Queen Sugar (2016) s04e02 Episode Script

1 Previously on "Queen Sugar" Welcome to Vi's Prized Pies and diner! DARLA: Do you think you could take Blue on one of my days next week? - I have a date.
- A date? ROMERO: Micah is coming home tomorrow, and I know it's a big deal to introduce me to him is all.
It's my book.
It comes out soon, and I wanted you to have it.
Something ain't right about that book.
Hollywood.
I read an advanced copy of your sister's memoir.
CHARLEY: Promise me do not read it.
Give me the strength to see this through.
[ENGINE SHUTS OFF.]
[BIRDS CALLING.]
I just got Blue back in bed.
You read it? I read the chapter about Blue.
I ain't read nothing else.
How she's gonna do me like that, Charley? Wrote about my son Prison Make me sound like some good-for-nothing convict too stupid to know his kid ain't his.
Why every time I try and get up in life, somebody go and drop a weight on me? I am sorry this is happening.
But I don't want you to worry, Ra.
I've got a plan.
I'm making some calls.
And after I've handled that We're all gonna go see Nova.
Together.
Make her look us in the eyes and answer for what's she's done.
She wrote about Blue.
How she gonna do that to him? To me? Ralph Angel I've got you.
Dreams never die Take flight as the world turns Keep the colors in the lines Take flight as the world turns Keep the colors in the lines Take flight Dreams never die Keep the colors in the lines Keep the colors in the lines Take flight - Try it again, ma'am.
- [ENGINE STARTS.]
WOMAN: It worked! Oh, thank you so much! WOMAN: [LAUGHS.]
Ain't no thing at all.
My mama would've came down from heaven and snatched me to death if she thought I rode past a lady in need.
I don't know how long I would have been here if you hadn't come along.
You sure have a way with an engine.
Shh! I've been repairing engines since I was knee-high to a toadstool.
My Daddy told me, he said, "you can't drive the car till you know how to fix the car.
" Had me fixing all his friends' cars for free.
I said, "wait a minute, now.
This is unjust.
I'm being used.
" You know what my Daddy said? - Mnh-mnh.
- He said, "son, if you ain't being used, you're useless.
" [LAUGHS.]
Sounds like your Daddy was a wise man.
And he raised you right.
You live around here? Nah, I'm just passing through.
Checking on an old friend.
You be safe on this road, ma'am.
Thank you.
[CAR DOOR OPENS.]
[ENGINE STARTS.]
All right, fellas.
You all take good care of yourselves out there.
First day of harvest will try to break you to the bone.
Don't you let it.
[CHUCKLES.]
Rhonda, have you seen Hollywood? I think I saw him in the back.
Said something about doing inventory? [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
- Hey.
- Hi.
What? I've got five tables waiting on orders and no one working the cash register, and you're in here.
Look, I'm sorry.
I just lost track of time.
But we don't need no inventory reports.
I need hands delivering plates to hungry mouths.
And I'm coming.
IGNACIO: And that leaves us till Friday.
We should be done with section one by the end of the week.
That timeline good for you? - Boss? - Yeah.
Yeah, that sounds good, Ignacio.
Might be a little while.
Got some stuff to handle up in New Orleans.
No problem.
BLUE: Pop! Shoelaces.
I don't want you to fall.
Come on.
You okay, pop? You got a look.
What kind of look? [LAUGHS.]
I don't look like that.
You do! - Ahh.
- What? Come here for a second.
What? No matter what nobody tell you, you know I love you, right? Just remember that, all right? Okay I love you, too, pops.
All right.
We gotta go.
All right.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
One second, Michelle.
Ra.
Um, what's going on? First, just tell me.
Did you read the entire book? Yeah, I read enough.
"Mysteries in Blue.
" See, I'm trying, Nova, just to understand why you do something like this.
I know it's a shock seeing it laid out like that, but just try and take a step back.
Step back from what? My own life? How that work? This story is gonna help so many people.
I don't give a damn about "so many people," Nova! And my life ain't no story! I care about my son.
You know what I've been through, Nova.
Come on.
You was right there when I got the paternity test.
This one time, I actually thought you was there for me.
I was there for you.
I am now.
Nah, you just needed something juicy for that little book of yours.
It it's not one or the other, Ra.
I can still be your sister who loves you and a writer searching for truth.
I ain't your research, Nova.
I'm your baby brother.
Well, you never gonna tell Blue that you aren't his biological father.
[GLASS SHATTERS.]
That's my son! That ain't your call! Yes, he's your son.
That's my point.
We all need to understand that.
You said it yourself.
It don't change nothing, remember? Using my words against me, huh? Ra.
And I say this with love.
You're acting like you're the first person who's raising a child that ain't their own blood.
You got some nerve, Nova.
What's gonna happen to Blue when he go to school now? - Nothing.
- Oh, yeah.
You put this out there Somebody gonna say something.
Yeah, he'll hear something.
I didn't come to you before.
I should have.
I'm sorry.
Honestly, the book became something larger than me.
If you want, I can sit down with you and Blue, explain it to him.
If we ain't had the same mama and Daddy I'd call you the son of a bitch you acting like right now.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
Hey, superstar.
Sorry we're late.
You can set up in the office.
We'll start in there.
Nova, go with siki.
She'll take care of you.
Oh! Hello! And you are? Michelle, this is my brother.
The famous Ralph Angel? Your story is so heartbreaking.
I cried twice.
Don't you ever go nowhere near my son again.
You lost that right Superstar.
[INHALES SHARPLY.]
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING.]
MICHELLE: Nova, just relax your jaw.
Think excited for your book! [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS.]
Could we take five? Let's take five.
How far along are we in the publication? We're two weeks out, so I'd say we're pretty far along.
- Why? - There's just a few chapters that I'd like to go over.
Uh, rework, maybe.
I love your book.
I wouldn't change a thing.
This wouldn't have anything to do with why your brother was here? My family is having trouble with the book.
I just need some more time to smooth things out before the book tour.
I see this all the time, you know.
When an author becomes successful, not everyone can come along for the ride, so to speak.
They're not everyone.
They're my family.
This book is going to reach a lot of people and take you far.
And it's too late to stop the presses, anyway.
If you'd waited, like I said I had to let her know.
And now you've removed the element of surprise, which is crucial to how I'm trying to stop this book.
I'm just as angry as you are, but being a hothead won't always solve What's that supposed to mean, Charley? Huh? Has aunt Vi read it? No, I don't think she should.
She needs to know what Nova wrote about her.
We have to sit her down.
Sit who down? Uh, some kid at Blue's school bothering him.
That's all.
Oh, well, give me the mama's number.
I'll straighten that out real quick.
The new floors are looking good, aunt Vi.
I like 'em, too, baby! [LAUGHS.]
[LAUGHTER.]
We have to say something before Nova gets to her.
No, I'll do it.
I mean, y'all too fired up.
She don't need all that upset energy.
RALPH ANGEL: She gonna be upset either way.
If she find out what Nova wrote about her, Nova gonna wish she wasn't never born.
[CELLPHONE CHIMES.]
Got to get Blue to this birthday party.
HOLLYWOOD: Imma holler at you later, baby.
RALPH ANGEL: See ya.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
So, has he read the whole book? I don't think so.
So, he don't know that Darla in there, too.
Man, that chapter broke me down.
Why would Nova put all that in there? The the night that I found Darla and Blue, when Ra was locked up, that's a story that should never be told.
I cannot believe that Nova would do that to all of us.
[SIGHS.]
You gonna tell him? No.
Because that book will never see the light of day.
DARLA: Can you drop Blue off tonight an hour later? - I'll bring him by later.
- Thank you.
All right, talk to you later.
Bye.
Bye.
- Pop.
- All right, I'm done.
Marcus is there.
Can I go give him his present? All right, all right, that's all you.
- Oh, oh, hold up.
- What? Have fun.
I'll be back to get you later.
- I will.
- All right.
- Bye.
- All right.
- Hey, Blue! - Joie? You know Marcus? Yeah, he's on my soccer team.
All right, kids! Gather round! Let's go, Blue.
Come on.
Let's get this party started! - Bye, pop! Miss you! - All right.
Hello, there, stranger.
How you doing? I'm good.
Joie and I were actually just talking about you boys.
Yeah? She wants to have a playdate with Blue.
And this don't count? Knowing Joie? Probably not.
[LAUGHS.]
Fair enough.
But at least we've got a break for a couple of hours.
That doesn't happen every day.
It sure don't.
You want to take a walk? Come on.
And that can buy us some more time? Great.
If you could just, uh, send me over a draft, I could take a look at it tonight.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thanks, Olivia.
Mom! I wake up - I get - what's up? I thank God And then it's time to get to work And it's go get the money Go get the money, go get the money Go get the money, go get the money You know, it feels good to be home.
Micah? Micah west? Can we get a selfie? Yeah.
What's up? Thank you.
Peace.
Weren't they supposed to bring your car around by now? We got it faster at the regular airport valet.
Micah.
Your fabulous European vacation, your fans clamoring for you upon your arrival, your father chartering you a private plane for a missed connection in New York I don't want you getting used to this.
I know, ma.
[WOMAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY OVER P.
A.
SYSTEM.]
But when you said, "Paris is transformative," I didn't think you meant literally.
Do you hate the look? No.
No, I don't hate the look.
I'm I'm surprised.
Well, I-I started growing my hair out and I bought some new clothes.
It's not a big deal.
Besides, I didn't want you talking me out of it.
A heads-up would have been nice.
Just trying something new, like you did.
Me? Yeah, you stopped straightening your hair.
You've been keeping it natural.
[PHONE KEYS CLICKING.]
Kiki happy you're home? Yes.
Yeah, I'm seeing her later.
I'm just texting aunt Nova.
Oh, wait, she's calling me.
[CELLPHONE BUZZES.]
Hey, aunt Nova.
Yes! [LAUGHS.]
Paris was incredible! I met up with your friend from, uh, amnesty international.
Took some amazing seminars.
Thank you.
Um, aunt Nova wants to talk to you really quick.
Ms.
Bordelon.
Uh, I'll talk to her later, when we're home.
Thank you.
Come on.
She says she's gonna call you later.
All right.
So, what was all that about earlier? What? I know when somebody's lying to me.
You, Charley, Ralph Angel all huddled up, hushed tones.
Baby, that wasn't nothing.
I was halfway listening myself.
You know them two.
They always at it about something.
Really? So, what's the something? Some farm stuff.
Look, it wasn't none of my business.
Baby, I'm about to put these desserts in the hands of these folks and get some of that good pie, all right? [SIGHS.]
With a heart of stone You can't carry my heart back home Mm-mm-mm Deep into my bones You made everything feel so calm Mm-mm-mm It's a hard time for lovin' Hey.
You free right now? It's a hard time for lovin' I mean, look at you, man.
Like, you had to go all the way to France to get black? Come on, man.
I don't look that different.
Surprised you ain't post your new look on Instagram yet.
No, man, I had to get off social media.
Ever since my prison speech, I've been getting hate from those trolls, man.
Had to take a break.
I'm sorry about that, man.
That really sucks.
Yeah, I bet it sucks being in Paris all summer.
Meeting celebrities.
And activists.
Yo, I went to the, um, young groundbreakers conference.
A lot of dope people.
A lot of young activists like us.
They've been doing some dope stuff.
- How was your summer? - Fine.
Trying to hang out with Andy as much as possible before they put him into juvie.
But it's like now we can't even visit him because it's family only.
I can't believe he's gonna Miss the last first football game of the season.
Yeah, we're just gonna have to enjoy it on his behalf.
- Yeah.
- Uh-oh.
- Oh! - Ooh! - Unh-unh.
- Hey, y'all.
- Unh-unh.
- Hey.
Hey, hey, hey here she come Oh, oh, oh Here she come, hey, hey, hey What's up? Here she come hey, hey Hello.
I missed you.
Okay, should we leave y'all alone, or? I mean, sure.
I don't know how you do it.
I mean, I grew up on a farm.
I had dirt in my shoes and in my hair.
Occupational hazard, huh? Mm-hmm.
But you love it.
I could do with less dirt in my shoes.
[LAUGHS.]
But, yeah, I do.
I love it.
I take it you ain't following your Daddy's footsteps.
Uh, well, I would, but overalls aren't very flattering.
- Ah, the overall.
- Mm-hmm.
Sure it ain't the waking up early in the morning, - baking in that sun? - That's right.
I based my entire career on a fashion choice.
I'm sure you would look good in anything.
So, what you wear to work, then, huh? Pajamas? Ball gowns? I wish I could wear pajamas, but, no, it's just a suit.
I'm a public defender.
Don't tell me you're the kind of guy who can't handle a woman who knows her way around an argument.
You ain't met my sisters yet.
Oh.
Yeah, I'm sure I could take you.
Oh.
Can you? Well, I I ain't mean it like that.
- Mm-hmm.
- I [LAUGHS.]
Aah! Beignets! The reason I will never leave Louisiana.
I'm buying! [LAUGHS.]
So, you got another ex-boyfriend trinket you want me to sell? I don't just call you for that.
[LAUGHS.]
I'm sorry.
I'm just It's been a day.
And I think I got a lot more of them coming.
You know I got you.
What you need? A friend.
Just a friend.
I could do that.
I wrote a book about my family.
Some days are harder Some days are gold Some days you barter If imma be so bold What's up, my man? What you want? - Sometimes I feel it - Well, what you got? You out here, got this asphalt smelling like my mama's kitchen.
Hit me with it.
All right, we got honey chipotle ribs, cajun smoked wings, and lemon pepper grilled shrimp.
And the encore Banana pudding that'll make you disown your mama.
Ahh, well, let me try these ribs in a to-go plate.
Ooh! Mmm! You know what? I think in another life, you probably were somebody grandma.
You sure you ain't out here trying to cook like you 50 years old? I'm gonna have to see some I.
D.
, young lady.
I always like to support local businesses.
You know why, I grew up hanging on my mama's apron strings in her restaurant.
Matter of fact, I'm on my way to Louisiana to see somebody I used to know recently opened up they own restaurant.
Maybe that could be you someday.
That's the goal.
And thank you for that.
Be sure and tell all your friends to come through.
Oh, I'll do that.
[ENGINE STARTS.]
RALPH ANGEL: Ohh! That feel good.
Never had no massage before.
- Never? - Nuh-unh.
Oh, you are missing out on one of life's great simple pleasures.
Ohh.
Guess so.
Relax.
Just let it do what it does.
I am relaxed.
Oh, my God, if this is you relaxed, I'd hate to see you tense.
[LAUGHS.]
Come on, close your eyes.
Feel the rhythm.
[LAUGHS.]
All right.
Give in to it.
Ohh.
- Glad I ran into you.
- Yeah? I've enjoyed being back and secure Think we could do this again? This? I'm talking about you and me.
No kids.
Just us.
I'd like that.
Hmm.
- A bit bitter.
- Really? Yeah.
Unless you like some bite with your coffee.
I just like coffee, period.
It's my saving Grace.
When I first got sober, I'd have injected caffeine in my arm if I could.
[LAUGHS.]
- Too much? - No, not at all.
Uh, it's actually It's a relief to be able to joke about it, you know? Laughing is not a crime, people.
Yeah, and that group can get pretty serious sometimes, but everybody's got their process.
- Oh, my God.
- Six months ago, I don't think I could have laughed about much of anything.
Sorry.
We said no group talk on our first date.
I know.
- But who are we fooling? - True.
Hey, have you, uh You given any more thought to being a sponsor? I haven't decided yet.
I think anyone would be lucky to have you as a sponsor.
You've been through the fire.
You still here.
Can even smile sometimes.
Thank you For that.
I am I feel like I, um Like I've just gotten to a good place.
Yeah.
I've been sober five years now, and, uh, it took me twice as long to get to where you are.
But but, uh We We ain't gotta talk about all that right now 'cause now I think it's time to get into this Italian dark roast.
Mm.
[COUGHS.]
It's just right.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
- Bye, Ms.
Vi.
- Night.
Night, y'all.
You and the kids were talking about nothing, huh? [DOOR CLOSES.]
Just found "nothing" stuffed on a shelf in my office.
You said you didn't have time to read Nova's book.
So you took it upon yourself to read it for me.
I take it that that child done dug up every one of Ernest's skeletons.
You know this book ain't just about Ernest.
Vi, I think it's time for you to read that book.
[CELLPHONE BUZZES.]
[SIGHS.]
Third time tonight.
[BUZZING CONTINUES.]
It's always been like this.
Always on her schedule.
Consequence is not a word in her vocabulary, apparently.
Sorry.
I'm just venting.
It's okay.
If someone wrote all the things that I had did in a book, I don't think I'd be handing it out to everyone I meet.
Mm.
Sounds ominous.
Is there something from your past I should know about? No.
No, I-I just I just mean that there were a lot of causes that I was passionate about, and sometimes my passion didn't always help.
There are just some things that I wish I would have thought through more.
Well, I spent the better part of the last two years moving on from the things she wrote about.
When you read it I won't read it.
I want to get to know the you now, not you then.
Thank you.
All I know is I can't have this.
I can't.
Sounds like you have to talk to her.
She never talked to me about it.
And now it's in print for anyone to read.
This is defamation, maybe even libel.
[GLASS CLINKS.]
Was it all a lie? I know you have to do something, but if you go down the legal road, you might just bring more attention to the book.
[SIGHS.]
This whole thing's a mess.
I'm I'm just trying to fix it.
What if you can't? What if this is just one of those things you have to live through? There's so much stuff to do since you're back.
What do you want to do? I'm happy to be back.
[HIP HOP MUSIC PLAYS.]
- Fake turns? - Yeah.
- Yo, excuse me.
- Watch it.
Watch it.
Hey, I almost didn't recognize you there, Micah.
Looks like someone watched "black panther" too many times.
[LAUGHS.]
- It's so true! - What did you say, bro? [LAUGHTER.]
- What'd you say? - Kick him out! Oh, so I'm funny to you now?! Yeah.
Whoa! Micah! No, no, no, no, no! Micah! [PEOPLE CHANTING "FIGHT!".]
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING.]
See you soon.
I could See you inside.
I need to take things slow.
You understand, right? I understand.
And I respect that.
See you soon, then.
Real soon, I hope.
He bumped into me on purpose, didn't apologize, makes a joke about black culture, and I'm supposed to be like, "no worries"? Guys like Beau grow up to be men like Orson.
Orson wasn't born that way.
Before he started abusing us, he got used to laughing at us.
That's the first step.
What is? Well, I went to one of those seminars you told me about this summer.
There were a lot of homi bhabas, some others, but I learned that the first step to taking a people's stuff, to taking their land, their bodies, is to take down their culture, to laugh at it.
Yes.
The comic turn.
I remember.
If someone had popped Orson in the mouth, maybe he wouldn't have put a gun in mine.
You know, zero tolerance.
That's my new policy.
I want you to be the first person to have a hard copy of my book.
Wow.
Wow, this is an honor.
Can you sign it for me? Already done.
What?! "For moments of doubt, remember we have wings.
With love, aunt Nova.
" Thank you.
Thank you.
He was so tired.
Yeah.
What? Is everything okay? Just a crazy day.
That's all.
You have a lot on your shoulders, Ralph Angel.
You're handling it, though.
I'm proud of you.
Appreciate it.
How you doing? I'm, um I'm feeling stable and hopeful.
Hopeful about this guy you've been seeing? [CLEARS THROAT.]
Do you think that, uh, we should, um, be talking about these kinds of things? Why not? We co-parents, ain't we? They say it's best we be friends.
I mean, since you already told me you're dating somebody.
I don't think we should talk about these things because Because if I tell you about who I'm dating, then that means that I'd have to hear about who you're dating.
And I don't think I'm ready for that.
To be honest i don't think I'm ready, either.
I wish you happiness, Darla.
That I do.
As I do you.
CHARLEY: Micah.
- Oh, my God.
- I'm fine.
- It's not a big deal.
- Mnh-mnh.
That is not necessarily for you to decide.
You can't be getting into fights, Micah.
Y-you cannot! How you act and how you look matter.
Why didn't you tell me you were gonna loc your hair? You didn't say anything about my hair last year.
A high-top fade reads differently to most people.
And by "most people," you mean white people? I should live my life by making white people feel comfortable.
If wearing a belt on your pants or cutting your hair is a millisecond difference between you being dead or alive, that that's a compromise I'm willing to live with.
I'm not! I'm not gonna twist myself into knots trying to fit into some box that doesn't promise me a damn thing.
No, im-a do me.
Sounds like you learned a lot in your chat with Nova.
This this has nothing to do with aunt Nova.
You know the night I was in jail, after I got out, you know who it was who saw that I had pissed my pants because I was so scared? Tied her sweater around my waist so I wouldn't be ashamed? Who wasn't across the parking lot screaming at dad? Who gave a damn that night about how I felt? Aunt Nova.
Good night.
[DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS.]
[POUNDING ON DOOR.]
All right.
Now I'm ready for you.
Okay.
Let's just sit down and t-talk.
No.
It was bad enough for you to print this trash for the world to see.
But now your words have wormed their way into my son's heart and poisoned him against me.
Charley, please.
Micah came to me.
- He knew you'd be upset.
- Mm.
He just needed someone to listen to him, and you always [SIGHS.]
No.
Keep going.
I always what? You certainly didn't hold back in your book.
What do you think about me, Nova? Actually, I already have an idea.
"My sister, born to privilege, raised with wealth, and half-bathed in whiteness, used her light skin as her shield and her sword, weapons in every room she entered, every deal she made, with every woman she sacrificed, and for every man she protected.
Her honey skin kept her safe, all the while keeping her complicit in the continued oppression of black bodies.
" [INHALES DEEPLY.]
Is this what you think of me? I was writing about privilege.
You can shove your themes up your pretentious ass! Call it what you want, but this This is 300 pages of you telling the world how much you hate your only sister! Charley.
I love you.
This isn't love! This is betrayal disguised as Pulp Fiction trying to pass itself off as literature! Almost everything in the book was public knowledge.
- Oh, my God! - So, I wasn't writing about Davis to be salacious.
You and Davis present a classic story about the insidious nature of rape culture.
Are you out of your damn mind?! Nova, we are people.
I am your sister.
I am not some example to be used for your examination of rape culture.
I'm writing about how women often protect men instead of protecting other women, which is what you did, Charley, and how we are blind to our own enabling of patriarchy.
You're hardly alone in this.
That's what I'm writing about.
Dress it up however you want, but at the end of the day, you wrote about your evil, light-skinned sister and her famous philandering husband.
I'm laying myself bare in the book, too.
I admit what happened to Too Sweet was my fault.
I sold weed to rid when it was illegal, and Too Sweet bore the burden of my callous actions.
I have been complicit in a system that hurts young black men.
Laying yourself bare and laying your family bare are two different things! You wrote about me.
Ra.
Nova, you wrote about aunt Vi! I'm writing about an American family.
Nova, when Micah reads this He trusts you.
When he reads this, he'll believe I'm a monster.
He won't.
We'll explain it to him.
You have no idea what the consequences of this being in the world will be.
You have to put the brakes on it.
I can't, Charley.
It's gone to print.
It's too late.
[KEYS JINGLE.]
[DOOR SLAMS.]
Don't ask for the truth Then call me a liar Breathe it in deep But my soul's getting tired Show me the difference Between love and desire The battlefield Fighting fire with fire "We speak of strength in black women almost like a superpower, an innate gift disconnected from growth, struggle, tears, pain, joy, and brokenness.
This is the lie.
For sure, strength isn't something you buy at the corner store.
And my aunt Violet is the proof.
Her body and spirit, so strong now, was broken more times than she can count by my uncle Jimmy Dale.
" Gotta make your way In a cold world No, she didn't.
There's no one there to help you but yourself Look me in the face - I'm no stranger - [BELL DINGS.]
Don't have to be every man for himself Checking in, sir? Yes, I am.
I think I got turned around.
Where's that diner I heard so much about? Used to be called the, uh, high yeller.
That's Vi's Prized Pies now.
Vi's Prized Pies.
Yeah, I think I'll go over there tomorrow.
You won't be sorry.
Their peach pecan pie is to die for.
May I have a name for the room? Dale.
Jimmy Dale.