Queen Sugar Season 2 Episode 15 Review: Copper Sun
Christine Orlando
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The Bordelons faced difficult days on Queen Sugar Season 2 Episode 15, at a time when they thought they would be celebrating.
The first harvest for the Bordelon family farm and the Queen Sugar mill should have been a happy occasion, but in reality, it became a struggle just to get through the day.
Today marks the first harvest on Bordelon land in, I don't know, three years. There's been more than a few times since we planted that I didn't think we'd get here. We came through storms, white fly, anything man and God could put in front of us, and still he leads us through. I know my mom would be proud, and my pop, Ernest Bordelon. I was trying to live out the vision he saw for me and…
Ralph Angel
As Ralph Angel trailed off, we all knew the end of that sentence. He was trying to live out the vision he saw for him and his son. Hearing him leave that sentence dangling was heartbreaking.
What struck me was that Ralph Angel told his family that Darla said Blue wasn't his, when in truth, Darla said Blue might not be his. That fact that no one has brought up getting a DNA test is driving me crazy.
Darla was a junkie when Blue was conceived, and junkies aren't known for the most accurate recall of events. I realize that Ralph Angel is completely devastated, but I'm shocked that no one else in the family, or Darla herself, has brought up an actual test.
Wouldn't hard facts be better to have moving forward, no matter what the answer?
Especially for Blue.
Darla: Nothing's changed. Nothing has to change.
Hollywood: With all due respect, Darla, you're smarter than that.
Darla: I didn't mean to hurt you all. I wanted just the opposite. I tried to keep all of this away from you guys.
Hollywood: Then why didn't you? Why didn't you just keep it to yourself?
Darla: My parents came and things stirred up. It didn't feel right to continue to keep this from him. I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life, and I just, I just couldn't go through with the wedding without him knowing everything. That wouldn't have been right.
Hollywood: Yeah, well, ain't none of it right. Not one damn bit.
What was Darla thinking? Or her father? And have her parents gone back to California?
How could Darla honestly think that nothing would change? As Charley pointed out, she's lied to Ralph Angel and his family for over seven years. All of the hard-earned trust that Darla built back up with the Bordelon family has been completely obliterated with this confession.
Now that she's lost Ralph Angel and her job, will her sobriety be the next casualty?
Worst of all is how this could affect Blue.
We just got to keep our heads, get through this harvest and figure out what's next. Tell you what though, that baby, he's our child. He's our child, period.
Violet
Blue is undoubtedly a Bordelon, no matter what the DNA may say. Aunt Vi raised him from diapers to kindergarten, and Blue has grown up surrounded by love and family.
Eventually, once Ralph Angel is done licking his wounds, he will see that he is Blue's father, no matter what.
My fear comes from the amount of influence Darla's parents have on her now that she's been shunned by the Bordelons. I keep hearing Darlene's words echoing in my head about how they are Blue's family too.
Perhaps by blood, but where the heck were they all of these years?
Yes, Darlene sent checks to help out, but there was no reason she and Quincy couldn't have made regular visits to get to know their grandson, so what stopped them?
Money doesn't appear to be an issue, so the only other answer I can come up with is pride. Was it too difficult to have a relationship with their grandson because he came from their drug-addicted daughter?
If they are strangers to Blue, it appears to be their own fault.
The only upside to all of this was how the Bordelons pulled together to support Ralph Angel and Blue. This news didn't just hurt Ralph Angel; it hurt them all.
With so much going on, I understood why Aunt Vi didn't confide in the entire family about her Lupus, but I was happy that Nova figured it out. Violet is going to need support from more than just Hollywood.
The fallout from Darla's bombshell about Blue was far from the only drama.
Jacob Boudreaux's visit to Charley was just plain strange, but I did appreciate how Remy offered to step out. He knows Charley is more than capable of handling herself.
But even the strongest of fighters can get beaten down, and that's what was happening to Charley.
She's worked so darn hard to make this mill a success and to watch it begin to unravel because of the Landry's unsubstantiated but well-timed rumors was crushing.
Never underestimate the power of fake news on a fearful and gullible public.
Every time Charley thinks she's gotten over the biggest hurdle, she finds three more in her path. Thankfully, Remy was there to lift her up in this Queen Sugar quote when she needed it.
Charley: After this though it will be something else and something after that. I miscalculated their greed.
Remy: Fine, and now it's time to do new math. Now we've got to get out to remaining farms and talk to folks together, cause sitting here is nothing but a pity party. One of the greatest gifts you got from your father is your fight, both of you. Charley, fight back.
The other encouraging element to this story was that Nova and Charley were working with one another to combat the Landry rumor mill.
The Bordelons are always strongest when they band together.
So what will Charley say to the Landrys once she sees them? I'm hoping she uses her phone to record a conversation that she can share with the newspaper, but I really have no idea what Charley's game plan is.
I was also proud of Micah for how he handled his issues at school.
Dr. Shore: These things have been accepted for a very long time because they're part of our history.
Micah: Yeah, yes, Dr. Shore, but symbols of a shameful past shouldn't be displayed in a position of honor.
Dr. Shore: You made that quite clear in your letter. Have you ever read much of John Adams? He said the jaws of power are always open to devour, stretched out to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking and writing.
Micah: Right, but it kind of makes it sound like it was okay to write what I wrote.
Dr. Shore: Freedom of speech is a friend of change and we needed that change around here. I wanted you to be the first to know the sword will be removed along with the other Confederate artifacts, but the school board took issue with the unapproved posting of that letter on school property. In their eyes, it's vandalism. The decision was suspension for 30 days.
Micah: A month?
Dr. Shore: There's a fine line here Micah, and you crossed it. Next time, be more careful.
Posting the letters on every locker had its consequences, but I couldn't disagree with Micah's logic. It was the one way to make sure everyone saw it.
Micah was also completely respectful when he spoke with the school administrator. I was proud of how he handled himself.
Although I thought the 30 days suspension was extreme, there's no doubt that Micah will learn from this experience moving forward. However, I am curious to see how his parents react to all of this.
So TV Fanatics, did Micah deserve a one-month suspension?
What kind of potion did Nova have in mind for Darla?
And what does Charley have planned for the Landrys?
Check back next week for my review of Queen Sugar Season 2 Episode 16, the season finale!
And until then, you can watch Queen Sugar online here via TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
