Queen Sugar: Season 7/ Episode 8 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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The opportunity for closure and resolution is presented for many, but is it the best course of action across the board?

Aired (OWN)	10/25/2022
Episode Title	Never To Be The Same
Director(s)	Patricia Cardoso
Writer(s)	Josslyn Luckett, Ava DuVernay
Introduced This Episode
Camille	Tracie Thoms

This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links which, if a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.

Recap

I’ve Moved On – Billie, Aunt Vi, Darla

Jimmy Dale calls from a hospice, and it seems he is at the tail end of his life. Because of this, he calls out to Aunt Vi, and she lets him have it. Not just for what she went through with him but also for having the audacity to have her as his emergency contact all these years. But, with him in a weakened state, maybe a few days from meeting his maker, Aunt Vi mentions the possibility to Billie that maybe she would like to confront Jimmy Dale.

Now, when it comes to the topic of closure, Aunt Vi makes it clear there is more than one way to free yourself. So she isn’t pressuring Billie to meet with Jimmy Dale. But, with Darla overhearing the conversation and taking note of Chase and the opportunity to confront him, she is overwhelmed with emotions as she contemplates facing the man who drastically altered her life.

Joyous Reunions – Camille, Nova, Ignacio, Joaquin, Dante, Hollywood, Aunt Vi

After being away for so long, Ignacio returns, and Joaquin and Dante are joyous. Hollywood and Aunt Vi too, but you can tell it is a bit bittersweet for them. Hollywood got the chance to raise two boys, Aunt Vi had kids in the house again, but both are happy to help and settle with that.

As for Nova, her joyous reunion is with her childhood crush Camille who is a mother, divorced and single, and runs her family’s business. This leads to the perfect storm for Nova to mess up for while things ended on a sour note with Calvin, because of their history and his actions, what ruined things with Camille was shame. Her own shame and partly what came from her family. But, with Camille noting her father, Ernest, asked of her to look up Nova when she returned, it’s clear that the only thing in the way of Camille and Nova reuniting is one another.

Well, technically, Nova being in a relationship as well, but it seems temptation is harder to fight when there isn’t a lot of baggage to go thru.

Some People Change, Others Just Show How Deep The Hatred Goes – Cardale, Ralph Angel, Chase, Darla, Hollywood, Aunt Vi

Cardale has always been a tough cookie and skeptic. Whether it was Charley bringing the mill about, the Co-Op, you name it, Cardale would be one of the first voices to question someone’s intentions and their ability to get the job done. But the man is touched when his farm is threatened with being flooded, and Ralph Angel gets the co-op together to save his land. Heck, he gets emotional and notes that like he learned from Ralph Angel’s father, he is learning from him, and the moment leads the two to hug.

But, while that moment ends in love and hugs, the same can’t be said for when Chase meets with Darla. She has Ralph Angel there as a potential threat, Hollywood to keep Ralph Angel from killing Chase, and Aunt Vi? She is a wild card.

However, while Hollywood does have to stop Ralph Angel from whooping Chase’s ass, again, everything ends rather amicably for Darla, and she even extorts a notable amount of money out of Chase. She gets him to put $250,000 into the Co-Op, and even gets him to pay $25,000 per month for ten years. Also, she gets him to sign his rights away, in case he is Blue’s father, and a type of restraining order that says he’ll stay away.

Now, mind you, he doesn’t get his NDA signed, so it is made clear that Darla has all the power and isn’t giving up one bit of it. But, as long as he makes those payments, his family and his political career will be allowed to flourish.

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. What will Chase’s family say when they see this huge sum of money moving out of his accounts every month? Never mind, $250,000 at one time? Surely someone will think he is being blackmailed.
2. Is it safe to assume Billie drew up the papers Darla had Chase sign?

What Could Happen Next

1. Nova gonna cheat
2. Billy may get back with her husband
3. With this new influx of money, another battle with the Landry family

Collected Quote(s)

Freedom looks different for each of us.
— Aunt Vi

We’ll let the good times heal the bad times.
— Nova

Review

Highlights

How Closure Looks Different For Everyone

One of the things we’ve seen throughout “Queen Sugar” is people experiencing trauma. From rape, abandonment, infidelity, abuse, drug addiction, and more, the majority of the cast has gone through something and has sought various ways to get over that hill. Darla has run from who she was, and what happened and has stumbled and fallen while pursued by her demons. Hollywood reminds her she has always gotten back up, but you can only run so long, according to Darla. Hence why Nova’s book, something she didn’t see in front of her while looking back, knocked her on her ass for so long.

Then with Billie, she didn’t run, but she allowed Jimmy Dale to alter her trajectory completely. She didn’t become a lawyer. She installed her own glass ceiling and just looked at the people walking by above her. Heck, Nova, with her brand of issues, seemingly sought to hurt people before they could hurt her, and as shown, there isn’t one method that works for all in getting beyond your pain.

For Darla, confronting Chase with support allowed her some sense of freedom. Billie didn’t need to face Jimmy Dale but did need to be heard and validated that what happened did happen. Nova had to rectify her past through her book, making amends, and more to get beyond her hurt, and even Aunt Vi with Jimmy Dale, telling him off to her face, got her what she needed.

After all, as Aunt Vi said, freedom looks different for everyone, and closure isn’t a surefire way for all to get there. Some just need to be heard. Some need their abuser to be prosecuted. It all depends on your individual, specific needs. And the show makes it clear there isn’t one way, and you don’t need to do anything which doesn’t bring about healing or freedom, whether you identify as a victim, survivor, or aren’t even ready to talk about what happened.

Cardale Getting Emotional

While Hollywood’s men’s club, “The Spot,” is barely featured and seems to be used only on rare occasions, its purpose of it remains. As he noted, men do not have the ability, words, or safe spaces to be emotional and talk. Cardale is perhaps a prime example, for that man lives his life like a turtle, afraid of anything and everything that doesn’t fit inside the life he made in his shell. But, through 7 seasons and all Ernest did before the series events, that fear, insecurity, and inability to trust someone who wasn’t kin seemed to dissipate. Now, Cardale isn’t just a member of the community by birth and invitation but may finally be willing to volunteer.

Now, this isn’t to say he won’t still complain like he’s spoiled and entitled, but at the very least, with Ralph Angel really going out of his way for him, maybe Cardale will finally initiate the fight for his people than have to be convinced.

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