Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.
Love is in the air for Nova and Micah but sadly, as sweet as things are going for them, the opposite is true for Ralph Angel and Darla.
Ain’t Never Late, Just Ain’t Early: Aunt Vi, Charley, Lorna
The owner of Rawlings Supermarket offers Aunt Vi $50,000 for 350 of her pies a week. An exclusive deal and something which kind of comes at the worst time of Aunt Vi’s life. Her vision is blurring, her balance is off, and it seems she may have fibromyalgia. Well, if not hoping that is the cause of her problems rather than something else.
But, keeping things on the up and up, when Charley comes to visit her to complain about how oblivious her mother can be about race relations, she doesn’t bring up her pain. She reassures Charley about who she is, why she has gotten this far, and leaves it at that. Well, and sharing the good news about that offer and hoping Charley could assist. She is the up and coming business woman of the family and all.
New Love: Keke, Micah, Nova, Robert
While Nova still isn’t at the point in openly admitting Robert means something to her, not even to her best friend Sierra, Micah introduces Keke as his girl openly. Also, in private, he gushes about her in a way which is so sweet. OH! And this scene when he is learning how to brain hair by Keke! He isn’t good at it, seems rather confused, but with her being a virgin, and seemingly them not getting to know each other yet to the point she feels like she should give herself over to Micah like that, she is giving him a different kind of intimacy. No kissing, grinding, or heavy petting. No teasing or something to take the edge off of any kind. She presents to him bricks and cement so they can build something real vs. a straw house gone with a breath of wind.
Which is perhaps what has Nova shaken in her boots. Robert seems damn near perfect, but there lingers her mother in the background. For more than likely, her mom and dad seemed perfect together at one time. But then Lorna proved that was a lie. So how can someone give themselves over, beyond the physical being, when your emotions are still recovering from something which happened at least 13 or more years ago? Especially when there was no closure?
Could Be Over Before It Begun: Charley, Darla, Ralph Angel
With Darla not having much in the way of friends, it makes Charley being willing to go dress shopping with her such a kindness. One which could be considered a little underhanded since, while the whole situation should have been about Darla, Charley drudges up how Lorna spoke to her when she was getting married to Davis. Be it her looking pregnant, which she was. Her brutal honesty and how she made that the only way Charley knows how to talk now, and she just really opens up to Darla. Making it seem the whole will incident is something they have gotten past.
Leading to Darla opening up in return. Once again relating to Charley as she notes how she has a similar relationship with her mom. Someone who she never wanted to disappoint, was hyper critical, and yet is still her mom. Making the fact she hasn’t gotten back to her hurt.
However, that may not hurt as much as when Star is talked about. You see, Star was the name Darla went by when she was a sex worker and one of her old John’s call out that name when Ralph Angel is around. He doesn’t say or do nothing then and there, but it leads to an argument later. One in which we learn that Darla was trading her body for drugs after Blue was born and before Ralph Angel went to jail. Leading us to understand why he calls her selfish. It is all because of that time period where she seemingly put herself and her pain first, and their relationship, much less Blue, second.
Making me wonder, as we talk about how Nova’s mom affected her relationships, you have to wonder, with the woman being Ralph Angel’s mom too, what role she played in his way of thinking? How does what Ernest did to his mother affect his relationships, if it does at all? For both seem to have issues with trusting people, and considering the only relationship they know of in which trust wasn’t reliable deals with their dad, it seems both have unresolved issues.
Highlights
Micah and Keke
We haven’t seen Keke on screen in a hot minute and even when we did, she wasn’t saying or doing much. Yet in this episode, we get a information dump. Keke looks up to Nova, and considers her a hero, Keke has done over 40 hours of community service, and pretty much has captured Micah’s heart. But to add onto why you have to adore Keke, while there was some offense taken when Micah was talking about them showing together, she didn’t just write him off after that.
Like we saw early in season 1, when they first got together, she showed how easily she can read this boy and can understand his intentions. Keke, because the girl is wise beyond her years, I like to believe knew that is how Micah interprets intimacy and how to express it – through sex. So she showed him a different way. A means for them to bond past sharing information you can find on Facebook and really build something that could allow her to instill trust and confidence in him. To believe he will be a consistent presence and not here today, smash tonight, and gone tomorrow.
Marital Problems
Ralph Angel’s past has been consistently brought up by family members, as well as Darla’s past. However, between each other, the topic has been avoided. What they both were guilt of before Ralph Angel went to jail. But with them becoming one comes them having to figure out what that means. Sort of, like how Keke is doing with Micah, establishing what kind of relationship they have when sex and cute moments aren’t what is going on.
Of which, seemingly all there is might be dirt under the rug. Not soft dirt either. Clumps they stomp down to try to flatten it out but now those lumps are uncomfortable beneath bare feet and with that rug lifted, they realize that isn’t dirt. It is the guilt that lives between them and the animosity Ralph Angel still holds. Which makes Aunt Vi giving that pre-marital counseling flier a god send because Darla, at this point in her life, is trying to move on. Like Ralph Angel, she is tired of people drudging up the past and wants the opportunity and ability to just move on.
The Pain of My Mother
As noted toward the end of the third topic, and within topic 2, Nova and Ralph Angel’s mother continues to have influence over them. Especially in terms of what happened to her thanks to Ernest. Now, for Nova it has been very clear but now there seems to be signs maybe it effects Ralph Angel too. Granted, he was too young to be aware of what was going on, but even if he was Blue’s age, he could sense it. Plus, later on, surely Nova filled in what Ralph Angel didn’t understand. Which I think is manifesting in his relationship with Darla. There has always been this fear of Darla leaving for better and her being selfish. Something I think Ralph Angel picked up from his mom. This idea that he is the convenient choice. Perhaps, thanks to Blue, an obligation. Someone who, until Darla can do and find better, is a place holder.
Which I think is why he called her out on the past. In a childish way, he is using Star being brought up to take her down a peg. Maybe make it so this woman she is becoming, capable and able to be independent and without him, doesn’t come forth as quickly as she could. Perhaps explaining the proposal since that would lock her down.
On The Fence
Race Relations
A part of me feels what Charley is going through dealing with her mom, the Sam Landry and his little friends, and being bi-racial should have more punch. However, I feel like it requires an adjustment period. We’re getting a whole new side to Charley and her character’s storyline is shifting in a way which is making it more personal. No longer is she the jilted wife, the distant sister, but this girl between two worlds. Of which she never really belonged in either since only Aunt Vi made her feel like she belonged while her other two siblings kept her at arms length. And she, in return, did the same.
But, I kind of like her pro-Black agenda. Like with her wanting to highlight Keke and what she does. Charley’s journey in claiming and validating her own Blackness is something to watch.
How Long Till Darla’s Parents Show Up?
The more Darla and Charley’s story connect, the more I want to see the effect of how them taking diverging roads affected more than just their personal futures. I am more than ready to see her mom, who sounds like a Black Lorna, show up. Much less see whether her father is willing to forgive, is silent, or is as bad as the mother.
However, I doubt they are going to have Darla’s parents and Lorna focused on at the same time. More than likely, Lorna is going to be built up to show, as bad as Charley thinks she has it, it does not compare to what Darla was dealing with. After all, something had to have driven her to drugs and I am in no way convinced Ralph Angel can take the hit for that.
TV Shows We’re Covering This Season
Images used for editorial and commentary purposes. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.
