Greenleaf: Season 3/ Episode 8 “Dea Abscondita” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Zora deciding to leave leads to all hell breaking loose but with her dramatic exit, that might be the catalyst to the healing many need.

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Network
OWN
Director(s)		Charles Randolph-Wright
Writer(s)		Erica Michelle Butler
Air Date		10/17/2018
Characters Introduced
DA Price	Robert Gossett

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There Is A Light In The Darkness: Grace, Rochelle, Coralee, Percy, Charity, DA Price

With three marriages behind him, it really does seem Percy is looking at Charity to be his 4^th. If not, at the very least, someone to keep an old man company. After all, running a funeral home is lonely. You don’t get much repeat business and no one really wants to see you until they got a tragedy on their hands. So Charity being a light in that darkness, and Percy seemingly not getting what it means to have a partner, it might be the right time for him. However, it isn’t for Charity. So while a job is offered to take over someday, for now, it is a pass.

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Switching to Grace, Rochelle seems to be really trying hard to not only prove she isn’t all bad to Grace, but us as well. She notes how she is a crusader for the downtrodden, was in the big sister program, and this is on top of her making a lot of local Black folk quite a bit of money. Leading you to wonder, why didn’t Basie just give his money to his sister if she is doing so well?

That thought aside, thanks to Rochelle, Coralee gets to see her kids and may very well be on her way to getting a good lawyer. Problem is, with Grace investing so much into Coralee, it is ruffling DA Price’s feathers. To the point he keeps threatening Grace to try to get her to back down. Almost like it is an election year and he needs a win.

Commentary

I’m sorry but it is hard to give a damn about this Coralee storyline. Not just because it is being used to humanize Rochelle, in a way which almost feels cheap considering all the hell she raised, but because Coralee really should have been a Black woman. Which isn’t to say it has anything to do with the actress or writing. More so, I feel I can get Coralee’s story from Lifetime and a whole bunch of old movies and TV shows. It’s an old tired storyline. However, A Black woman in Coralee’s position, having someone fiercely defend her? That would mean so much more. It would be a conversation starter vs. just feeling like a storyline to keep a character busy.

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As for Charity? Maybe Percy might be good for her. He knows who he is and is rather comfortable in that. Also, he is complimentary and could be patient with Charity. All the while giving her a sign of what she can be and do for people. Now, whether she wants to see a man her father’s age beyond something platonic? That’s harder to say. But that doesn’t mean Percy may show he got game and see what he can do.

Zora’s Departure & Saying Goodbye: Zora, Isiah, Jacob, Kerissa, Mae

With Zora 18, she is ready to bounce. Mae tries talking to her, Jacob threatens Isiah, but nothing works. Thus throwing Kerissa into a tailspin to the point of bringing up faith casually as Mae questions her methods. But, with seeing Mae is one of her few reliable allies, she apologizes for going that far and allows Mae to assist her in finding Zora. Which she does and in that moment, she has one final plea. One which falls on death ears so Kerissa just hopes for her the best and lets go.

Commentary

Major props has to go out to Kim Hawthorne for bringing some heart to Zora’s storyline. For as much as everyone praises Lynn Whitfield and Keith David, veterans of the industry, Hawthorne shows why she damn near has 30 years under her belt. It’s because of her this doesn’t seem like another reason for Mae to lift her hands, hope her wig is pinned well, and speak on how exasperating this all is. For James to posture and talk about how he is head of the family and Jacob to mirror his attitude but be less convincing.

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As they all do that, Kerissa reminds you, at the heart of all this, is a child whose life is in danger. A mother who isn’t trying to have the trauma which has infected her husband’s family affect her child. Yet, with every method tried, what is left for her to do really? So here is hoping we just don’t see Zora until the finale since I think we all need a break from her. We need a reason to worry because I’m sure many of us were at the end of our rope and have given up on Zora a long time ago.

Oh, but one more thing! You gotta love how they make it clear, whether the child was raised wealthy or with religious teachings, they can still turn out like Isiah and Zora. A parent can only offer and do so much.

From That Pain, Many Find Hope: Sophia, Grace, Roberto, Mae, James

Unfortunately, when someone is going through hell, it often acts as a wake-up call for you. Take Sophia getting this nice gift from Roberto, a scrapbook of memories. It’s a wake-up call for her because, while she has a lot going on personally, she still has a future. One which won’t be in religious studies so going to a religious school makes no sense. Which she tells Grace and, you know what, considering all Zora is putting Kerissa through? Just as long as Sophia goes to college, I don’t think Grace could give a damn.

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But also from this pain comes recognition of other things which are or could be lost. Take James and Mae. Though in the midst of a nasty divorce, Mae puts out there if it wasn’t for Rochelle, and James gave her time, she would have found her way back to him. Even makes it seem, even after all that has happened, she misses James’ friendship.

Which perhaps is what leads to James finally talking to a higher power. He has been going tit for tat with Mae all this time and has been on the losing end for the most part. Clearly, this path is not the way but what is? That’s a question only his God can answer.

Commentary

Can we not get a rebellious Sophia? I feel like she is late to the party and thus is trying to see what she can and can’t get away with right now. Which, if you acknowledge how you were as a teen, or have them, you know what is going on. Sophia is seeing where that line is so she can try to sneak around it, lean over, but not really step foot over it. If not find where the camera are so she can try to get away with something.

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For I honestly thought, after his little gift, we were going to see Sophia hiding Roberto in her room. Especially since she has no reason to wait until marriage anymore. Plus, she can’t get pregnant so, outside of losing her virginity, what’s the big deal of having premarital sex?

That thought aside, should we have renewed faith that maybe Mae and James could work this out? With Mae talking about sympathy, sounding a bit lonely, and missing James, if he learns to let her lead, will there be forgiveness? Also, for James, I imagine living and listening to Percy is quite eye-opening. Maybe that’ll give him the wake-up call he needs? It got him speaking to a higher power. Hopefully, he’ll get connected to a voice beyond his ego and hear something he may not like but understands is the right thing to do.

Miscellaneous Commentary

Bye, Bye Tasha?

With all the madness of Zora going, Percy trying to see what could happen, and the possibility of James and Mae getting back together, I forgot Tasha! Long story short, even though Rochelle didn’t say she could, it seems she is leaving Triumph. Jacob makes it clear nothing can or will happen, rather harshly, so she packs her things, calls an uber, and is off to who knows where.

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Which, to be honest, is kind of for the best. Without Basie, and if Tasha isn’t going to have a strong part in Rochelle’s plan, what is she good for? If Jacob and her were going to have an affair, they would have pushed her being first lady more and Kerissa jealous of not being able to do her job and first lady duties. However, that got dropped as Zora’s drama picked up. So, with no offense to the actress, this seemed like they were dropping dead weight.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Does anyone else feel it has been so long that you don’t fully remember much about Faith? That is, besides she committed suicide?

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

Sympathy is not a currency. It is not to be traded, it is a feeling.
— Mae

Some people got forethought. They got enough sense to move out of the way when a truck is coming. Other people got hindsight. Best they can do is get the license plate number after they got run other. Some people got neither.
— Percy

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Highlights

1. Us hopefully getting a break from Zora.
2. Kerissa’s heartbreaking scenes with Zora which, for a character who often is complaining about not being seen, heard, acknowledged, she made sure all three happened.
3. Roberto’s gift to Sophia.

Criticism

1. This Coralee storyline is just… I just want it rushed and over.

On The Fence

1. Rochelle being humanized.
2. Taking note there isn’t much for her to do, Tasha will be missed.

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