Queen Sugar (Recap) | To Usward (S2 E2)

by Arianna Davis | via Refinery29

And just like that, we’re already off to episode 2! We start off with a an adorable moment: Ralph Angel stops by Darla’s teller booth to bring her beignets (jealous!) and ask her out on a “proper date.” (Double jealous!) We can tell Ralph is really trying here, and the only thing cuter than this moment is when Ralph hits up a local farmer’s market for soy beans, and Blue is off to the side, playing with fluffy baby chicks. My heart!

But all isn’t going exactly according to plan for RA. In order to buy those sees, Ralph needs money. But when he goes to the bank to make a withdrawal to buy seeds for the soy bean crop — which, you might recall, he’s still keeping a secret from his sisters — he’s told he can’t take out money without Charley’s signature. Tired of consulting his sisters for everything, he decides to confide in Remy, who encourages him to apply for a micro loan to get the funding he needs to make moves on his own (in other words, behind is sister’s back). Ralph Angel moves foward with requesting the loan, but he’s nervous because of his criminal record, and also because he knows he’ll need a letter from his employer: Charley.

Serving Ralph and Remy as they talk at the High Yellow is Roberta — you remember good-for-nothing, trying-to-steal-everyone’s-man Roberta from last season? Well, I guess she’s good for something, because she tells Violet that she overheard some troubling news: There was an electrical explosion at the rig Hollywood is working on. Oh no! Here, I silently said a prayer that the Queen Sugar creators would not go as far as to kill of Hollywood, everyone’s favorite uncle and friend.

Nova, meanwhile, is on a mission to get ready for a community fundraiser she’s putting together to raise money for an anti-police brutality bill. She stops by the local barbershop to pick up the can of tips she’s been collecting, and one barber in particular, Andre, seems particularly eager to help. Later we find out why: He alludes to what happened between the two “the other night,” but Nova is there for strictly business, no pleasure. She brushes him off with a swift “It was cool, but let’s leave it at that.” Again: Savage!

Charley, on the other hand, is heading to her final divorce mediation session with Davis. I’m hopeful that she’ll finally get some closure, especially after what happened at the club last night. But of course, Davis being Davis, he throws a last-minute curveball: He wants joint custody of Micah because he feels like his son needs a father right now after what happened with the police. Charley points out that Davis doesn’t need to have joint custody when he doesn’t even make Micah a priority as it is, but Davis tells her that he’s already spoken to Micah, and he’s on board.

There’s some really breathtaking acting here from Dawn-Lyen Gardner; you can feel the pain that she feels at hearing her son wants to spend time with his traitor of a father, especially when she’s been having a hard time getting him to open up to her after the arrest. She calls Micah to talk to him, but he tells her he needs some space. (I can’t imagine telling my parents at that age that I needed “space,” but I guess he gets a pass after everything he’s been through.) Charley is visibly upset, but she agrees.

And then we’re at date night, with Darla, Blue, and a shirt-and-tied Ralph Angel. They’re trying to enjoy a date night, but it’s hard for them to break out of parent mode with Blue playing loudly with his doll, Kenya, next to him. But when the waiter comes over and asks if Blue wouldn’t rather have a Transformer than a doll, Ralph is not having it. “We’ll have two ice cream sundaes — one for my son, and one for his doll.” You better tell him, Ralph!

To read the rest of the recap, “To Usward,” click HERE!!!

After The Winter (S2 E1) | What Do I Care For Morning (S2 E3)