Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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While we learn about Puerto Rican history and life after Maria, we also learn something major about Mars!
| Network | ||
| Netflix | ||
| Director(s) | Spike Lee | |
| Writer(s) | Lemon Anderson | |
| Air Date | 5/24/2019 | |
| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Lucy (Tina) | Rosie Perez | |
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Welcome To Puerto Rico: Winny, Shemekka, Mars, Nola
For a good portion of the episode, we see the culture of PR in full display. Be it Winny walking about handing bags of money to various organizations, Mars giving us history lessons, or Nola engaging with the locals, alongside Shemekka, to bring to life what is seen in pictures. To deliver a heartbeat and hope beyond the words “tragedy” and show the resiliency of the island and the people who inhabit it. All of which pushes that this episode was done out of love unlike when certain comedy movies travel to places for the sake of a vacation.
Scared To Love: Mekka, Winny, Nola
Between her insecurities before the butt injections, and the recovery thereafter, Mekka is a bit sensitive about how she looks. Something Nola, and Winny, try to help her heal from, but it is hard. Especially with Winny since Mekka feels a bit like the flavor of the month, even with all the effort Winny is putting in.
Dona Lucy FKA Tina: Nola, Mars, Lucy
We finally meet Mars’ mom Lucy, who is heavy into Yoruba, and she has herself a few good conversations with Nola. Not just in terms of her relationship with Mars, but also holding her up in a way which pushes Nola to be herself far more than that art retreat did. And with being invited to the beach to dance, be free, it seems whatever had a hold on Nola, be it Opal or something else, it unshackles her.
But what also needs to be noted is the reveal Lucy is Tina, from Do The Right Thing and Mookie is Mars’ real dad.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- With the Tina/Mookie connection to Do The Right Thing, what is the possibility the show may connect to other Spike Lee movies and feature their characters?
Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments
- Mookie is Mars’ father, and that means She’s Gotta Have It exists in the “Do The Right Thing” Timeline, Universe, what have you!
Highlights
Welcome To Puerto Rico
With the existence of the internet, you quickly become aware of every tragedy, crime, and an outrageous moment or act on a regular basis. Making it so the news cycle feels like it inundates you and makes it so Puerto Rico, unless close to your heart, becomes yet another issue you feel powerless about. Which is why She’s Gotta Have It filming there, showing not just the people, especially in dire straits, but happy, dancing, and working to recover is important. Conversations can easily end once you place a period and move onto the next paragraph, chapter, or what have you. But there is nothing saying you can’t pick up where you, or someone else, left off.
Which is to say, in She’s Gotta Have It bringing names of organizations on the ground, showing pride, and having long-established Puerto Rican characters visit their home away from home, you get a genuine love letter to PR. One which isn’t poverty porn but holds up its diverse beauty in all aspects.
Winny Being Sweet To Mekka
While Winny isn’t a saint, Andrew could tell you that, there is something about him being sweet on Mekka which lulls you a bit. That makes it so the person presented in season 1, and his interactions with Jamie, you strangely separate him from. And granted, this could just be all about him wanting him some Mekka, and maybe he will leave soon after but, something about their interaction pushes you to be more optimistic than pessimistic.
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