We start off this week's episode right in the middle of that intense family blowup that ended last week. (And with the good news that QS has been greenlit for a third season on OWN — so we'll be getting much more of the Bordelon family, y'all!)
Immediately I see that Ava and co. are not going to give our emotions any type of break. As soon as we open up, Ralph Angel is already sweating, and just about everybody's crying. His only answer for why he waited so long to tell his siblings about the letter was that he was waiting for the right time.
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Violet then reads the letter from Ernest out loud, which leaves the land to Ralph Angel, the child who "needs it and loves it most." But the sisters point out that Ernest didn't take it to his lawyer, and that the meaning isn't technically clear, since Ernest wrote it right after Ralph Angel got out of prison. It's possible Ernest was delusional in thinking RA could handle the farm all by himself, dreaming bigger for his son than he was actually capable of.
Ralph is not backing down, though. In fact, when Charley gets a call about some paperwork needed over at the mill, she asks Darla to handle it — also pointing out that this is a family matter they're working through, anyway, and they should handle it privately. (Which Micah seems to inherently understand, always excusing himself at just the right time whenever things get heavy.) But RA stands up for Darla, reminding the family that she's Blue's mama "and my lady." Cue the awwwwwws. (And jealousy from the "Siribaes" watching at home, who are holding on to hope that the chocolateyness that is Kofi/Ralph will one day be theirs.) But this conversation creates an awkward situation: Ralph tells Darla to stay, Charley tells her to go, and Darla is torn because she wants to stand by her man's side, but this is also now her job. She tells Ralph she needs to go in order to keep her job, and that him asking her to choose between him and work is something she would never do to him. Touché.
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The next scene was pretty moving, too — and finally gave us some more insight into Nova's mother. As she goes through her father's lockbox — the one where Ralph found the letter — she finds a few keepsakes, like birthday cards and a photo of a young Nova with her mother when she was pregnant with Ralph Angel. She then finds a wedding ring, presumably Ernest's from when he was married to her mother, and puts it on. This raises some interesting questions: Charley is older than Ralph, right? Does that mean that Ernest had an affair? When did Nova and Ralph's mother die, and how? And will we ever get this full story, or is Queen Sugar gonna keep playin' with us?
Charley's still being interviewed for a piece for Gallant Magazine — but isn't exactly sure where to take the story now that there's some confusion over who's in control of the farm. She admits to Violet that since she's gotten to St. Josephine, everything has been all about Ralph Angel. Violet tells her that you help the people who need help — but Charley reminds her that she needs help, too.
Finally, the moment we've been waiting for: Charley and Ralph sit down across one another at the dining room table. Charley asks RA, respectfully, how he plans to fund the farm without her. Ralph swears he can make it work, but then Nova jumps into the discussion, and more fighting ensues. The sisters almost seem to convince him that he doesn't have the means or the experience to run the farm all on his own, and Violet reluctantly agrees. But Ralph is still being stubborn, whining about how his sisters don't believe in him. I can't lie, I'm getting kind of annoyed with Ralph Angel and this whole baby-of-the-family act. I know he's been through a lot, but let's be real, RA! You know you can't afford this farm all on your own! Every episode, I just want him to snap out of it. But he's so foine that it's hard to be mad at him for long.
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Back at Charley's house at the mill, Micah brings her a coffee. And his dad, Davis, has a wrapped "housewarming gift." Turns out it's an ice cream maker; he tells her he's always felt bad for telling her not to put it on their wedding registry. Charley isn't falling for it, though, and tells him that she's doing an interview about their divorce. Davis proceeds to act all hurt, and I roll my eyes, because I'm like homeboy, y'all wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you!
Nova, meanwhile, decides to do some digging into the titles and ownership of her family's land and learns that Violet used to own half of it. She confronts Violet, who tells Nova she sold her half back to her brother a long time ago. You see, when she married a "no-good man," Jimmy, that Ernest didn't approve of, the brother and sister had a falling out. But after Jimmy started abusing her, her brother came to her rescue and sent him with his bags packing. When she filed for divorce, she sold her half of the farm to Ernest so she could have enough to pay off the mortgage on the house she and Jimmy shared — and her and her brother were able to fix their relationship. "Baby, compared to family, that land ain't nothin but a mess of pottage," she says to Nova. That is both such a true thing to say, and so Southern.
The next scene made me pre-tty angry, y'all. Remy confronts Charley about "using her divorce as part of her business plan." I know he's in love with her and all, but I didn't think that was fair to say. Davis screwed Charley over, big time: Why shouldn't she try to turn that lemon into lemonade? So I didn't blame Charley when she asked Remy, kindly but forcefully, to leave her office.
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Next, Darla heads over to Ralph Angel's to tell him that if he's mad at her for leaving to do her job, she can live with that — but she's not going to let RA's anger get in the way of her seeing Blue. Darla says if Ralph won't let her in, she'll just take Blue swimming, so Ralph tells Blue to get his swimming trunks on. Yikes. Looks like Ralph's ego is getting in the way in more places than one in his life.
Nova don't have time for none of y'all, though. She packs up her bag with some cute little lingerie and leaves a voicemail for the good Doctor, telling him she's taking him up on his offer to visit and is on her way to Atlanta. I know das right, Nova! Forget all that family drama and get yours!
The episode ends with Charley getting her makeup done for her magazine photoshoot while being interviewed. When the writer asks how her father would feel about her making her life over to work in agriculture, Charley suddenly gets choked up. And then she answers as honestly as she can: With the words "I don't know." Of everyone in the family, I do feel like Charley is under the most pressure, and wish the rest of the Bordelon clan would give her a break. We'll see if they do — next week, in the final episode before the mid-season break.
Until then..