Queen Sugar Season 1 Episode 13 Review: Give Us This Day
Christine Orlando
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Charley Bordelon West was on fire in Queen Sugar Season 1 Episode 13.
If you ever doubted how strong, how smart, or how powerful Charley could be, there was no reason to after this season finale.
It started with how she played Davis.
Charley: Whatever's happened between us, two things are sure: you'll always be Micah's father and I'll always be your biggest fan.
She used Micah’s hostility to help make it look like their teenage son was actually acting out, not that it mattered to Davis.
All that selfish bastard cared about was winning a fifth championship ring, because obviously four just wasn’t enough. Apparently one more ring is worth giving up on having a relationship with his son.
Micah was hurt and angry and he had every right to be, but Davis wasn’t willing to put in the time or effort to make things right.
Heck, Davis didn’t even want to work on things with Charley, not really. He just wanted to jump into bed with her to prove to himself he could still have her.
I was so relieved when she walked away, Charley had put so much into this mill deal, I really wondered if she’d sleep with Davis one last time just to get him to sign that contract with the Stingers. Thank goodness she had more self respect than that.
I also loved how she made it clear to Davis exactly what he had destroyed in this Queen Sugar quote…
I loved you so much. I gave you every ounce of everything inside of me. Every dream. Everything. You were the world and every star in the sky to me, unconditionally, and now you're one of those men, too old to be out playing the field but don't even know it. Thinking you're cool while everyone is quietly laughing behind your back. It didn't have to be this way. We all make our choices, don't we?
Charley
Watching Charley pivot and manuever Felix and Davis like chess pieces was highly satisfying. Neither one of them can outplay the Queen.
My biggest problem was that Charley ditched Remy yet again to take care of business…and yes, I believe that Davis West is nothing more than a business to her now.
Remy is the guy that has her back. He is the man who respects her, believes in her, and backs her play even when he doesn’t agree with it. Remy getting crushed as Charley walked away from him was hard to watch. That man deserves better and Charley needs to work a little harder to make it up to him.
Speaking of couples on the outs, Ralph Angel finally got around to telling Vi about Hollywood’s divorce. It would have been nice if he could have done that a littler sooner. Now that Hollywood has signed on to work the rig for the next six months, do he and Vi stand a chance at reconciling?
Nova and Calvin reconciled, but there happily ever after didn’t even last one date. The entire time they were dancing and kissing, I kept expecting something to go wrong. I think I was literally holding my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop…and drop it did.
What a disaster, but I can’t say I didn’t expect it. Can Calvin and Nova overcome the huge obstacles that will plague them, and perhaps more worrisome is that those obstacles can escalate from awkwardness, to harassment, to life threatening, very quickly.
I’m concerned for both of them moving forward because I can see this situation turning ugly, fast.
Although, I wouldn’t call it ugly, Charley and Ralph Angel’s relationship has certainly seen better days.
My favorite moment from the hour was seeing Nova so incredibly proud of her sister when she learned of Charley’s plan to buy the mill. Unfortunately, Ralph Angel didn’t feel the same way…
Charley: We can't play it small. This is exactly what daddy wanted.
Ralph Angel: You're wrong. Everybody ain't playing games like you, Charley. Pops wanted to live on his own two feet. He wanted to work his land and bring in enough so he could do it again the next year. He wasn't trying to build no empire. Don't put this on him. This is all about you.
Ralph Angel was correct in that Ernest never would have dreamt of a plan this big, but he also wasn't able to make the farm a success either. Starting their own mill may be the only way to break the hold that the Landry’s have over all the small, predominantly black farms in the parish.
It’s a huge risk, but it might be the only way to truly change things for generations to come.
Finally, there was Ernest revised will. It’s funny because I never saw that coming, yet the moment I saw that letter with Ralph Angel’s name on it, I knew exactly what it would say inside…
You, Ralph Angel, are more than you know. You and your sisters are the moon and the sky and the stars to me, each of you. But this land is yours. Whatever has happened, whatever you've done in the past, don't ever forget that you are better than you think. You're smarter than you think. You are stronger than you think. Take this land, build a home here, build a family for you and Blue here. Build our cane here stalk by stalk. Build a good life here, Ralph Angel, so that when you get to the end you can look back and be proud of your days on this earth, on this land. It's all yours son. Do right, I know you can. Until we meet again, Pops.
Ernest
What will Ralph Angel do now? I hope he remembers that the farm wouldn’t be worth much without Charley’s infusion of cash. I doubt there’s any possible way he could pay her back without selling the farm.
Ralph Angel may hold a piece of paper saying the farm is his, but is he smart enough to realize that he and his sisters are strongest when they work together, or will a perceived lack of respect and communication tear them all apart?
Looks like we’ll have to wait until Queen Sugar Season 2 to find out.
In the mean time, check back on Monday for our final Queen Sugar round table, and if you’re already missing the Bordelons, you can watch Queen Sugar online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
