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We’re still in England and things only get weirder as Van makes an appearance, Darius shuts down a restaurant, and Al becomes a voice for forgiveness.
| Aired | 4/21/2022 |
| Network | FX |
| Directed By | Ibra Ake |
| Written By | Ibra Ake |
| Introduced This Episode | |
| Khalil | Fisayo Akinade |
| Sharon | Tamsin Topolski |
Recap
Shut It Down – Darius, Sharon
Darius always wants an adventure, but he didn’t know that getting jollof rice, specifically Nigerian jollof rice, would be such an adventure. Never mind that he, due to introducing his escort, Sharon, to Nigerian food, would potentially put a Nigerian restaurant out of business. But then he finds himself watching Sharon, with her husband, do a bastardized version right in front of the shop.
Take What You Can Get, And Get It In Writing – Khalil, Al, Earn
White guilt is very lucrative. However, it is important to capitalize on it properly, or you will be used and made into the proverbial: Boo-Boo The Fool. Earn warns Al of this because Al joins a fashion brand’s “diversity board” under the guise that they are truly sorry for a recent controversial campaign. However, what Al thinks will happen, true change, and investment is laughable. They use his words to change a Black Dollars Matter type of campaign to something watered down and “inclusive” in the most misinterpreted way you could use that word.
Thus, Khalil, a member of the board, well-versed in taking advantage of white guilt and controversy, trying to show Al the game. Khalil makes an effort to show Al how to use white guilt and money to funnel towards the areas you want through non-profits. Something which he has done for ages, and while, yes, he does seemingly use some money for personal gain and entertainment, it is implied some of the funds go where it was intended as well.
But you may want to check the books on that.
Don’t Ruin The Moment – Van, Earn
Van is randomly seen by Earn, and immediately he confronts her about where has she been for the past few weeks? Her answer: shopping. Mind you, without a job and a child at home, there is a need to question with what money, but that’s for another time. The point is, Earn sees her and after an incident with an overzealous white woman, Earn, and her get a free night in a hotel.
This leads to an odd moment between the two. Earn, who defended her, and even called Van his fiancée, is alone with her and feels the need to apologize for coming at her the way he did. Van, she is just enjoying the suite, the high ceilings, a comfy bathrobe, and Earn’s company. Which leads them to get very close – kissing close.
Earn, for whatever reason, decides to ask if maybe the white woman was right and did Van steal a wig. But, rather than let him ruin the moment they were having with a dumb question, Van kisses Earn, and apparently, one thing leads to another that night.
Unfortunately for Earn, though, he wakes up alone and questions what happened.
Things To Note
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Did they finally get rid of Socks?
- Since Van was on her own for weeks, how has she afford to live in Europe on her own?
What Could Happen Next
- Earn having a serious conversation with Van after that kiss, and them seemingly having sex
Review
Highlights
Skin Folk, Kin Folk, And Who Gets Invited To The Cookout
Money and culture are two very complicated topics, especially when they get intertwined. Darius experiences this through exposing Sharon to his culture, and while he is trying to share it as an exchange or a means of exposing her to something different, she sees a money-making opportunity. One that, with the way Darius makes it seem, ends one of the few Nigerian restaurants in the area and, unfortunately, presents the idea what Sharon is selling is Nigerian-esque. Thus leading to a lot of people to get bamboozled and Darius, whose name is a dish, being credited with what happened.
But the really interesting piece is what Al goes through. I think we all know that damn near every celebrity you can think of has some kind of non-profit. Some are more prominent than others, but it’s hard to find a major celebrity without a non-profit arm. Khalil reminds you why. Not to downplay all the good that can be done with non-profits, but let’s not pretend that non-profits and charities aren’t a go-to shield when someone needs protection.
I mean, who knows how much The United Negro College Fund, NAACP, and so many other Black organizations owe their budgets to Black trauma circulating on the news? Heck, lest we forget, there are a lot of activists who, through their “charities,” you don’t just fund the projects they say they are going to do, but their lifestyles. I won’t say any names, but there are more than one consistently called out for being vultures.
So, consider this episode as a means of reminding you that not everyone has good intentions, and if you aren’t the one controlling the money, you may want to be aware of where it is going and to who.
Van Not Letting Earn Ruin The Moment
Men will easily talk themselves out of things. Earn has done this multiple times, but by the grace of Van and her desires for something familiar, she sidestepped Earn’s dumb*** comment and didn’t let him ruin the moment.
Now, why did she do this? Hard to say. Like Darius, Van can be a bit of an enigma, especially in this season. But she is finding herself, and maybe part of that journey is exploring what used to work in her life and seeing if Earn, or their sex life, was part of that equation or not?
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