Queen Sugar Season 1 Episode 10 Review: So Far
Christine Orlando
at
.
There’s one thing you can always count on from Queen Sugar…that the impact will be surprising, emotional, or make you see things from a different perspective.
On Queen Sugar Season 1 Episode 10, we got all of the above, and I’m still feeling the impact of the final revelation.
I expected the mill to try and gauge Charley. The farm is desperate for a mill contract and Charley is completely new to this business. Then there was Jacob Boudreaux who always stood just a little too close and looked at her with just enough of a leer to make my skin crawl.
Every moment that Charley spent with Jacob had me waiting for the other shoe to drop…and then it did.
When he offered $4 million for the farm, I thought Charley would jump at the chance, but this woman isn’t stupid and the generous offer sent off alarm bells.
I’d always wondered about the history of the land, but I never suspected that the Bordelons had at one time been the slaves who worked it…and slaves owned by the Landrys, no less.
I’ll be honest, the history of slavery in this country isn’t something I think about very often. It’s horrible, but a somewhat abstract concept to my daily life. But hearing the story of how this family, once owned as slaves, managed to one day buy the land they were once held on made it feel immediately more personal.
That those same people were later lynched by the greedy bastards who tried to steal the land back from them was simply horrifying.
This is what Queen Sugar is so good at, taking important issues and making them feel personal for everyone.
But the shocking revelation of the Bordelon’s secret family history was far from the only story.
Nova’s relationship with Chantal came to a head much more quickly than I thought…
Nova: Most people just work to feed themselves and their families, they're not trying to be political. Everything is not always so black and white.
Chantal: Says the sister sleeping with the white cop on a racist police force.
I wonder if Chantal would have ignored finding Calvin’s photo if Nova had taken all of her advice about pushing the BLM agenda. Nova worked hard for this moment and she has every right to express her own opinions in her own way.
Nova and Chantal are a lot alike in that they both feel that their beliefs are the only right way to do things. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before that similarity drove them apart.
The big question is, will Chantal out Nova and Calvin’s relationship to the press, because the consequences could be catastrophic.
Hollywood finally decided that being with Violet was more important than protecting his ex-wife. I do feel badly for both him and LeeAnne. He was trying to do the right thing, but he can’t be married to one woman, no matter how noble the circumstances, and have a serious relationship with another. Aunt Vi don’t play that way, and I don’t blame her.
I’m torn on Micah’s school dilemma. I’m sure he’d do just fine at St. Josephine High, but Charley has a point. A high end private school education can open a lot of doors in his future. Who wouldn’t want to buy their child that kind of privilege if the could?
And Ralph Angel tore my heart out as he begged Vi to give him the right to be Blue’s father again. Yes, there’s plenty of reason to worry with Ra still being on parole and Darla being a recovering addict, but no one can deny how much he loves that boy and how hard he’s trying to do the right thing.
Kudos to Vi, because she’s obviously still afraid it will all go wrong, but her love for Ralph Angel overrode her fear.
Speaking of Vi, I was half hoping that she’d somehow be able to buy the diner but I suppose that was too much to ask. She’ll obviously make one heck of a manager and Clyde’s lucky to have her on board. Now she can take care of all of her customers, the diner, and its staff which should fill quite a void in her life.
Of course, the best moment of the night came along with the most moving Queen Sugar quote…
Nova: This land's been paid for.
Ralph Angel: Over and over again.
Charley: No more running. No more taking the easy way out. I don't have any answers. All I know is, we ain't going no where.
I have no doubt that the battle with the Landry’s is far from over. Now that these siblings know that their family was once strung up and killed on the very trees of their own land, I can’t imagine they’ll back down from any fight.
Check back in on Monday to see the reaction of our Queen Sugar round table, and if you can’t wait until then, you can watch Queen Sugar online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
