Queen Sugar: Season 7/ Episode 5 “With a Kind Of” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Nova decides to approach everyone about her book adaptation, and to say she has bad timing would be an understatement.

Aired (OWN)	10/4/2022
Director(s)	Shaz Bennett
Writer(s)	Eddie Serrano
Introduced This Episode
Belinda	Donna Duplantier
Dante	Adan Maverick Carcaño
Chase	Eric C. Lynch

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Recap

Just A Series Of Disappointments – Micah, Davis, Charley, Joaquin, Dante, Ralph Angel, Hollywood, Aunt Vi, Zane, Belinda, Darla

Belinda discovering Ralph Angel’s record leads to the possibility of Dante and Joaquin having to be taken out of Vi’s home. With that in mind, Ralph Angel offers to leave, and there is some debate about him having to. Ralph Angel went to jail and paid his debt to society with a slew of different projects.

Alongside that, there is the struggle that comes from Hollywood bonding with the boys, Dante, Joaquin’s little brother, especially, since he got a taste of what it would be like to have a son. So, with that in mind, it is worked out that Ralph Angel and Darla would move to hopefully allow Joaquin and Dante to stay.

But, while that situation has a resolution, the one Micah causes, where he exploited his parents’ worst moment, that isn’t resolved in this episode. Zane refuses to take the NFT down, and when you add in, it makes 200K in bids? Micah is torn. On the one hand, that’s a lot of money and fame and could allow him to make the art he wants. However, at the same time, he is getting the kind of backlash Nova did when she released “Blessings and Blood.”

A Blast From The Past – Chase, Darla

Darla, as usual, is trying to figure out ways for the co-op to thrive, like taking on the Queen Sugar mill and getting her and Ralph Angel to the places they could have been if they knew what they knew now. However, Chase, thanks to Jordan, gets Darla’s number and repeatedly threatens her. She keeps this to herself, but you can see he still has some sort of sway or power over her. One which reminds her of who she was rather than who she is.

No More Looking Back, Only Forward – Darla, Ralph Angel, Nova, Aunt Vi, Billie

Darla is rocked by Chase’s call, and then Nova presents the idea of her book being adapted? It’s an immediate no. Darla’s narrative has been repeatedly snatched from her by one person or another, and the last thing she wants or needs is a screenwriter and actor doing the damage so many she has known done but on a larger scale. So while Aunt Vi is excited about the idea of Oprah playing her, Nova shuts it down out of respect for Darla and focuses her attention on Billie.

Now, why Billie? Well, she is officially past Vince and single, so Nova offers her a night out, and with men being interested in Billie, she is hoping for the best. But, in return, Billie pulls up one of Nova’s first crushes, Camille, who still seems to be in the area. And with seeing her again, after so many years, there is a temptation to reconnect.

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Considering Darla’s parents are well connected, could they easily shut Chase down?
2. Are we going to meet Nova’s first crush?

What Could Happen Next

1. Finally, a Charley sighting
2. Nova being tempted to cheat on Dominic

Collected Quote(s)

I’m not being generous, I’m being greedy.
— Nova

I’ve got the ascended on my side, now I just have to convince the living.
— Nova

Review

Highlights

Darla

Darla raising her voice, flipping out, and not apologizing or being afraid to do so truly shows you how far this character has come. She has learned to appreciate all the tenacity and drive of Ralph Angel’s family, but she also recognizes if you aren’t firm with them, especially about your pain, they will steamroll you. They have each other and their own egos to fuel them, so if you don’t make it absolutely clear what they did and its effect, they may not fully understand the implications.

But she sure as hell made it clear she was against that movie and stopped Vi from dreaming of Oprah playing her.

Hollywood & The Taste Of Parentage

While Hollywood loves Vi and gets to play an uncle or big brother to her nieces and nephews, he entered their lives when they were already grown. Blue he was able to mold and take on in a way, but you can see he knew that wasn’t going to be permanent and because of how Aunt Vi was acting early on, he had to make a boundary if Ralph Angel and Darla were ever going to step back in as full-time parents.

With Joaquin, and especially Dante? He didn’t have that same guard up. Be it because he didn’t think their parents would show up or after putting away his feelings of wanting kids for so long, he just can’t help himself. In some ways, it is hard to watch for Hollywood gets the most excited when he feels part of something, when he invests in someone, and their eyes light up, and with Dante, it was a whole different level of giddy since it came from giving someone their first time and sharing in that moment. Teaching a kid, before they went down a bad path, and when you add in how safe and secure Dante felt with Hollywood? It’s hard to not get a bit emotional.

On The Fence

Why Do They Keep Teasing The Idea Of Nova Straying From Dominic?

While Nova being queer will always be appreciated, her relationship with Dominic is probably her least dramatic in 7 seasons. There is no cheating, no feeling of presenting a representative, or this vibe that she is trying to relive the past in a better state. It’s a clean slate. He matches her energy, isn’t trying to compete with her but is actually inspired by her, so why keep presenting these people she can blow all this up with? I get her ex noted she does this, but can’t we believe Nova, like everyone else, evolved and didn’t just learn to shy away from certain actions to avoid confrontations she doesn’t like?

Same Ol Mistakes

Speaking of people not evolving, considering how much Micah looked up to and still looks up to Nova, him not taking note of how her book affected the family and her place in it is ridiculous. Never mind him having the audacity to think his .gif of his mother confronting David is the same as a well-researched book that dug up all kinds of familial skeletons.

To put it simply, Micah seems like the type that doesn’t learn until he is put to the flames, and it is so sad to see, but while the boy is smart, and all Darla says he is, common sense isn’t always in his back pocket.

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