Queen Sugar - S2E7 - I Know My Soul
Previously on Queen Sugar, “Line of Our Elders”
Voices were raised, accusations hurled, and when the dust cleared the Bordelon siblings were no closer to a solution than they were when Ralph Angel dropped his bomb. However, the audience now has deeper insight into what drives each of them to achieve the success they want and the mistakes they routinely make.
Nova wants receipts. While Ralph Angel drives to the farm to retrieve the letter, it gives everyone a chance to take a breath. Cooler heads prevail long enough for Aunt Vi to read the letter aloud. No one doubts the validity of the document, but it’s pretty clear that there’s a reason Ernest didn’t make it official: Ralph Angel was not yet ready to take on this responsibility. And Ralph Angel is so anxious to move past his mistakes, be the man his father wanted him to be, and prove everyone wrong that he’s willing to cut off his nose to spite his face. He can’t do it without his sister’s help, but he’s too proud to admit that.
It doesn’t appear Nova has a particular interest in the farm, but her father’s letter is another indication that there was a disconnect between them. When she goes through the lockbox that held the letter, she finds mementos that hold special meaning between Ernest and her siblings, but none with her. There’s a photo of her mother, pregnant with Ralph Angel, with a young Nova at her side, but that’s it. She later says Ernest didn’t make a commitment to her mother until she became pregnant with Ra. Between that and the fact that Ernest clearly strayed to conceive Charley, it’s understandable that Nova might have complicated feelings about him. So, while I don’t think she necessarily wants to the farm for herself, the letter feels like a slap in her face.
Ralph Angel makes it so hard to be on his side. When Charley gets a call from Remy saying that a farmer has shown up unexpectedly and wants to use the mill to grind his cane, she insists that the farmer wait until a contract can be drawn up so it’s official. Remy wants to vouch for the man, as he’s know him for years, but Charley — rightfully so — wants everything to be above board. She asks Darla to head to the office to get the contract ready and Ralph Angel balks. He needs Darla there with him, he says. Why? He accuses Charley of making up a crisis so that he’ll be left alone to be ganged up on by his sisters. If Ralph Angel wants anyone to believe he’s capable of running a business, he needs to stop acting like a whiny man-child. Of course, Darla does her job and he holds it against her the next day when she visits Blue. She can take him swimming, but she has to wait in the car until Blue is ready. *eye-roll*
All of this leaves Charley wondering what her father thought of her — he bragged about her a lot, and told his friends (including Remy) that she was thoughtful, but he left the farm to Ralph Angel. When the journalist working on her cover story asks what Ernest would think of her reinvention as an agricultural businesswoman, Charley has to admit she has no idea.
More Tea
Nova’s discovery that Aunt Vi was once part owner of the farm leads to a poignant story about a time when she was estranged from her brother. He didn’t approve of her marriage and it kept them apart for years. When she finally divorced, she sold her half of the farm to Ernest and bought her home. She has relished her freedom ever since. With all the drama surrounding the land now, it’s easy to see why she’d be relieved to not have it on her plate.
I’m gonna need Remy to settle the hell down. When he learns that Charley agreed to the story about her divorce in order to control the narrative around the mill opening, he wonders if what Ernest really meant by thoughtful was “calculating” and that maybe she’s been “thoughtful” when it comes to him as well. She rightfully asks him to leave her damn office. I know he’s a Jack-of-all-Trades, but I’m tired of him knowing every damn thing Charley needs for her soul. She was a successful woman long before she met him, and public relations works differently than running a farm or a mill. How she chooses to handle her brand with the media is her business, and to imply that she’s using him is gross. Ugh. Boy, bye.
Nova packs a bag and makes plans to see Dr. DuBae in Atlanta. She deserves this break, but I still want the scoop on what happened with Calvin.
Leave your thoughts on the episode below or on our Facebook post for this review, and we’ll read them on the Queen Sugar podcast this weekend.
Queen Sugar S2E7
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Plot - 9/109/10
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Dialogue - 10/1010/10
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Performances - 10/1010/10
"I Know My Soul"
Starring: Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Kofi Siriboe, Tina Lifford, Omar J. Dorsey, Dondre Whitfield, Timon Kyle Durrett, Nicholas L. Ashe, Greg Vaughan, Ethan Hutchison, Bianca Lawson
Wooooo LAWD…here I go.
RA- I wish the sisters wouldn’t hold your jail time against you in every instance. However you are fucking up more than ever.
Charley- You have to tell people your problems to get help for them. Does the family know about that Goldie Davis call?
Nova- You threw RAs jail time in his face but you👏Still👏 Weren’t👏 There. What did RA do to make you fight for everyone else in jail but him or what Ernest do to make you truly run away? Ask about babies?
Darla- She is in a tight spot but she said “I’m gon get this check and see my baby Blue”
DID ANYONE GET TO EAT THAT GOOD FOOD?
FOR THE PODCAST: hey, y’all. Another great episode. Like someone in the group said last night, I was so pissed the whole episode, I didn’t realize it was almost over until it was over.
I have but one thing: why does RA get a pass? We’ve seen this trash do some awful shit, yet people act like he’s the second coming or some shit. Meanwhile Charley’s and Nova’s behavior/personality/whatever continues to be used against them. They’re all fucked up so spread that judgement to all of them. And another thing, why do the sisters have to stop using his prison stint against him-which I don’t even think they’re doing-but RA can keep bringing up Charley living in L.A. and Nova moving away? A lot of their thinking he can’t do this stems from him going to jail relatively young and not knowing how or doing much since he got out…SIX MONTHS AGO. People set much higher expectations on Charley and Nova than they do on RA.
Let’s be real, alladis is Ernest’s fault. That no-good, two-timing piece of shit. Typical old-school man; treat women like they ain’t shit and revere the son who actually AINT SHIT. 😒
So I guess that was three things. Can’t wait to hear the podcast and your thoughts.
FOR THE PODCAST: Hey everyone! So again I ask who’s cutting onions?! Dammit I knew it was gonna get real but couldn’t help feeling like I need to apologize to my own brother after this episode ended. Charley feeling like the “other daughter” and Nova feeling pressured for kids then not “wanted” after Blue and Micah was born. RA wanted to be honest but pride is a mother f***a. Lastly Hollywood came out with 2 beers to give a ear to RA we all need that. Oh and umm SOOOO all that food just disappeared?? 🤣🤣😂😂 Love the podcast!
FOR THE PODCAST:
As much as I try to have sympathy for RA and see where he is coming from, he makes it very difficult, especially how he turned so quickly on Darla. He just asked her to move in with him what two episodes ago, now she can’t come into that same house to see her son because she didn’t do what you wanted? Darla looked absolutely GUTTED when RA dismissed her at the end of the episode, trying to turn what she did back on her, like she did something wrong. 😡 “You may see it as betrayal, I see it as LOVE”. 😢 Says so much about how Darla feels about her relationship to RA. I was so happy when Darla called him out on why she was working for Charley in the first place. Glad Charley didn’t fire Darla either. Yeah, the whole “She ain’t family” talk definitely stung a bit, and it wasn’t even said to me lol Also when RA first told Darla not to go to work, it seemed like Aunt Vi kind of came to Darla’s defense, like “Boy this has nothing to do with her, let her go”. I guess we also see where Nova stands when it comes to Darla, she COMPLETELY dismissed Darla. 😥
I felt Charley’s pain for the past two episodes, you really start to understand why Charley is the way that she is, and it isn’t really all from her mom either, it comes from Earnest as well. Nova also got me as well. Nova questioning her lifestyle as the reason why she didn’t get the farm, along with if Earnest really thought that she was good enough . Some fucked up shit. Earnest not even marrying the mama until RA’s ass was born, he literally came out the womb being Earnest’s favorite. Love the Podcast! ♥️
The acting has been superb these past couple of episodes.
But Ralph-Angel annoyed the hell out of me this episode. Everyone is right. He is not ready to run a farm by himself. And how did he take Darla just doing her job for Charley as her being against him? I think Ralph-Angel has very black and white thinking. If his family isn’t putting him up on a pedestal like Ernest did, he thinks they’re against him.
Remy also annoyed me with that comment he made about Charley being calculating. She just gave the reporter what he originally wanted-a story about her and Davis. And it’s frankly none of Remy’s business when or how Charley tells people about her divorce. I told ya he too back and forth she finally about to announce her divorce and now he got a problem with how she doing it. He probably went home after Charley kicked him out and cuddled with 1 of Sharna’s night gowns. I’m telling ya every last piece of her clothing from her dresses to her period panties is still in that house.
Ernest really you ain’t have a room for your child at yo house she couldn’t bunk w/ Nova, she really had to stay at Aunt Vi house every summer. I’m really glad we got little more backstory as to why the girls didn’t really come home very often (Nova felt rejected by Ernest, an Ernest never made Charley feel like his home was hers or that she belonged. A sentiment that has been reiterated multiple times by mainly RA & a few others.). Which makes him calling her to help him fix the problems with the farm that he knew he had willed to that spoiled fuck up Ra even worse. Why he ain’t ask RA to help since he loved and needs it so much but I guess we already know the answer to that.
I don’t usually read feedback early, but your Remy paragraph took me smooth the fuck out.
I’m not a violent person but I really wanted to be like those wrestlers, grab a chair and smack RA with it!! Every time he was on TV, I was getting angrier and angrier. He’s his own worst enemy.
Run, Darla! Run! I hope she has seen the light and realize RA isn’t worth it and focus on her son and herself.
I was disappointed no one brought up another reason RA can’t run the farm on his own. Landry and Boudreaux. They are still out there and ready to take that farm by any means necessary( does none of them remember Aunt Vi telling them they strung her daddy or Grandaddy up like a piece of strange fruit trying to get that land back).RA too dumb and blind to see he can’t run the farm on his own. Look at what running the farm on his own did to Ernest. I don’t see how Ernest thought RA loved the farm the most. He didn’t learn about the land and sugar cane until after Ernest died. There hasn’t been any indication he worked the farm with his father growing up. RA how dare you be mad that Nova didn’t sacrifice her goals to become a second mother to you.Ernest never should have told him that Nova was the next best thing to their momma, Aunt Vi could have and probably did feel that maternal void for Ralph Angel.
Bye Remy. That little speech fell flat to me because he was “reading” her for possibly being manipulative/calculating when as a character he hasn’t witnessed any of her truly manipulative acts only the audience and select few characters (Davis,Felix,& his wife)have. Her telling him she traded an exclusive for her divorce to keep the story about the mill strictly about the mill and her pretending her an Davis were still together to get the loan wasn’t enough for him to jump to this girl just might be a manipulative bitch out to use everyone to get what she wants. When both of those things in the end benefitted more people than just herself. But let’s for arguments sake go along with his train of thought.How the fuck is she using the farmers did she not just open a whole fucking Mill so they could have a better mill deal than that 60 40 split they were forced to comply with due to the pink humanoids monopoly on the mills in the Parrish . An how can she be using your ass the only thing I remember her asking you to do was set up a meeting with the farmers all that other shit you did willingly with out her even asking.An Davis ass deserves more than her just using his name Or her convincing him to sign w/ the Stingers ( he don’t know what she did to get Davis to play in Nola)after all he did so I don’t even know why he included his ass in his argument.An was you not just last episode itching for her to announce she was divorcing Davis now that she is you got a problem how she announcing it boy bye.
Bordelon Childeren possible ages:
RA: 28 yrs old born in 1989( according to Nova the original will was written in 1989 shortly after RA was born)
Nova: 36 yrs old I’m guessing since RA was 10yrs old when their momma died and Nova left home not long after probably for college that the age gap between them is 8 yrs
Charley: 34 years old she came a couple of years after Nova and that age would line up with her being with Davis for 18 years being more than half her life ( I think she said that in ep. 11 to Nova after Micah caught her and Remy kissing) but the only problem with that is that would mean they got together when she was 16 and I could have sworn they said her & Davis met at a frat/sorority party I guess Charley could have graduated high school early.
For the podcast
Intense episode
RA y’all know I like this beautiful black brother but tonight he acted like a petulant, bratty kid! Waah! Everyone’s picking on me-waah! He wasn’t listening to anyone even when Vi & Charley were trying 2 reason w/him re the issues of running farm.He jumped on Darla 4 having a job to do; she had to remind Simple that her pay was helping them stay afloat.
Nova-I’m guessing she & Ernest didn’t have a good relationship; it’s as if , in his eyes, she never measured up. Her cradling her mom’s picture & the wedding ring was touching.
Charley got real w/herself admitting she can’t do it all & needs help at times. I liked how Remy was trying that handshake iou w/the farmer who wanted to his harvest his cane but Charlie is like let’s dot those i’s/cross those t’s😄
Aunt Vi snapping those peas while talking w/nova brought back memories of my aunties I visited in the south over various summers.
I don’t know squat about scenery but there were some beautiful shots towards the end of the episode-Ernest’s rocker framed against the farm back drop w/slight breeze & the shot of Charley as she responded to the reporters question about her father.
That’s it for me. next week is going to be so lit! Will we finally see Charley’s mom?
FOR THE PODCAST:
1.Y’all the fuck did I just watch? I love me some Kofi, but this ashy ass negro just opened a world of pain. The whole time I wanted to molly wop RA; he also ain’t shit for being emotionally abusive to Darla. This dude is the biggest baby. Blue is more of a man than Rotten Angel. This dolt acting like he didn’t just come out of prison, that he didn’t leave Blue with some churros, that ambiguous conk nigga didn’t set him up with stolen phones, and that he didn’t threaten people with fists and guns. This fucking simpleton blue steeled his way through life and thinks that he can use everyone; and everyone owes him for being in his presence. Just because you got a paynus dawg, don’t make you right. Don’t care what happens to him anymore. He getting roasted forever. Not nan one of those women better help him.
2.Even beyond the grave Ernest ain’t shit. He did this to all of his kids and even though they loved him, he created this mess that Vi has to fix. Man, the emotional labor black women have to carry is out of this world. Because all these women are truly picking up for some ain’t shit men.
3.Remy CANNOT and I mean CANNOT vouch for folks. He is doing the one thing that I hate folks who get too familiar do, act like you run shit. You don’t run anything. Also, do not ever in your life think you can talk to her that way. I don’t even want these two together anymore. This shit colored negro super villain went ahead and enrolled into Fuckboi101 and Ashology 101 at LSU. I need light jr. to hop in his luxury car and run that beetleborg over. This pit stain was probably the reason why his wife went to serve she wanted to get away from his flim flam ass sweet talk. I bet on everything I love, she probably died to get away from him too. There has never been a time in my life where I wanted to square up with Remy, but he let his coloring go to his misshapen head. He can go ahead and grind himself in the mill, because his corny, bitter, patriarchal, wishy washy looking ass is dead to me.
4.This whole family needs counseling. No more Nova mamasaymamasa shit. Real counseling.
FOR THE PODCAST: Hi Nina and her black ass co-hosts! (Devin and Monye?)
I hate that this is a mid-season finale but it’s a great place to leave off. Nina, you’ve been talking about the show dilly-dallying about Nova’s sexuality all season and I’m glad they finally gave it context this week, with her confession about feeling like Ernest was judging her personal choices. It feels like Nova was also defiant so some of her reluctance to settle down may also be about not wanting her dad to feel like he was right if she did settle down.
Ralph Angel is so frustrating. He wants to be treated like a man and I understand feeling like people are just waiting for you to mess up but also YOU LEFT THAT BABY IN THE PARK WITH CHURROS WHILE YOU ROBBED A DAMN STORE! For someone who just wants to be honest, you conveniently left out that part of the story. And trying to guilt Darla into staying was low. I wanted to knock that damn cowboy hat off his head.
Charley was really broken down this episode and I felt for her when she asked Vi why no one ever tried to have her back. Just having more context for her and Nova’s motivations and how their issues with Ernest have contributed to that. That ending with the reporter asking how her father would have felt and her realizing that she just didn’t know. It’s really hard to realize that your parents are people and also that you don’t necessarily know them.
What are you excited to see coming up? I’m hoping Calvin comes back cause I will not let it go.
Next week is the mid-season finale.
Thanks for that!
For the podcast
So RalphAngel ain’t shit! He’s joining Davis on the ain’t shit list! Darla can do better! Damn fool! She just got that job. It ain’t have nothing to do with him! Smh
Remy is joining the ain’t shit list too! Everyone knows Charley is controlling & calculating! It ain’t new! But she ain’t need his dumbass coming down on her like that! It’s her fucking life! Like she ain’t dealing with enough right now! STFU REMY!
This show is just so damn emotional! I love it! I know well how daddy issues will fuck you up. The whole family needs some therapy sessions. Alone & together.
That’s it! Not much to say except I feel bad for that family cause they are a damn mess!