out a large enough piece of each episode to keep Charley relevant and noteworthy. This episode was no different. In this battle with the Landry family, which has long since been tiresome, things have reached a new level.
Charley, switching tactics, seems willing now to play along with this game of, “Who can sleep with this high yellow chick first.” Hell, in a way, Charley damn near has made it into a slave auction. Which maybe perhaps taking it a bit far. However, she is the one selling herself, and all that comes with her, to the family which used to own hers. Yeah, she may get some overseer, Uncle Tom, kind of position, but she is trying to be within the family’s trust to destroy them from within.
A process which, in my bones, I feel will lead to some attempt to humanize the Landry family. Something I have mixed emotions about, since they have been absolute demons but it also seems long overdue. The Bordelon family has been given vast opportunities to show they are complicated people, so why not the Landry family too? And being that Charley’s life has always been about working between her Black identity and code-switching to deal with a white corporate environment, it should be interesting to see how she handles that.
Especially now that she has no one really in her corner. At least when it comes to the business anyway. Ralph Angel may vouch for her and Nova and Aunt Vi may give vocal support, but now the mill is all Charley’s problem. So here is hoping she decides to add some admin and clerical support. Hopefully losing all those farmers since no one was picking up the phone acted as a wakeup call.
Hey Amari, hope you had a great holiday!
Just wanted to ask, what did you think about the writer and what was written about RA and Darla and the whole topic of male masculinity?
I think it reflects an opinion stated between us earlier that Ralph Angel is emotionally abusive, if not at the very least manipulative. Ralph Angel, as Aunt vi stated, was babied by her and Ernest most of his life and as a grown man, he has conjured ways to keep getting his way. With Darla, he guilted her into constantly making her seem like the bad guy in any and all situations. As for the relationships he has with his sister? Him and Nova barely interact and the same goes for Charley. If there isn’t a family matter, like the will, or Aunt Vi doesn’t pull them together, they don’t come in each other’s space that often.
I agree. male or toxic masculinity was a term that I have never hear before. It wan’t until this show, that I started reading and seeing this word a lot. A lot of reviews and different articles would highlight this topic when it came to RA and his character. It wasn’t until our conversations that I started to really see what toxic masculinity was and how it pertained to RA.
Yeah, it is one of those SJW type of terms. Usually I see it when it comes to men being unable to express their emotions or suppressing them to present some toxic form of masculinity.
Hey Amari, an interesting article that I found that talks about QS. Despite the title the writer discusses the last 3 episodes of the season. I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter, especially on the part where the author talks about RA and his toxic masculinity and how because of this paternity story line it has kind of given RA a safety net, or an excuse for the behaviors and the actions that he has shown towards Darla, and how he has treated her.
https://www.autostraddle.com/boobs-on-your-tube-arizona-robbins-has-suffered-enough-402146/
Definitely will tomorrow!
Thanks! Can’t wait! ?
I enjoyed their bit about Nova and it kind of pushes me to wonder more about her journalism career. Though it sort of reminds me how much that part of her life is often neglected. To the point I’m wondering what does she do for money? Because she doesn’t write articles often and while we’ve seen her have occasional paid engagements, there haven’t been enough for her to be set. Also, in terms of selling holistic services, that isn’t too often either…
Her whole character feels neglected to me, at least for season 2. I would say that Nova was on par in terms of character development, and plot story lines with Charley, and RA during season 1. But this season, she seems to have been pushed to the wayside. Charley and RA definitely stepped up in terms of story lines. Charley from the beginning, since the show aired, has been a real force in terms of her story lines, and taking on different plot points. She has never been pigeon-held because of one person, or because of one set situation. Like with the whole Landry take down, I may not get the full plan, but that is still something that Charley will be working on come season 3.
Although for RA, his story line only seemed to move up because of Darla. Everything in regards to RA and his character (this season), only seemed to move if Darla moved. He kind of mostly spent a good amount of the season reacting. What Darla did, or wanted too do, he would react to it. I hope you understand what I’m trying to say.
On a light note, we talk frequently about how we would like for Darla to return to school and to for her to finish education. My question to you Amari is, what do think Darla studied and majored in when she was in school? What do you think an 18, 19 year old Darla worked towards in school?
Hmmm… considering the work she did for Charley, that she seemed quite good at, I figure it was something within the business realm. But Darla honestly talked so little about herself that she could of outright said it and it would be drowned in the rest of the things she had to deal with.
I know, I just think that it is kind of sad that after two seasons, we still don’t really know much of anything about Darla. We know that she was a state championship swimmer, and we know that she went to college for about a year, that’s it. I just seems that her character as been solely about being an ex addict, trying to be a mother towards her son, and trying to make amends for the mistakes of her past. That is all that we have seen from her.
Well, considering how much BL sort of did with so little, that makes it even more noteworthy.
As much as we hope for happy, calm , and stable Darla, do you think the writers might write into the story that even though Darla comes back to St. Jo’s refreshed and ready to be a other to Blue again, that Blue this time around won’t be as inviting and accepting of Darla like hope?. Again, Ethan is getting older, and the writers can start to amp up his character for him, and we talk a lot about seeing things from Blue’s pov, as much as we would want for Blue to accept his mother when she comes back, it is also even more realistic for Blue (after being left for a second, maybe even third time by his mother) to be a bit angry and frustrated at his mother, especially if he continues to hear bad things about his mother. Cause let’s be honest, if we think that the B family has stopped talking bad about Darla just because she left, then that would be totally ooc for them. It’s like you said previously, even though Blue loves his mother, he probably wouldn’t have left with her if she asked him too, heartbreaking, but realistic.
A question that I came across on a QS Facebook group.
“What do you think Darla’s reason was for not saying goodbye to Blue herself?”
My response:
I feel like if Darla physically laid eyes on Blue, she wouldn’t have left. We saw how she broke down in the car watching him play at Aunt Vi’s. Let’s all be honest, it is by the Grace of God that Darla didn’t relapse, and that RA didn’t find her at any of those crack/trap houses. This shows that despite Darla’s most darkest moments, she isn’t going to allow herself to get so low again, that she decides to go back out there and do drugs. Instead she finds a healthy way to take out her frustrations, she swims. Dealing with RA’S family is one thing, having to face Blue and tell him that she is leaving again, more than likely would have been too much for her, she didn’t relapse, but her mind is still very fragile, and she was on the brink of having a relapse. So, it took all the strength she had to leave Blue with RA, so that she could go back home and get her mind right. Also, the B family wasn’t going to make it that easy on her to see Blue, and would have been giving her nasty looks all the time that she was there. So with the environment being so hostile towards her, she had to leave without saying goodbye. HEARTBREAKING!
Thoughts?
Considering she would have had to deal with Aunt Vi, even if Hollywood was there to shame her into civil, it would have been bad. I think, in a way, it wasn’t this inability to say goodbye to him that was the problem. I can imagine her saying she had to go away to get better or something.
In my mind, the reason she didn’t say good bye was perhaps the fear of not being chosen. Blue loves his mother but I do fear, if given the option, he wouldn’t just go along with her if she said they were going. And I do think, that if he did do that, it would be the final straw. That would have caused her to relapse so, and I know it is kind of mean to say, I figure she was taking the cowards way out. For even if Aunt Vi would have been an ass about it, I think Hollywood understands. At least after dealing with LeeAnne he knows something about people who have issues that are difficult to manage at times.
I agree, calling her actions cowardly, is a bit mean, but it is somewhat true. But then again when the girl can’t even go into the house that she lived in for who knows how many months, to retrieve the last of her things, something as small and insignificant as a charger, and someone from that family bars her from going into the house, nor do they even give her those said things that she need, I can understand why she just decided to leave.
But I also want to touch on something that you mentioned.
“In my mind, the reason she didn’t say good bye was perhaps the fear of not being chosen. Blue loves his mother but I do fear, if given the option, he wouldn’t just go along with her if she said they were going.”
As cute and as innocent, pure, and accepting as baby Blue is no one would really blame the kid, if he decided not to go with Darla, yes it would be devastating to see from both sides, but again it would make sense. Darla being out of his life for who knows how many years, and then for her to say that she is leaving again, of course Blue would feel more comfortable and secure staying with the B family. Also, if Blue did decline then that would really cement and bring home for Darla to see that over these past 7 years her actions really have affected Blue, more than maybe she ever thought they did. Sometimes we forget that baby Blue was abandoned by both of his parents at one point in his life, because he is so happy and go lucky, but the action of not going with his mother, would really open Darla’s eyes to the magnitude that her drug addiction, and her absence really had on her son, which would be the straw that broke the camels back. How could any parent deal with their own child rejecting them?
How do you feel about Charley and Remy “breaking up”, I honestly feel nothing when it comes to them, so I really didn’t feel any type of way when their whole scene went down. I mean this season Remy has been kind of judgmental prick towards Charley, calling her names, twisting the words that her father used to describe her and make what he was saying about his daughter as a negative (Calculating), switching up on her, Remy getting all pissy when on Charley when she wanted to do things her way (Charley wanting to by that gorgeous, expensive big ass house) all of that, then her begging him in the mid season finale to take her back and all of that bs, so them “breaking up” isn’t a tear jerkier to me.
In a way, it seemed inevitable after that bedroom scene. Remy may not be old fashioned in terms of Charlie being barefoot and pregnant, but I think realizing Charley wasn’t thinking long term hurt. And honestly, I think Remy calling Charley calculating was right. Like the rest of the B family, she burns bridges. However, for her, she has the knowledge and skills do so beyond a personal way but a business way as well.
As for him advising her to not buy a house, it was for appearances. Charley maybe well verse in PR when it comes to Davis’ business, but doesn’t know St. Jo farmers. Her buying that house would have been more of a red flag than leading them to think she is smart with money. Like Dr. DuBois, I think Remy’s advice evolved into feeling like unfair critiques and with that, while he loves the family, I don’t see him joining it through a union with Charley. I also hope he doesn’t decide to switch lanes to Nova for if he couldn’t deal with Charley, he is in no way ready to deal with Nova.
Of course Remy wouldn’t have been able to handle Nova, nor would Nova ever give Remy a chance, she gave up Dr. D with a quickness, and sold his PERL NECKLACE, that he gave her, so like come on. Which us at the audience we understand that, so that begs the question of – WHY WOULD THE WRITERS WRITE THAT PART INTO THE SCRIPT IN THE FIRST PLACE!?!?!?!? It’s thing for Remy to comfort Nova, and to be a friend towards her, but the hug lasted a bit longer than it needed too, and how the two of them acted when they broke apart made it seem like it was something more than just friendship. Which again – WHY???
I’ll feel a certain type of way if it is chalked up to them both being friendly after a few drinks.
That Nova and Darla scene still has my blood boiling. I get Nova wanting to stick up for her brother and all of that, but not allowing for her to go into the house to get the last of her things was so petty, and down right disgusting. Hell if anything, Nova could have at least went in and got the things that Darla needed. That is why I think Darla let out the scream. To feel so disregarded, to have everyone around you treat you like trash, to the point where you can’t even get your own personal belongings….boy I’ll tell you. But again, Darla just takes it.
That is where the hypocrisy comes from with B family. As pro black as Nova claims that she is, and as helpful as she wants to be for her community, you would think that a little bit of compassion would be given to Darla, just a bit. Then after Darla walks off crying and defeated, Nova wants to have this confused, sorry look on her face, like she clearly doesn’t feel that bad, cause if she did would have told her to stop, and allowed for her to get what she needed, or at lest, like I said before, Nova could have gone in and got the things that Darla needed.
That was also another great acting scene from BL. That stare down that she gave Nova before she walked off. Darla looked Nova dead in her eyes – unflinching, standing in her truth. Like you can tell she wanted so badly to just bypass her way past Nova, and to go into the house, but she knew that she couldn’t. That stare of Darla, she just wants to yell and scream and let it all out, but she doesn’t, she composed herself, and she does it when she is alone and in the car.
I disagree. I take the Darla screaming in her car scene purely to be this idea Blue doesn’t need her to be happy – at least from her point of view. He was fine just playing with Violet and Hollywood.
As for Nova, with Ralph Angel, her own brother, she made clear she is not Pro-Black across the board. Understanding is not part of her purview, she is solely about justice. Ralph Angel robbed a place so he got what was coming to him. There isn’t any, “Oh, he didn’t have the right opportunities” or what we usually hear social justice warriors say. She was cut and dry, you messed up so you paid the price. It wasn’t like Too Sweet’s situation.
So I’m no longer surprised when she has moments like with how she treated Darla. In her own way, Nova is bougie and doesn’t necessarily practice forgiveness. Due to whatever pain she has gone through, she sees things very black and white and doesn’t paint in color. Either you are wrong or right and reasoning is but an excuse.
You know with all of the happy talk that we are wanting for Darla, it makes me wonder, how we weren’t sure if the writers were going to touch on Darla being raped in D.C. at that party, and the whole paternity situation. It makes me think, can they give Darla her glow up, and her being refreshed, while still touching on that subject and dealing with it? It seems to me that it would be pretty tricky to give us happy, stable, calm Darla while dealing with this subject ya know. But I feel like the writers had Darla say what she said, because they are going to deal with it at some point right? Cause if not, then why write it in that she was drunk, high,can’t remember, and that there was more than one man? They could have easily just made it an ex of her’s or some random guy, not that she was taken advantage of by multiple guys, you know what I’m saying.
It’s complicated, I think. They want to give her a past without making it damn her future. They want her to have a genuine smile but have us acknowledge all the work it takes to use the muscles required to do that despite it being less work to pout and frown all the time.
But getting to the point, I think it will be addressed but not in some grandeur way. Darla is not big and boisterous. If anything, as she recovers from her latest personal failure, I think coming to terms with that night will be part of her recovery. Yet, with all she has been through, I don’t believe it is going to be her core storyline. She may have lost RA but she got her parents back. She may not have it all but she has something so valuable that it isn’t like she has nothing. All that is needed right now is the right community and that doesn’t exist in St. Jo and probably never could with her reputation there.
Making me wonder, besides Blue, what reason does she have to return and integrate back into that area?
You’re right now that I think about it, her recovery and dealing with what happened that night probably isn’t going to be some big story line, which is fine. It’ll probably be closed out with some off handed comment, of Darla dealing with it in therapy, which again is fine.
I feel like why Darla would return, is because it will always for Blue. At the end of the day, Darla can take Blue to visit her parents, they could spend a couple of months up there, the four of them together, but think about it since the series first aired, it has always been set in stone that when it comes to Blue, his home will always and forever be St. Jo’s. Whether he is living with Aunt Vi, living with RA, or living with Darla. Yo know, transitioning between all three houses.
Now as we said before, baby Blue is getting older, and there may come a time where he may want to visit D.C. and see where his mamma grew up and all, that. A couple of years down the line, he may make the decision to actually stay in D.C. more permanently, maybe to go school, or some other reason. but again that is way down the line (something that I don’t think that we will ever actually see because the show, like you said isn’t some 10 season show), but you know what I mean.
So, again I don’t think Darla returning to St. Jo’s is because she loves the scenery, and all of the nice, southern hospitably that she repeatedly gets when is in that town (sarcasm), it’s simple her boy is there.
But with the way this show is going, I can honestly see a custody battle thing going down. Especially with how petty aunt Vi is and how it has been noted Quincy is about his reputation. It would be easier to explain his daughter is a single parent than to say his grandson lives with his father’s family. That raises a lot of red flags about Darla and I’m sure it would reflect negatively on him.
“I want to see Darla happy for a bit. Okay? BL has proved she can go Viola Davis and show us what pure and utter misery is like. Can we get some consistent joy, laughter, and let Darla show how she is when she isn’t walking on egg shells?”
Grabs Megaphone – YES TO ALL OF THIS!!!!! I need to see Darla happy and refreshed come season 3. She has been through so much, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. cough writers/Ava cough. I hope if anything, that we have more Darla and Blue scenes.
Me too. I think it is important for Blue to see his mother genuinely happy. Not putting on a smile for his benefit, but truly happy, healthy, and also having fulfillment outside of being his mother. For isn’t that her next evolution? Being a former addict who found a way back to glory? Who, despite the momma she was, is now the ideal, or at least attempts to become it? The show is supposed to be positive, but still complicated, remixes of Black tropes right? How often do you see a single Black mom, much less former drug addict, while their child is still young, turn it around? Never mind that child grow up in a community which loves and protects them?
Unfortunately very rarely do see a positive success story of former drug addict, ex prostitute, absentee mom, turning around and being the exact opposite of who she once was. Darla proved how strong she is, and how far she has come with her actions this episode. Not relapsing, taking out all of her anger, frustration, and anxiety by doing something that she loves – swimming. That right there shows that Darla doesn’t want to go back to where she once was, despite all of the hell she has had to endure. But I agree, to see a genuine real smile on Darla’s face is something that I want to see. Because it did always seem like a lot of Darla’s happy moments were mostly because of Blue. Having to almost fake it so that she could make it, instead of feeling generally being happy. Now with her being with her parents, and getting her life together, Darla will come back generally ready to start her life a new.
“maybe even new men.” That was going to be my next point.
We know that Darla is still working on herself, we know that. But I don’t think that it would be such a bad thing if Darla was introduced to a new man. A new educated, stable man who has everything in order, but isn’t so self righteous, and judgmental. A man who will take Darla for who she is past, present, future all of that. He may not have been around Darla to see her at her lowest, he may not have a history with her like RA does, but he will be see that despite all of Darla’s past, even though she may not think she deserves to find love again, deserves to be with another man given everything she has done, not only with the drugs, and selling herself, but with all of the mess with the B family, but he will be able to see that no matter what she is worth waiting for, and he won’t be just interested in her, but OF COURSE, with baby Blue as well. It doesn’t have to a happen right away, cause like I said Darla is still working on herself and getting her life back on track with the help of her parents, but Darla gaining back the love and support of her parents, of her son Blue, why not find love again as well.
I wouldn’t mind a guy from high school, maybe a friend before her downfall, or who exited her life at the beginning of it, coming about. As you’ve said, I want to see Darla happy for a bit. Okay? BL has proved she can go Viola Davis and show us what pure and utter misery is like. Can we get some consistent joy, laughter, and let Darla show how she is when she isn’t walking on egg shells?
For part of her healing isn’t just being a former addict but also the low-key emotional abuse RA and his family put her through. Never mind, after the whole rape thing, maybe learning how to be sexual with a man who isn’t already familiar with her body.
But yeah, I really do think the RA Darla knew when she way back when is the same RA she is dealing with now and with her learning and growing, she can stay with a man so stunted with arrested development. So some time single, maybe making friends in school, then a boo thang, is definitely worth crossing fingers for.
“For part of her healing isn’t just being a former addict but also the low-key emotional abuse RA and his family put her through. Never mind, after the whole rape thing, maybe learning how to be sexual with a man who isn’t already familiar with her body.”
That section was a great write up. Darla was someone has used her body to get drugs, and alcohol. Darla was someone who was sexually assaulted, and didn’t give consent and or allowed for a man (men) to sleep with her. Then Darla did give her body to the man that she did love, while that man couldn’t get past who she used to be, can be a very emotional mind field for someone to go through. It seems for Darla that her actually giving herself completely to a man, without any sort of baggage, or shame, or just as a means of getting money from, seems like it has been quiet a while for her. While yes, she and RA were very much together during their younger years, but then Darla was raped, and then she became pregnant, and all of those good things, were hard for Darla to hold on too. She was scared, and she didn’t know how to process all that had happened too her. After her and RA got back together, she felt like she could finally giver her all to him again, and be the girlfriend/mother that she always wanted to be. But again, the demons of her past, weren’t so easily overlooked, and forgiven by that same man.
So, Darla actually allowing for herself to be loved again, and for that man to love back will definitely be a new chapter for her, something that I hope that we get to see.
Here is my thing though, based off how she and RA reconnected at her old trailer, I’d argue she was still using her body for minimal comforts. At least in the beginning. It may have evolved to a point where she and RA were beyond friends with benefits + child, but the restart of their relationship wasn’t clean cut.
Yeah, I guess the love that RA and Darla had for each over time with everything that has gone down between them, unfortunately just wasn’t enough for them to overcome all that bad that had happened. It’s sad, but it is also true life. Just because two people have a kid together, doesn’t mean that they HAVE to stay together.
But the question remains, for everything that RA said to Darla, how he went looking high, and low for her, only to break up with her, and berate her again, we allow for her too move on with another man? Will his pride, ego, selfishness, and his toxic masculinity rear its ugly head? I hope come season 3, RA doesn’t show his entire ass, if Darla decides to move on. Which she has every right too considering HE ended things.
I think he will. To me, him searching for Darla had nothing to deal with their relationship. It was about one of two things: Blue or RA not wanting the guilt of knowing him revealing Blue’s paternity issue is the catalyst for Darla’s relapse.
There is a reason why Charley is our # 2 character, like Darla we have seen character growth, and an evolution with her. But when it comes to this whole Landry situation (which honestly screams soap opera to me) I don’t think that it is going to end well. There is so much at stake, so many people who are involved with this operation so if everything goes south who knows what that means. Like we all know how strong, independent, and cold-blooded Charley can be, she can definitely handle herself, and yeah she does have Nova by her side, and RA working things from the inside but, I just don’t have a good feeling about this plan that Charley as put together. (A plan that I don’t even fully understand on top of that). I just hope that nothing backfires, because if it does there will more than one head that will be up on the chopping block that is for damn sure.
The plan has kind of already backfired in a way. With losing Remy, she pretty much lost the Black farmers. As I said in this review or the last one, he was her gateway to that community. He was the one who presented her, someone basically an outsider, as someone they could trust with their livelihood.
So with this move, I don’t see, even if she takes down the Landry family, how they could trust her. Yes, they flipped on her but it isn’t like her company was answering phone calls or this wasn’t their first year. Plus, this is their livelihoods and between the Landry family pulling leases and everything else, can you blame them for turning on Charley? How can she fight back?
But I guess, maybe on the low tip, that whole bit might have also been about how Black folks don’t invest and trust Black businesses (The Black Tax). Even when they visibly show how they’ll do right by them in comparison to their white counterparts.
I agree, it’s just what I said before, there is just so much at stake, and other people that are involved with this, including her own brother, so if something goes down, retaliation happens, how is Charley going to set things straight, and make things right?
Also, I really don’t like what the writers did with Darla’s character with these last four episodes. Darla who is arguably the most mature, honest, and self aware person on this show, being more or less sent back to square one. Pilot episode of season 1 – no job, doesn’t have her son, isn’t with RA, doesn’t have her family. Finale episode of season 2 – no job, doesn’t have her son, isn’t with RA, does have her family.
Like not a lot of things are set in stone, and a lot of the characters are still finding themselves, but it seems like Darla’s story was just wrapped in despair compared to the other characters. I just…… it makes me sad for her character.
I look at it as, Darla’s character isn’t set in stone yet. She doesn’t have this career or passion, or circumstance, which puts her character on a linear path. Nova is the journalist/ activist. She is stuck within those stories and her failed relationships. Charley is the businesswoman who always felt like an outsider, she is stuck in that story. Ralph Angel is an excon, hates school work, and all he knows, and wants to know, is farming, he is stuck in that.
With Darla, outside of swimming, there was never a strong pursuit about what she wants to do career wise or what her passions are. She wants to go back to school, she wants to have a more close knit family, and with that, while everyone is looking sort of with blinders on, with limitations on where they can go, Darla’s only limitation is her past reputation. Otherwise, right now, she could become a business woman, become an activist, community organizer, teacher or what have you. With Darla, I think they kind of had to set her back to square one because she is the only one who remains a bit unpredictable. Everyone else, you can pretty much chart what path they will go on.
All of which I agree with, it is just at some point the writers and Ava have to give Darla and BL a bit of a break ya know.
How can she find her passion, and go back to working on the goals that she once had as young girl in college, if she can’t ever get out of that bondage of guilt, shame, and regret that is her past? At some point, if the other people around her won’t or can’t look past the demons of her past, see her as a new woman, see all that she has accomplished in her now sober life, and in the end all that she has to depend on is her parents, and Blue, then damn it, that is all she has.
If the B family can’t have forgiveness for Darla, or care to see her as anyone but Blue’s momma and they just tolerate her, and can’t get over their own self righteous attitudes, then if anything at some point, Darla has to forgive herself, or she won’t ever move forward, even with having the three most important people back in her life, who have forgiven her. Darlene, Quincy, and Blue.
I truly believe, moving forward, the goal with Darla is trying to show her co-parent with Ralph Angel and refocus on proving herself to those willing to give her a chance. That will be new bosses, new teachers, and maybe even new men. Because I just don’t see RA and Darla as end game anymore. At this point, there is no need for this surrogate family because Darla has her own. Is it perfect? Likely not. However, she has to jump off that wheel and accept these people can’t move on. They barely let Ralph Angel not get the occasional reminder of his past. Who is Darla?
Can just I say that despite the monologue that both RA and Darla were acting out during the pool scene there was really on one piece that stuck out too, me and what got me really emotional. It is when RA is saying he can’t trust her and all of that stuff, and she just squeaks out and tearfully says – “So we’re over?” (Fair warning its kind of long)
Those three words really just broke me, not only in the way it was said, and how BL was acting, but we have said so much about RA and Darla’s relationship over these past two seasons, I know I have especially. There are times where I didn’t feel like RA loved Darla at all, there were times where RA would show his entire ass, and would have me fuming. But with Darla asking him that, and questioning him still out of everything that has happened, this just showed me how much Darla truly did love him. I mean we have to remember that some years have passed between Darla and RA, they aren’t the same 19, 20, and 21 year old kids that they once were. They were very much in love, they were just two young kids in love at some point in the past. The two people we saw in the pilot during season 1, were already broken and damaged people, who had a lot of hurt between them. But slowly we stated to see them make their way back to each other. It was beautiful. (I will say that I like RA and Darla of season 1, way more than RA and Darla of season 2). Then season 2 comes around, and they are in a better place, but we start to see the cracks in their relationship already. RA being dismissive of Darla and her having to go to her NA meetings, RA not letting Darla go to work, RA not seeing all that she has to do just so that she can remain sober. The “Star” situation, all of that.
Still, Darla remained, standing by RA and being the supportive girlfriend. Taking all of the hits, judgments, and tongue lashings, while also throwing the same back at RA, sometimes even harder. Despite all of that, despite us questioning if they really loved each other, or if they were just together because of Blue, they again, started to build their relationship back up, but then that “Baby Blue bombshell” is dropped on us, and all hell breaks loose. Darla is written and seen as a villain, snake, liar, and cheat, who should have never been trusted, while RA was this saint of man who got trapped. But then we learn that things weren’t as simple as RA made it out to be. We find out that their is darkness that comes with how Blue was conceived and made, as we learn that Darla may not have consented to the other man in general, along with their being more than one man who had his way with her on the night in question. Even still, Darla wants to tell her truth, yet once again, she is shut down, and dismissed, by the same man, that claimed he wanted to “ride with her”, and be with her despite all of things that they had gone through in their past – RA. So, she is left alone by herself (once again), at the place that she found peace the most, the pool.
(Sorry its so long but that particular piece of dialogue really stuck out to me.)
It was quite beautiful writing so no need to apologize but it does make me wonder, from where did Ralph Angel get his expectations of relationships from? Wasn’t aunt Vi divorced by the time he came of age and his mom dead by that point? What was the example that formed his ideas of how you treat your partner, how you fight, and things of that nature? Though surely Ernest was neither a player nor the ideal man, when it comes to modeling after someone, he is the only one I figure we can look at here. Before Hollywood, and between her ex-husband, I don’t think Vi dated anyone else. So where in RA’s simple head does he get his blueprints from.
Also, in season 1, at least the first half, I wasn’t sure about RA and Darla. I thought it was more of a sex thing since he wasn’t over what was done to Blue but was showing with his flirting with Roberta and also seeing Darla, he was ready to be a ho. After all, he went from shading Darla to showing up at her trailer, barely saying anything, and expecting some. Which, I guess to get back on his good side, she gave him.
“Who does she think she is? Aunt Vi? Only she can lie about something for decades and it get swept under the rug.”
I CACKLED! ? I love how your not letting Aunt Vi off the hook for the lies and secrets that she told and held back from the family!
I damn sure ain’t. Because that is something Queen Sugar does. They show these people, mostly Aunt Vi and her family, at their worse and then have a grand kind gesture to compensate. That’s nice and all but let’s not forget you are the reason Nova and Charley’s sisterhood was non-existent for a long time. You’re the reason Nova has long had trust issues when it comes to her relationships and you somehow have it in you to take Darlene’s money yet judge her daughter so harshly? Same goes for Nova. She can cry, snuggle up to Aunt Vi, and be a social justice warrior if she wants to, she is still a big ass hypocrite when it counts. Be it Darla’s recent situation or earlier in the season when she was dressing down Ralph Angel. Much less how she treated Charley in season 1.
Speaking of Charley, I will never forget how she handled Davis’ mistress. The venom of how she was really going to ruin that girl’s life for telling the truth. No wonder she cut Darla off like she did. Because of Aunt Vi, the girl has a very twisted sense of loyalty. One in which she is blind to any and all factors which don’t win her points. That won’t further her acceptance as part of the club. The whole family may look down at how ruthless the Landry family is but the only difference is the Landrys don’t get personal and keep it strictly business. Hence why Ralph Angel isn’t in jail for if they wanted to really make him screw himself over, it wouldn’t have taken much with that temper. Never mind they could have easily sicked the police on Nova for dealing drugs and used Charley’s fame to make it seem perhaps while Charley was burying her dad she was also seeing her lover.
I understand everything that Charley went through with Davis, I do. The cheating, the lying all of that. But the way that Charley went after the mistress was cold blooded, more than what I originally saw it to be. I mean it wasn’t until Charley heard those words that Davis said to the mistress that Charley finally understood. Granted I get sticking by your husband and all of that, but again she went after that woman, and talked down to her like she wasn’t even human, ya know.
Damn right those Bordelon’s are a real piece of work. Yes, do we say some of the things that we do in defense of Darla, of course. Most of it comes from the righteous, and hypercritical attitudes, that the Bordelon’s all seem to have. They are quick to give tongue lashings, and throw out everyone’s dirt, but they don’t really look at themselves all too often. Also, it comes down to Blue as well. The B family is doing all that they can to raise, and take care of Blue, but how do they think that they are possibly doing the right thing for Blue,by bashing that boys mom. I mean, who do they think they are to keep Blue away from her. This has nothing to do with her drug use, or her being abusive, all she did make a mistake, and a had a lapse in judgement. She was no more than 19 or 20 years old when all of this began. Most people way into their 30’s and 40’s will talk about how they aren’t ready to raise and have kids, so to think that a girl Darla’s age would be ready too, especially in the terms of which that child may have been conceived in the first place (rape) is wishful thinking. But again, the B family don’t know that. RA “doesn’t want here all of that”, he doesn’t want to listen to what she has too say. (What’s new) So, what is girl like Darla supposed to do, but leave town for a bit. Get her head straight, and compose herself.
P.S. – Check out my comment on why I believe Darla allowed for Blue to stay with the B family.
That also makes me wonder, are we going to see Darla in D.C., if not in D.C. at least at her house? Like the writers just can’t ship Darla off to her parents and come season 3, we don’t see them, nor do they just gives us a cop out where we see her coming back either. Like I want to see Darla and her parents together interacting, and seeing Darla in her natural habitat.
Which also may mean her encountering those old friends and triggering old memories. But, so comes the question, you think they can break off Darla’s storyline and basically set her up on her own without it negatively affecting the show? I mean, it does lead me to question what will they do with RA when Darla isn’t a central figure in his life. Will Roberta get a second chance? MAYBE MISS VELEZ?! Or do you think it would be best for him to just be single?
I just hope if he decides to be single, he doesn’t end up running through a bunch of girls to deal with his trust issues.
I believe that they can have Darla with her own story line, and have it mesh well with the rest of the show. She is her own person. Like you said Darla has a lot that the writers can work with. This potential story line of her going home with her parents for no more than 4 to 5 episodes can do so much for her character. There is so much material there as a whole. We can see more of Darla and her parents interactions. We can see where Darla lived and grew up. We can see Darla continuing to work on herself by going to therapy. And lastly like you said, maybe Darla running into her old high school “friends”, some that are clean and got themselves together, others who aren’t clean and who haven’t gotten on that road of sobriety like Darla has. Like I know she is not going to be gone all season, she will come back for Blue. But I feel like the writers better not half ass this opportunity of delving more into Darla’s character with having her go home, and then not capitalizing on it.
*Grabs Megaphone – RA’S ASS NEEDS TO STAY SINGLE! ?
Arguably, RA and his siblings need to stay single XD
Jumping to your other comment on Blue, I’m really wondering as he grows up how he is going to feel about these people. He is somewhere close to 7 now and is already peeping the people who raised him don’t like his mother. And while Blue hasn’t played a big role in the show, thus far, there is this idea, perhaps better said worry, if they kick it up, it isn’t going to be pleasant. There is definitely going to be questions which I don’t know if any of the adults are ready to answer. And while Kenya is a source of comfort, there was something Kofi said in the special when it comes to Blue – giving him the space to learn and discover himself.
I wonder, with the background of his parents, how his aunt, great aunt, treated his mother, and the other hot and cold aspects of his family, how will that change his relationship with them? Especially in terms of over the time span this show is on. I personally don’t think this is a 10 season show. Maybe 4 or 5, and anything beyond that, unless they shorten the season, I doubt will work for Kofi especially.
I agree that boy has gone through a lot. Despite everything we have seen, he has never lost his love for his mother. He still has that innocence and that purity about him. So, if the B family isn’t careful they will slowly but surely start to break that innocence and purity right from him. Which again, having Darla leave without Blue upsets me greatly. Darla shouldn’t have had to leave St. Jo’s without Blue, but I get.
We have seen Darla fight so many battles these last four episodes, stand her ground to people’s sly, and nasty comments, has had people quite literally turn their backs on her, had people call her a liar, and a cheat, she has lost her home, job, and fiancee, all in a matter of days. She is probably mentally, and emotionally exhausted! Shit that Darla has been through can be draining to any clean and sober person, let alone someone who is in a newly state of recovery. She probably just felt that it was best to leave Blue there not only for his benefit, but for the families benefit. Always and forever never doing things for her benefit. Along with the fact that Darla may feel like she screwed up AGAIN, and is unworthy of having Blue in her life. In her mind when comes to her with Blue – nothing but lies, guilt, shame, regret, danger, broken promises, and abandonment. In her mind when it comes to the B family and Blue – love, compassion, consistency, protection, structure. So, the odds are stacked against her, in her mind.
But the sad things is, is that she is letting her own thoughts, and guilt, and the words of others, blind, and deafen her to the fact that STILL after all of this time, through the good and the bad – BLUE STILL LOVES HER! At some point, she has to realize that for herself. (Sorry I just wrote a novel on you lol )
Which is why I’m really hoping they put the lens more on Blue in the next season. Little Ethan has been untapped when it comes to Blue’s feelings about this whole thing and while he may only be 7, that is such a perfect age to talk about feelings. For him to maybe be the first person to speak up for his mom and recognize she may not always be there, but she is trying.
That scream was…….bone chilling! Like I have no words for that moment, well maybe a few lol I wonder how many takes BL did for that. Hell, it probably didn’t take much for her get into the mind set of being frustrated, considering all that her character has been through with these last two seasons.
Like how does BL cry so effortlessly? Like her tears, emotion, desperation, despair, is so f***** REAL! Like BL really throws her all into this role. I felt her this whole episode!
I don’t like that they decided to have Darla leave without Blue! Like I get not wanting to take him away from his home, but at the end of the day, Darla isn’t some stranger on the street, she is his MOTHER! It was one thing to punish Darla for her lies and deceit blah blah blah, but they are also punishing Blue. You mean to tell me, that Blue didn’t see his mom for days because the B family didn’t want for her to see him, (again punishing her), and now she is pretty much forced out and is going home, without him!?!?!?!?! BULLSHIT!
And Blue knows something is going on! The episode started with it being clear he is aware they are talking about his momma! That poor baby going to grow to hate his father’s family for how they treated his momma.
Yeah, that scene broke my heart. It’s like what you said how can they treat the baby like a treasure, yet treat the mother like trash? You can’t have one without the other.
RA really should have shut his mouth, and allowed for Darla tell her side of the story. She was trying to tell him that she was raped but he didn’t want to hear it. That is another thing about this story line and what the writers are doing that has pissed me off with these last four episodes.
We have seen Darla tell 2 people (RA and her mother Darlene) at least 3 different times ( Episode 14 while out in the field (RA), on the couch with her mother also during episode 14, and during the pool scene with this episode) of Darla saying yet, not saying that she was raped – gang raped, while she was high and intoxicated when she was at that party in D.C. And all three times, Darla was either not heard (RA), the subject and what Darla was saying was brushed over and not touched upon further (her mother Darlene), or she was completely cut off, and dismissed (RA). My question is – Is Darla ever going to verbalize and say the actually words, that she was “Raped”, hell are the writers going to allow her to actually vocalize what happened to her? Like that is the thing that is really pissing me off, everyone is glossing over the fact that Darla was raped, hell even Darla herself is glossing over it. She just brushes it off, as her “not being herself” that night, when it was more to it.
But it is like what I said previously, with everything Darla has been through she may not even be in the right head space mentally to even being to process what had happened to her. She may not feel like she has a right to see herself has a victim, because she was drinking, smoking getting high at the party. Then everything that happened after, her drug addiction, losing Blue, selling herself and working as prostitute. It is all just so heartbreaking and she is getting no support! Thoughts?
I think the problem is, the whole Bordelon family just were never there for Darla like she needed. Even Charley, like when Darla was trying on her wedding dress, she was opening up to her and Charley made the situation about her. What Darla has long needed is for someone to just listen. Aunt Vi did that once but revoked that privilege as quick as she could.
Making this return home something I have my fingers crossed for. Though separating Darla from the rest is likely going to cause issues, she is the strongest character right now. She is the one with such a wealth of potential storylines and isn’t stuck to battling someone or herself. She has been set back yet hasn’t fallen down and I just hope in DC, be it her parents, family, or a psychologist, she gets the chance to go uninterrupted, not put on the ropes, and just speak.
For that yelling dude, urgh. Even with her parents back in her life, so comes the question of how to fully recover that relationship, introduce Blue to them fully, but deal with RA’s family who surely are going to make it difficult. They won’t even let her take her charger. Imagine the way they are going to act when she comes for Blue.
“What Darla has long needed is for someone to just listen.” That quote pretty much sums up Darla’s character for these last two seasons. No one hears her or sees her. It’s like she gets these little moments of having her voice heard, just to either get dismissed, shut down, blamed and yelled at over something, getting punished, and demonized, or having her past thrown back in face, it’s like she never just have a moment of peace, and understanding from anyone without it being taken away from her by other people. ?
This is where having Blue vocalize want he wants will come into effect. It was one thing to stop Darla from seeing Blue herself, keep him away from her all of that. It is another thing when Blue himself stops asking questions about where his mother, is and why he can’t see her, to Blue then DEMANDING to see her. When he starts yelling, and throwing temper tantrums, the B family will finally have to realize that all the stuff going on between them, is just that between them. Leave the boy out of it, and let him see his mother.
Hey Amari great review! I’m excited for season 3!
I have more than few issues with this season finale so like last week, I’ll let you go first.
THE DAMN PATERNITY TEST! No one wants to double check? There is not even a lick of hope that Blue could be RA’s? Also, where the hell is Micah? He just got suspended for 30 days. Your child, at a school you pay good money to, pretty much will have to repeat the grade.
Is Darla abandoning Blue again while she gets herself together? Did Nova and Remy have something going on before Charley came around? So many questions…
I’m happy though Darla finally let out some of her frustration.
The paternity test will be done season 3. Micah not being in this episode was weird, and kind of a plot hole, Nova & Remy, they didn’t kiss, but I did call that they would have something going on. QS is tipping the iceberg of becoming a soap opera drama, the paternity bullshit, now the possibility of a Remy – Nova hook up, I GAGGED!
But peep Remy talking about he would have hit up Aunt Vi for some lovin if she didn’t low key scare him.