Queen Sugar Season 3 Premiere Recap: “A Rock, A River, A Tree”
Season 3, Episode 1 | Grade: 8.9/10
Writer: Kat Candler | Director: DeMane Davis
“A Rock, A River, A Tree” had much to unpack in its return after a turbulent season for the Bordelon family who have been pushed to their limits with heartbreaking revelations from Aunt Vi’s (Tina Lifford) lupus diagnosis to the paternity of Blue (Ethan Hutchinson) coming into question.
The stance on racial issues and divide was an evident theme in the episode with its lingering presence impacting members of the family — a subject that Queen Sugar has never shied on addressing, sometimes delicately or even bluntly.
We meet Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) jogging throughout the neighborhood until she makes her way up the driveway of her gorgeous two-story home, departing from her previous studio above the Queen Sugar Mill as a way to “separate life from work.” The season two finale saw the downfall of Charley’s mill due to the persistent sabotaging of rival Sam Landry (David Jensen) and Jacob Boudreaux (Lea Coco) leaving her with three farms to mill after she once managed to take 50-percent of the farmers in St. Josephine. In a complete 180, her new strategy that leads to her dipping her toe into murky waters by toying with Boudreaux’s unsettling sexual attraction towards her as chess move to gain advantage of Landry’s sugar mill empire.
Her intricate tactics to overthrow the biggest figures in the sugar cane industry is a risky gamble she’s willing to take, setting the tone of how gritty she will get to put an end to their reign. As season three will unfold, I have to ask the question now: what it’ll truly cost her to win? Not to mention entertaining Boudreaux who I feel in my gut will be volatile if he falls for her (and dare I might add, wants to act on his sexual attraction) when her true intention is to reap what’s rightfully hers for the sake of her family history and the community of black farmers and their survival.
In her first face-to-face with Landry to sign contracts giving him full ownership of her business, she manages to gain a one percent stake in his profits and the promise to leave the black farmers (and maintain their discounted milling rates) alone in exchange. She indeed is her mother’s daughter.
The question of her conscious comes to play with the common thread since the start of this show to honor her father while also dismantling the very people who once owned — and killed — her family as slaves, and placed obstacles for struggling black sugar cane farmers. Landry’s double-edged comment reminding her of her failure as a lesson for her defiance in trying to compete is a bitter example of the oppression a black person endures to navigate in a white dominated establishment. I could feel the discontent in her forced smile and control composure that slightly faded with the mention of her father. Landry knows which nerves to stroke with his finger:
“Let’s be clear, I want you to consider the one percent an act of goodwill. Having you as the continuous face of Queen Sugar, it helps us keep up appearances if you know what I mean…had you realized the hard work it takes to run a successful business it could’ve saved you a lot of heartache. Such a blow to lose the farmers last harvest but now you get ’em back. Who would’ve guessed you and me would end up here? Partners. Your daddy would be so proud.” — Sam Landry
Never Forget: Season 1, Episode 10’s Revelation
When discussing the contract signing with Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe), who’s the only one aware of her plan, she reveals that her one percent is her foot in the door of Landry Enterprises to wreak havoc. Or as Ralph Angel described her once as being “on some Godfather shit.”
“I’m going to dig up every square inch of dirt and take down every shareholder on that board. I’ll burn the entire Landry family to the goddamn ground and when I own Landry Enterprises, we’ll finally bring power to the people, Rah. Where it belongs.” — Charley
When Charley crosses paths with Remy (Dondre L. Whitfield) at the bar after their fallout over the direction of her business, the strain is evident even when she extends an olive branch. Of course when she’s there Boudreaux recognizes her, suggesting with a smirk that their secret “feels a little dirty” as Remy notices the two talking with disgust.
In the midst of her professional drama, personally she’s pulling strings when at the start of the episode she receives a text from a mysterious Vicky with the name “Officer Orson” (Don Yesso), the cop who racially profiled Micah (Nicholas L. Ashe). The overwhelming moment during a family outing at the basketball game when she inches away from Orson, staring a hole into his face unbeknownst to him as he’s with who appears to be his grandchild — the tension as she once again internally struggles to compose herself yet again. Instead she strikes up an innocent conversation with the young boy and Orson. (That scene was so tense I wanted a drink).
Later Vicky sends a sobering video of Orson violently beating a black man unconscious much to Charley’s horror. “Leak it,” she responds.
Ralph Angel’s story line also stands out in continuation of his ongoing difficulty coping with Darla’s (Bianca Lawson) secret that Blue may not be his son. “Blue is the blood in my veins even if mine aren’t in his,” he tearfully told her as he ended their relationship last season but there’s been tug-of-war between Ralph Angel and Blue — who has been noticeably defiant. Even hitting his fellow classmates and a growing suspicion after questioning his father over the box of his mother’s belongings. He often struggles to mask his discomfort and impatience (Aunt Vi doting on him while discussing the wedding, him running away from Ralph Angel at the game and him talking back in the truck). When Darla face-times him, he instantly hands the phone to Blue despite her pleas to talk. “When are you coming to get me?” he asks his mother, the biggest indication that he misses her and isn’t happy.
The moment of anguish from the results of the DNA test confirming that he’s not the father proves to be a second heartbreaking blow and almost mirrors the scene in season two’s “Copper Sun” — also directed by Davis — when he broke the news to the family, particularly as Charley and Nova (Rutina Wesley) console him. “It don’t change nothing,” he tearfully repeats as he stares like he’s in a trance, shell shock.
Is it selfish for Darla to leave him to raise a child that isn’t his when she can simply bring him to Washington D.C.? Can he truly go through with raising him alone knowing what he knows now? Time will tell.
Episode Highlights:
- During her trip in New York City, Nova is presented an incredible six-figure book deal consisting of essays of her thoughts on her activism from New Orleans to police brutality from her op-ed she wrote on Trump’s America. The book publishers proclaim that they want her voice to be global with New York Times best-selling books and to become a notable figure like Roxanne Gay yet Nova is visibly hesitant. She never likes being the face of a movement despite her growing profile, a factor that ended her previous relationship with Dr. Robert DuBois (Alimi Ballard) and she spends the episode unsure of saying yes. Charley reminds Nova of the picture of Ida B. Wells she kept on her wall as a teenager wanting to be her saying, “Maybe this is your someday.” This season I want to see Nova step outside of her limits she place on herself and simply step out on faith.
- Micah’s political and personal awakening outside of his privilege upbringing is an evolution that he needed as he yearns to find his voice and shape his experiences a part from his parents, particularly Charley. His camera is an extension of himself to seeing the world around him. The way he watches those four black teens who caused a stir by kneeling during the National Anthem is evident that he wants the same freedom and fearlessness.
- I noticed Nova’s eyes sparkle when interviewing the four teens, especially the young lady who’s political conscious. It was as if she was looking at her teenage self in the flesh.
- You notice how Hollywood (Omar J. Dorsey) was overly protective and even snappy this episode? Luckily Aunt Vi’s loving heart-to-heart assured him that her health condition doesn’t make her fragile.
- Soon as word hit the street that Ralph Angel was single, the women are already coming out of the woodwork ready to shoot their shot. From the looks of the final moment and the season trailer he’s going to dabble in tasting all 31 flavors.
- When will Darla return to the series for the sake of Blue?
