Queen Sugar Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Yet Do I Marvel
Christine Orlando
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We all knew it would happen eventually, and the day finally arrived.
Charley’s mother, Lorna, arrived on Queen Sugar Season 2 Episode 9 and she was everything I expected.
Although I don’t recall if it was ever specified that Charley’s mother was white, it was certainly hinted at, so I was actually more surprised when the camera first focused on the black woman waiting in the restaurant than when it panned back to Lorna.
I’m not sure that Lorna could have been more self-absorbed. What other explanation is there for a woman who claims she needed to spend time with her friend, traveling on a luxury yacht to exotic ports, over flying back home to be with her daughter who not only lost her father but whose marriage was imploding?
Given Loran’s reaction to Charley’s new life, perhaps it’s been easier on Charley not having her there.
Lorna: Is this really the best use of your degree?
Charley: Well, I'm running a business, exactly what an MBA is for.
Lorna: Yes, but you were so happy doing what you were doing, negotiating these million dollar contracts, endorsements deals. That seemed like a much better fit than boilers, cranes, vacuum pans.
Charley: I'm not married to Davis anymore, if you haven't noticed.
Lorna: But please, any professional athlete would be lucky to have you as their manager.
Charley: Mom, I'm the first black woman to own a mill in the state. That's not small scale.
Lorna: My question is, will you be satisfied with this?
Although the question of whether or not Charley will be satisfied long term may be valid, it had to be crushing to have her mother second-guess everything from her interior design choices to her business accomplishments.
The one thing that surprised me was hearing that Ernest and Lorna had been married. I never expected that. I had always assumed that Ernest was married to Tru and that Lorna had been some sort of a fling that produced Charley.
I honestly can’t even imagine Ernest Bordelon and Lorna in any kind of serious relationship. They are just far too different in ways that have nothing to do with the color of their skin.
As if having her mother visit weren’t stressful enough, Charley learned what really happened to Micah when he was arrested.
I was so proud of Davis for not only encouraging Micah to tell his mother the truth but standing up for Charley when Micah assumed the worst.
Being a parent is not just about the good stuff. It's also about the harder stuff, and that is something your mother understands.
Davis
Yes, Charley’s initial reaction was to find justice for her son no matter what it took, but she quickly calmed down when she realized that a scorched earth mentality might not be what was best for Micah.
I was also relieved that she didn’t lash out at Davis for not running to her immediately with the news.
I didn't foresee Charley sharing this with Lorna, but it made for one of the most honest and interesting conversations in this Queen Sugar quote...
Charley: I should have known. I spent summers here, I know how people think. And I didn't prepare him for living in the South. I don't know what I thought. That he's smart? That he'll figure it out; he'll make it work. I didn't protect him, not like how you were protecting me. Isn't that what you said when you sent me up to boarding school? You were protecting me.
Lorna: I sent you away to school because you were a black woman in a white world and you needed the best education and the best pedigree.
Charley: It wasn't enough.
Lorna: And that is why I sent you to spend summers here, so that you would know where you came from and have that identity.
Charley: But then I had to go home and I felt the opposite at home. Like I had to manage my blackness, like there was no room for it. Like it was something I put on a few weeks of the year. I know you don't understand that.
Lorna: Why?
Charley: Because you can't. Because you can't understand that.
Lorna: Because I'm white, is that what you're trying to say? Well, I did the best that I could by you and that is what any mother does for their child. And that is what you have done for Micah. And he is strong, just like you.
Charley was having a tough day, but at least her divorce was final and public knowledge. With nothing left to hide, she was able to go out and have a great date with Remy.
Charley: All the world knows now; I feel like I can finally breathe again.
Remy: So what do you say? You and me tonight. Gumbo up to your elbows, so good it will make you holler.
Charley: So you want to make me holler, huh?
Not only did they laugh and flirt, but they had great food too. That beignet cart alone had my mouth watering.
There was other good news to be shared.
Ralph Angel and Darla told Blue they were getting married, and from there it was impossible to keep it a secret.
Telling Aunt Violet was the biggest hurdle. She was never Darla’s biggest fan, but it was difficult even for Vi not to admit how far Darla has come.
Violet: You all have been so good at taking baby steps you sure you want to go all in right now?
Ralph Angel: Sometimes you've got to just bet on yourself.
Violet: I know that's right. I'm happy.
Violet throwing them that surprise engagement party was a really nice touch, and Darla proved just how classy she was by taking the time to thank Violet for it.
I don’t know if there could have been a better outcome than Darla being given permission to call her Aunt Vi.
Darla’s phone call to her family was heartbreaking. From the sound of it, they haven’t spoken in more than two years, and if I had to guess, I’d say they weren’t happy about her getting pregnant with Blue.
Somehow I doubt that things will go as well with Darla’s family as they did with Aunt Vi.
Another fun moment was Hollywood and Remy getting caught by Nova as they planned Ralph Angel's bachelor party...
Remy: What happened to the traditional visit to the, you know? Let the man see a little something shake.
Nova: Remy. Hollywood. Don't even think about taking my brother out to that strip club at the Parish line.
Remy: We was talking about bowling.
Speaking of Violet, it’s about time she got herself in for a checkup. Between her hair loss and her dizziness, it will be no surprise if they find that something is wrong. Thankfully her family is there, and Hollywood isn’t stuck out on a rig in the middle of the ocean, but I’m still holding my breath on those test results.
Finally, we get to Nova and Robert.
It feels as though Nova has a foot in two different worlds right now.
Where she and Chantal connected over their activism, Robert takes it to another level, one that involves a different kind of risk and a much greater reward.
Was writing the Zika story scaring people unnecessarily? Maybe it was, but it also managed to get funding for a potential problem before it became a possible epidemic.
The Bordelons are back for the second half of the season, so check back here for my review of Queen Sugar Season 2 Episode 10.
And if you missed a minute, you can watch Queen Sugar online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
