Andddd we’re back with episode 3 of Queen Sugar, which kicks off with the Bordelon siblings hearing Ernest's last will and testament. He left his farm to his children, of course, and throughout the episode, we see the trio debate what's best: To keep it (Ralph Angel's vote) or to sell it (the sisters are united on this front).
My favorite part about this episode is the dry humor. After a heavy first and second episode, the writers gifted us with some some subtle yet hilarious moments that brought on major laughs:
Nova makes a plantation joke that actually works.
When the trio rolls up to visit potential (and obnoxious) farm buyer Sam Landry's big ol' farm, Charley asks if any of her siblings have ever been before. Nova's response? "To this museum to our enslaved ancestors? No. It's like going back in time." The shade on her face as she looks around the land is hilarious, and it reminds me of exactly the kind of joke that one of my family members would make in a similar situation. It's a reminder of why it's so important to have Black writers on a Black show.
Aunt Vi is all of our Aunties.
When Fuckboy — er, sorry, Charley's husband Davis — walks up to Aunt Vi's house, immediately upon seeing him, she gives him the The Ultimate Aunty Side-Eye. No hello, no smile; she just wordlessly leads him inside without bothering to open the door for him. Her boyfriend Hollywood and nephew Ralph Angel, however, are a little more friendly (guy code, I guess). But when Hollywood offers Davis coffee, Aunt Vi responds: "We out." And as for sweet tea in the fridge? "We outta that, too." OH, the SHADE. Actual, real laughter here.
Aunt Vi is also all of us when someone tries to hit on our man.
Vi's boyfriend Hollywood is a bit younger than her, but she's not intimidated. When a fellow waitress and PYT Roberta — who's showing off more than a little cleavage — rolls up to Hollywood's car for some flirting, an unfazed Aunt Vi gets in the car, offers up a swift "hey baby," then kisses her man right in front of ol' girl. "Bye Roberta," she says with a mischievous smile as they drive off together. Claim yours, Violet!
Nova makes a plantation joke that actually works.
When the trio rolls up to visit potential (and obnoxious) farm buyer Sam Landry's big ol' farm, Charley asks if any of her siblings have ever been before. Nova's response? "To this museum to our enslaved ancestors? No. It's like going back in time." The shade on her face as she looks around the land is hilarious, and it reminds me of exactly the kind of joke that one of my family members would make in a similar situation. It's a reminder of why it's so important to have Black writers on a Black show.
Aunt Vi is all of our Aunties.
When Fuckboy — er, sorry, Charley's husband Davis — walks up to Aunt Vi's house, immediately upon seeing him, she gives him the The Ultimate Aunty Side-Eye. No hello, no smile; she just wordlessly leads him inside without bothering to open the door for him. Her boyfriend Hollywood and nephew Ralph Angel, however, are a little more friendly (guy code, I guess). But when Hollywood offers Davis coffee, Aunt Vi responds: "We out." And as for sweet tea in the fridge? "We outta that, too." OH, the SHADE. Actual, real laughter here.
Aunt Vi is also all of us when someone tries to hit on our man.
Vi's boyfriend Hollywood is a bit younger than her, but she's not intimidated. When a fellow waitress and PYT Roberta — who's showing off more than a little cleavage — rolls up to Hollywood's car for some flirting, an unfazed Aunt Vi gets in the car, offers up a swift "hey baby," then kisses her man right in front of ol' girl. "Bye Roberta," she says with a mischievous smile as they drive off together. Claim yours, Violet!
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Heartbreaking is a word that's overused these days, but this scene was truly that.
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Thanks for the laughs, Queen Sugar, but of course this episode isn't devoid of tearjerker moments. When a repossession truck comes to take Ernest's tractor, Charley tells the man (who I should probably mention is white, with one heavy Southern accent),"We just put our father in the ground four days ago." But Ralph Angel isn't as calm; he tearfully — and angrily — pulls a gun out on the man. Mr. Tractor Man's sidekick rolls up — with a shotgun. And then, before I can catch my breath, baby Blue comes running outside and sees his father holding a gun. "Pop!" he yells. "I'm coming, Pop!" Heartbreaking is a word that's overused these days, but this scene was truly that. Ralph Angel slowly puts down the gun; he's a single father grieving his own father, and you can tell he's reached his breaking point.
Other major moments that happened in the episode: Nova goes to a prison to visit a young man we haven't met before. We're not sure who he is, but he says he's innocent of what he's being accused of. We learn that Ralph Angel, on the other hand, is actually an ex-con who's parole officer is nagging him to get a full-time job with an actual pay stub. Eventually he finds a job at a warehouse — but not before he hits rock bottom, showing up at his baby mama's trailer (beer in hand) for a...um, late night visit. In case you forgot, he kinda hates her, so this is no bueno.
An update on Charley and Davis: He admits to his wife that he did cheat on her with an escort, but that it wasn't rape. "You're only telling me all this because you got caught," Charley says when he apologizes. I think myself and every woman who's ever been wronged yelled, "Mmhm, girl!" Micah, however, is over the family drama and wants to go back home with his father. We can can see that this hurts Charley to her core, but she agrees to it.
In the end, the siblings decide against selling the farm to Landry; Ralph Angel will move there with Blue and tend to the crop while the sisters handle the business end of things. I can already tell balancing a full-time warehouse job with an entire sugar plantation farm — and raising a five-year-old son— is going to be one heck of a juggling act for Ralph Angel and that the sisters are going to be more involved than they think. I guess we'll have to see — next week.