Queen Sugar: Season 3/ Episode 5 “A Little Lower Than Angels” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

The writers of Queen Sugar have seemingly decided to provide many gifts with a few poisoned apples in a slightly polarizing episode.

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Network
OWN
Director(s)		Shaz Bennett
Writer(s)		Chloé Hung
Air Date		6/20/2018
Actors Introduced
Ant	Myles Truitt

I Accept You As You Are: Remy, Nova

Nova has officially finished the first chapter of her currently untitled book and she thanks feeling more connected to her dad as the reason. So, to celebrate, and help make old memories stronger, Remy invites her to go fishing. Something which leads to a little side eye but she decides to take him up on the trip.

A trip which turns out quite nice. Yes, he forced her to use a pad and writing utensil over her laptop, but at the same time she did catch a fish and probably got the first quality conversation she had in a while. Which, as you can imagine, in a family that always has trouble maintaining their relationships, makes Nova feel comfortable. I’m talking, leaning her head on Remy’s shoulder comfortable and this leads to them kissing.

Oh dear.

Commentary

While last season this was hinted at, they were drinking at the time, Nova and Remy, so naturally you had to have assume it was the bubbly talking. WRONG! Nova and Remy seemingly will have something going on and I know what you’re thinking: What about Charley? Well, think about this – Did Nova have a crush on Remy before Charley came around?

I mean, we keep getting told how Remy was like family and how Ernest was like a dad to him. So who is to say Nova didn’t peep Remy before but because of her issues with her dad, they just didn’t interact too much. However, now with him gone, a stake in the farm, and Aunt Vi bringing her closer to home, they are picking up the speed from a stuttering, maybe flirtatious, “Hi!” and “Bye!”

At least, that’s how I’m trying to justify this relationship so that I’m not agitated by the pending drama. Especially considering how Charley’s personal life is really coming apart.

Maybe Not Moving On, But Definitely Moving Forward: Ralph Angel, Benny, Darla, Blue, Trinh

Despite Darla going away and how Ralph Angel would avoid phone calls, and random women would be around at night, Blue thought they were still together. On top of that, he thought they were still getting married. Something no one had the heart to tell him. Yet, there came a point when Darla told Ralph Angel, it has to be said. Leading to a sit down in which Blue learns the truth and his little dreams get destroyed of having his parents together.

But, luckily for him, Ralph Angel’s employee, Benny, might be able to provide a distraction. For now, to stay out of trouble, Ralph Angel is allowing him to stay with him. Now, as for what may come of that? Who knows. However, since it seems his people are still getting in trouble, wherever Crane Street is, here is hoping on 800 acres, Benny isn’t planting or hiding nothing.

Something Ralph Angel may not notice for a while since it seems his ho phase is over and now he wants to move onto Trinh. Someone whose house he goes over, meets the family, learns their history, and gets a taste of Vietnamese cuisine. Also who he asks out and when the day doesn’t work for her, and he feels rejected, she reminds him there are other days in the week. Making it seem she is down for some Ralph Angel in her life.

Commentary

Let’s quickly address Aunt Vi and Hollywood ain’t s*** for not saying a word to Darla and acting like she was some school aide they didn’t know. Aunt Vi that was expected of but Hollywood usually tried to be cordial so, you know what? I’m going to keep my malice to myself.

Those two aside, now that Ralph Angel is moving on, presenting himself as a grown man and even a mentor, I do hope we get to see what Darla is doing now. She has to have been back a few weeks, it is noted she has her own place so, when are we going to see it? When are we going to see what she is doing to support herself or is it her father is paying the bills? Maybe there is some guy we don’t know about, or girl, not judging, who she is living with? Also, you have to wonder if, while in DC, did she ever try to find Blue’s biological dad?

Switching to Trinh, I like her and hope to see more of her. Especially since her family is presenting their whole culture and while they are American, they aren’t necessarily Americanized. Not to forget, being that Ralph Angel seems to grow through his relationships, there is the question of whether Trinh will be a ladder or if she will be a hand. Meaning, is she just going to be a tool for Ralph Angel to grow as a person or will she remain a person who may provide some guidance but isn’t being stepped on.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Oh, and before we move on – Blue. When Blue, in the last episode, pushed Micah to give his message, something about that made it seem little Ethan was not going to just be the child stuck between two parents recovering from a societal taboo. The kid was going to become his own person and while still very much in a child’s place, seeing him cry as he realized his parents won’t get married, this ideal home isn’t going to happen, that was a tearjerker.

For how many of us also had that same dream, if our parents were friendly with one another, that they may get back together and you’d have access to both? Not just when they hand you off to the other but you could walk down the hall or into the dining room and there they both sat – every day. If not, when you wanted to swap them for a bedtime story, all you had to do was yell?

Poor Blue.

Never Enough: Davis, Charley

When Davis drops the bomb on Charley about Tia, she snaps. Not in a, “I’m going to kill you Davis!” kind of way. More so a mental snap because, the pressure of taking care of the Landry family, learning about Prosper’s situation, Micah going to public school, still dealing with the Remy breakup, and likely more, has been weighing on her. And taking note her and Nova never really made peace after the Landry thing was revealed, nor her and Aunt Vi, Davis and Ralph Angel kind of are all she has. I mean, her son turned his back on her. Plus, that’s her son. She can talk to him, yeah, but can only confide in him but so much.

So with no one picking up their phone as she has what could be seen as a panic attack, that must feel like another bout of rejection. Heck, maybe her thinking it might not just have been Micah but everyone knowing about Tia before her. You know how Bordelons like to jump to conclusions. So when Jacob is someone who contacts her and seems available? She jumps on that.

Which leads to them talking, drinking, sharing stories about their upbringing – like a date, and just like a date the night ending with a kiss. One that, either happened because of how vulnerable Charley was feeling, lonely, maybe not feeling desirable, her drinking so much, or maybe she has truly fallen for the enemy. A foolish move since, lest we forget from last season, Jacob seemed more interested in conquering Charley and getting a notch in his belt than making himself a Black girlfriend.

Commentary

Could she have not called Romero? Heck, for a hot second I thought she’d might have called Darla. Yeah, things ended badly with her but they understood each other. Opened up about their lives and found similarities. Hell, she is the only person, outside of Romero, who hasn’t done Charley dirty or turned their backs on her. But what do I know? Technically I’m a critic.

Which is why I got to ask, what is the end game here? Taking note I put Queen Sugar on a pedestal, why is it that, in its third season, it increasingly seems is increasing the type of drama we’d expect from an ABC show or something on FOX? For the first two seasons, until the Blue paternity thing, this show seemed fresh, rooted in a believable reality and just the right amount of messy to be entertaining. Now, it is almost as if they’re running out of ideas and are slowly becoming desperate for ratings. Thus they tap into the tried and true storylines which, considering OWN is still a rather niche channel, makes possibly alienating the tried and true quite perplexing.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Is this show going to eventually address how nobody really has any friends outside their family? Well, except Nova who sees them once in a blue moon?
2. While Thanh’s family are welcoming to Ralph Angel as a beloved employee, how will they react when they know he is dating a member of their family? I ask since you don’t see a whole lot of Asian/Black couples on TV and it seems Thanh is first generation American.
3. Do you think Charley is comfortable with Micah’s new friends? Ant may have won her over a bit with him pointing out the environmental effects of almond milk but she still seemed iffy.

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

“She made the most of a life she was talked into.”

Highlights

1. Ralph Angel not only ending his ho phase but finally sitting down, with Darla, and revealing to Blue his dreams of them being one big happy family aren’t going to happen.
2. Ralph Angel and Thanh and the storylines that can lead to.
3. Ethan Hutchinson’s performance.
4. Ralph Angel looking out for Benny, even if with hesitation.
5. Ant showing, as militant as he is, it’s because he is well read and knowledgeable. Not a rebel upset because they heard something second hand.

Low Points

1. Aunt Vi and Hollywood not even greeting Darla. Acting like they have no home training and being shady in front of Blue at that.

On The Fence

1. Charley and Nova’s new kissing buddies.

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