Queen Sugar (2016) s07e02 Episode Script

1
Previously on Queen Sugar
You're a real inspiration around here.
This is my big sis Nova.
You have quite a reputation.
All good, I hope.
I don't shy away from bad either.
I'm worried about you falling
so far behind on your mortgage.
Keke, I'm actually here to take
a class with this photographer.
- Farah Stephens?
- Oh, you know his work?
I run his NFT account.
It's been a long time
since I felt like this.
- Are you asking me out?
- Get back in the car.
You are not welcome here, Sam.
Parker's a living descendant
of the massacre.
It's gonna take a lot more
than your pathetic daughter
to overturn the marker.
We'll see.
Where did I put that address book?
You want to talk about it?
We can't let Parker get away with this.
I don't believe what Sam said.
Betty was my best friend, a good person.
She would never allow
her daughter or Sam
to do us wrong.
Baby, that was a long time ago
and people change.
And the bottom line is,
she is still Parker's mother.
When was the last time you saw her?
It's been a while.
But I knew her.
Hollywood, I knew her.
I'm gonna find her.
And that's my
granddaddy angel, my grandmama may.
There's my name.
Sure is.
And Ralph Angel's name
is right under yours.
Right. Get us all in together.
Judy, my darling, come here.
- Oh.
- Oh, I got it.
All right, I messed up a little bit,
but at least it didn't tear.
We really gotta get these digitized.
Yeah, before they're lost forever.
Yeah.
Never seen pops like that.
- Looks so young.
- Yeah.
Younger than you.
Now it's all lost 'cause of them.
Still here, but now
It's all lost.
It's not over.
We are going to stop them
from overturning the landmark
at the council meeting tomorrow.
Dominic's in Baton Rouge meeting with
the historical preservation society.
And I've reached out to all
of the living descendants.
With all of us standing shoulder to
shoulder at the city council meeting,
we can stop Parker and Sam.
This photo halted development
at Congo square.
This one reopened
an unsolved murder case.
This photo was shared over
1 million times,
brought in protesters
from across the world.
Keke helped me upload it as an NFT.
We sold it for almost $100,000.
I donated the proceeds to
the movement for black lives.
The value of an image.
Is the one with the dollar amount
worth more than the one that
brought peace to a grieving family?
We can talk about the details
on NFTs later.
Right now,
let's just go over the basics.
What is an NFT?
It stands for non-fungible token.
It's a one-of-a-kind piece
of digital art stored online,
secured on the blockchain.
Artists buy and sell NFTs
to make a living all the time.
But whatever value an image may have
comes first from you, the photographer.
All you have to offer as
artists is your perspective.
So, I want you all to show me
the world through your eyes.
Show me you.
The first NFT was minted on
may 3rd, 2014.
Hey, um, so, how do I upload an NFT?
So, they're generally run
through aggregator sites
with access to collectors
who pay top dollar.
So, you think that there's anyone that
might be interested in my work or
Keke introduce me to a guy, Zane.
He's always sweating me to post more.
I'll be honest with you,
he's a little slippery.
If you can handle it.
Okay.
Yeah. Thank you.
- No problem.
- Thanks.
Thank you.
You need anything else?
I'm good, son.
Full as a tick.
So, I hear you finally
asked Sandy out on a date.
I see you playa.
Yeah.
I got to do something special
for our first date.
Yeah, yeah. Don't stress that now.
I'm sure she'll like
whatever you come up with.
Just as long as you two are together,
that's all that matters.
Okay. Well, this is a classy lady,
and she's been to every fine
restaurant in New Orleans.
I can't take her to just any place.
What? Give me something to work with.
What does she like?
Where does she want to go?
Well, she talks about Jamaica a lot.
Well, there it is. Jamaica it is.
I can't afford a trip to Jamaica.
But you can afford a real spot.
So, let's say we make that
into a Jamaican paradise,
palm trees, reggae music, that vibe,
make some jerk chicken and rum cake.
We're gonna make that first date
with Sandy a night to remember.
Okay, Jamaica in St. Joe.
- I like it.
- Uh-huh.
Rotating our crops lately.
Practicing the George
Washington carver method.
Yeah, our soil nutrients have doubled.
Have y'all considered
aeroponics in the greenhouse?
It uses less water, mostly air.
Fifty years, never had
no problems with air.
Yeah.
Well, it's the same concept
as the carver method,
you just need the right amount
of nutrients.
After we set up aeroponics,
we doubled our yield in one year.
Wow. That's good.
I have something for y'all actually.
Seeds from my land.
From my mother's people.
Plant them, save the seeds so you
can pass them to the next generation.
I hope they bring you luck for
the council meeting tomorrow.
You've come a long way.
Ain't happen overnight.
Takes a village.
Well, it's one of the perks of a co-op.
- Community, yeah?
- Right.
- Mmm-hmm.
- You ready for your interview?
Yeah, I am.
Us farmers need that star treatment too.
Encourage folks to get back to the land.
- Heard that.
- How about we talk over lunch?
How about over a drink?
Even better.
Well, it was lovely seeing you again.
- You as well.
- Prosper.
Y'all don't need anything from me?
Nah, we're good.
Y'all ladies have fun.
Where are we goin'?
Last time I did that,
he was at a cafe across the street
and saw me ignore the call.
Well, he's in Chicago.
Mine's in New York.
So, we should be safe then.
I love your jacket.
- You look great in it.
- Thank you.
Listen, this might be tmi,
but when I
was avoiding calls, it didn't end well.
Yeah, well, it is definitely
headed in that direction.
But I still love him.
He's a great guy. Always has been.
It's the reason why I chose him.
Why am I telling you
my whole life story?
I'm so sorry.
Look, I say just rip off the band-aid.
It'll hurt at first,
then it'll get better.
Yeah.
I'm just not sure if I'm ready yet.
You don't know until you try.
Call him.
Hi. I'm Billie Denton.
My mother calls me my.
That's a beautiful name.
It's really nice to meet you, Emani.
Great meeting you too, Billie.
Make the call.
I'm thinking. I'm thinking.
Yeah, this is my idea of
Montego Bay vibes right here.
And this one gives you what?
Hedonism. 1999.
- Oh, dear.
- Ocho Rios.
Oh, oh. I found it. Look at this.
Oh, here we go. Yes.
Oh.
Boom! Boom!
How do I look, man?
Keep the hat, but lose the accent.
- Don't do me like that, Prosper.
- Oh.
Come on now.
Yeah.
Thanks again for everything, wood.
There's no way I could have
done this all by myself.
We're just so glad that
Sandra make you so happy.
Do anything to keep that going.
You know,
that's always a good thing when you got
two good people
and they into each other.
Sometimes you just got
to dig deep, go through it.
but when you do, there's
nothing better than love.
Mmm-hmm.
Yeah, you're right about that.
It's about time you got off the market.
No more flying solo.
Oh. Yeah.
I've been solo for a long time.
I kind of got used to being alone.
Oh, man. Nobody needs to be alone.
Sometimes it just takes a
moment to find your better half.
Look, I tried for a long time,
but I found my queen.
Claire was my better half.
Yeah.
The only woman I ever loved.
Thought it was forever.
Didn't think I'd need
to be out here looking again.
I was a little rusty.
You know, back then,
it didn't have to be smooth,
know the right words to say it,
just being me was enough.
No, it still is.
Hey, being real
is never going out of style.
Well, I hope you're right
'cause I'm sweet on Sandy.
I was born into it.
Both sides of my family were farmers,
cherokee and African.
From day one, all I ever wanted to do.
Take care of the land,
it takes care of us.
You native American?
Both. And neither.
Depending on who you talk to.
Not black enough
or Indian enough for some.
I don't always fit in either.
That little pouch that you
gave my brother of the seeds,
that's a beautiful way
to honor your mother.
The seeds remember
the land they came from.
My mother used to tell us about
how girls would braid rice
and okra into the hair
when they were stolen
from Africa to remember home.
Yeah.
Lots of African plants
and crops were here
in the Americas because of those women.
You know, our mother would
tell us the story
of when her people
were removed from their land,
they took their seeds
with them to Oklahoma,
but the crops wouldn't grow there.
And the white settlers' food
wasn't growing here either,
so the white people begged
our people for seeds to grow
food and survive, right?
Our people deliberated and
ultimately they shared them.
But you see, the seeds needed
to be in their soil,
where they came
from in order to survive.
Mmm-hmm.
I feel that.
So true story, Nova,
you got someone tending your
garden at home waiting on you?
Well, not at the moment.
He's out of town. But yeah, I do.
You?
I'm still looking.
But good for you.
Hmm.
Okay, shall we?
What you got?
What inspired you to start your co-op?
It's gorgeous, isn't it?
Yeah.
Hey, while I have you,
I wanted to show you some of my photos
for the art show for end of the summer?
Sure. Let's see what you got.
Working hard on some stuff, you know?
Hmm.
Some of my recent stuff.
- Mostly black and white.
- Mmm.
I like it.
I see you coming through.
- This is nice work, Michael.
- Thank you.
I really want to be
a part of the art show.
You should talk to Keke.
She's curating.
Oh.
Oh, I didn't know.
I
I don't know if she told you, but
Yeah, she told me.
She's the boss.
So, you got to weigh in.
See you in class.
You're looking like a cat
that swallowed a canary.
Well, I don't want to brag,
but we did sell out
all of my pies today.
Yeah, there were a lot
of tourists in here today,
but the rest of them?
Nah, they like real butter,
cream, and sugar.
No substitutes, baby.
Substitutes can be tasty
if you know what you're doing.
I can show you a few tricks.
All right, Mr. I can show you.
You can help me whip up a Jamaican feast
for Prosper's big date.
We'll see.
Plantains are my specialty.
My mom taught me.
Did you tell her that I asked about her?
How is she?
She's good.
Just busy working.
You would tell me
if there was a problem, right?
Of course.
I'm gonna see if anyone needs anything.
Well, I don't know
what happened, Parthena,
but I don't have any record
of you ever filing an extension.
Please check your records again.
Miss Parthena filed
more than three months ago.
But she hasn't received the extension.
Sorry, I can't help you.
Mr. Miller, I put that
application in your hand.
You told me I was good to go.
I don't recall that.
You got a receipt?
You know you ain't
never gave me a receipt.
Not in the 35 years
I've been coming in here.
Miss Parthena's USDA funds,
they haven't come through either.
That's why she's been
late with her payments.
Yeah, well, those funds are tied up
because of the lawsuit
from the white farmers.
You know, it's just not fair
to give folks something
because of their race.
That's reverse discrimination.
Never stopped them from giving the
white farmers everything they need.
And that lawsuit affects
USDA loans, not extensions.
All right.
Well, I'll tell you what I can do.
Now, I know some folks
that would be very interested
in buying that land of yours.
Okay. He's not gonna help us.
Just hold on a second.
And because I've known you
for nearly 40 years,
I'm gonna make you an exception.
You get that payment into
this office within 48 hours,
this whole matter will be settled.
Where am I gonna get $25,000 by Monday?
We'll be in touch.
Let's go, miss Parthena.
I'll meet you guys in the car.
Excuse me.
You were listening in there.
Yes, I was.
Anything you can do to help us?
I wish I could, but it's not my case.
Miller takes all the black farmers.
He's been slowing down the process.
- He's waiting out the clock.
- You're right.
Look. Call me.
I can't talk freely here.
Files get lodged with Miller
when it comes to the black farmers.
And he said 48 hours,
but if you could come up with the money,
best to do it now.
I heard him talking
to the sheriff earlier.
He's not to be trusted.
So be careful.
Give me a call.
Miller ever been
a friend of black farmers.
Every interview I've done,
Miller's name comes up.
Is he the only rep at the local USDA?
Mr. Randolph told me he claims
all the black farm cases personally.
Easier to control the system that way.
I know I put that extension
in his hands.
- I swear.
- We believe you.
First, it was Ralph Angel. Now this.
The vultures are circling.
If the council votes
to overturn our landmark,
our home is gone.
I got to come up with $25,000 by Monday.
Otherwise, I'm gonna lose my farm.
You're not gonna lose
your farm, miss Parthena.
If we pool together
all our settlement money,
chip in a little bit more each,
we can make that payment.
We're not going out like that this time.
That's my word.
Thank you.
Uh, excuse me.
Hi. Sorry to interrupt.
I'm looking for Zane.
Beige jacket by the shark.
All right. Thank you.
Hey.
Hey.
You must be Keke's friend.
Yeah, man. Michael West.
Full disclosure.
I've been a Davis West fan
since he first got in the league.
- Oh, man.
- Yeah.
- Old man was a beast.
- Hey, man. No lies detected.
Yeah.
- I'ma show you around.
- All right.
We're printing out a few of
our favorite NFTs for the walls.
But most of the art lives
in there, in the blockchain.
We only acquire what sells.
And if we bring you
into the ivory NFT art show,
you need to sell and keep selling,
otherwise you're dead weight.
Want a drink?
Yeah, please.
It's got adaptogens.
No booze until the sun sets,
then all bets are off.
All right, so how do I get into this?
This overprivileged,
totally entitled crew
works on crypto tokens.
- Okay.
- Good vibes.
We're aggregators.
People come to us because
they know we have real artists.
I mean, here I am.
Oh, yeah? All right.
Well, first, I need
to take a look at your work.
If it's a fit, we'll go from there.
- Sounds good.
- My man.
- Let's do it.
- Let's do it.
- Very good to meet you.
- Nice to meet you as well.
- Yeah.
- All right.
- Peace.
- See you.
Mercy.
Looks like the whole parish turned out.
They think numbers
will make the difference.
We can't afford a setback here.
We got too much riding on this.
We'll get them to overturn the landmark
and finally get the land.
Just let me do my job.
Your mother would be
ashamed of you, baby.
You have no idea what my mother wants.
All you had to do was get
your nephew to take the deal.
You didn't.
So it's my land now, Violet.
I don't give a good goddamn
whose daughter you are.
You watch your tone with me.
I say let's just go find a seat.
Vi.
I hope your family is prepared
to accept the council's ruling.
I know we are.
Sam
Not much is ever in our favor,
never has been.
And we are still here.
We're still fighting.
And we never give up.
You should know that by now.
Come on, daddy.
Welcome. We're here today
to vote on a proposal
from Landry enterprises to
develop an outlet mall on their land.
This would mean overturning
a historical landmark.
Speaking for the opposition,
Nova Bordelon.
We'll hear from her now.
This land needs to remain untouched.
It is the final resting place
for the victims
of the Thibodaux massacre.
But it is also my family home,
our home.
My ancestors,
our ancestors have endured
enough suffering in life.
In death, we need to allow
them to rest in peace.
The land was designated
a historical landmark
by the state.
I ask that the council respect that
and not allow it
to be destroyed for greed.
If we do not honor our past,
we dishonor our future.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bordelon.
And miss Campbell.
I too have ancestors buried on my land.
I too share the pain of their suffering.
I want to honor those brave souls
and have them disinterred
and given a proper burial.
This locket was given
to me by my mother.
It was my grandmother's.
She always told me
to remember my ancestors.
And that is what I am determined to do.
I would be remiss if I didn't
acknowledge the council
for giving me this opportunity to speak.
I agree with miss Bordelon.
We honor the past and the future.
Excuse me.
We share a deep commitment to both.
I want to bring life back to St. Joe.
This development
will create hundreds of jobs,
boosting a weak economy.
It is my honor to bring this
to my mother's hometown.
Thank you for your time.
St. Joe needs a financial lift.
Our business community took
a hit due to COVID,
and we need to get back on track.
I move for a vote.
All in favor of keeping
the historical landmark,
raise your hand.
All in favor of removing the landmark
and going forward with the
Landry development project,
raise your hand.
The motion is approved.
The development will move forward.
The meeting is adjourned.
Did you call him?
The hell is wrong with you?
Like I said,
just trying to bring life
back to a dying town.
It's over.
- You can move the bones.
- Or we will.
Vi.
Excuse us.
Bye, Billie.
Hey.
This isn't the end.
Come on.
Oh, baby, we ain't giving up.
But you got to take a minute to
restore and rest up for a long fight.
Come with me, baby.
Clear skies.
Calm water.
You preoccupied with all
the fishing you could be doing.
Woman, who's steering
this fantasy, me or you?
I'm sorry. Go ahead.
Thank you.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Nothing for miles.
Just us and the waves, just all alone.
Hmm. That sounds like heaven.
You know, I love a full house,
but this
Just you and me.
You can have me out here
whenever you want.
Even in the worst of times,
we have to remember our lessons.
Ain't nobody here but me
and these waves.
Catch the other one.
Catch it. Catch it. Catch it.
I got this light inside of me ♪
I follow my heart inside of me ♪
You wanna be, I wanna be free ♪
I wanna be, I wanna be me ♪
- Hey.
- Hey, bro.
- What's up, man?
- Come in.
- How are you?
- Good.
- How you doing?
- Yo, I'm pretty good, man.
I'm just getting some work done.
That's not That's the good stuff.
Yeah, man. We had a few
bottles laying around the office.
- Thought you might like it.
- Yeah. Well, yeah.
Come on and make yourself at home.
Take your shoes off, if you don't mind.
You want some of this now?
- If you are.
- All right.
Nice.
Great taste.
That's mostly my mom's taste, but
Charley Bordelon West.
She's hot.
So, talk to me, man.
How do I upload a NFT?
Like, can I do it
just whenever I want, wherever I want?
- Like, I don't know the ropes.
- Chill, chill.
Just relax.
Let's take a look at your photos.
All right, I
This here
- Check that out.
- Okay.
You just keep swiping that way.
To see everything.
This is the heat, man.
This your boyfriend?
No.
Nah. That's just a friend.
Cool.
Now, I know some collectors that might
be interested
in something like this.
- Really?
- Yeah.
But listen, no one sells
the first time out,
so don't get discouraged.
- I'll show you the ropes.
- All right.
- You ready?
- Yeah, I'm ready.
I don't think they ready. Look at this.
Facts.
You know, I mean,
she told me her name was Emani.
It helped it was just vibe.
I mean, I thought she was
just another cool sister.
I can't believe it.
We're not 16 anymore, okay?
We can do better.
- Where's the fun in that, though?
- Cheers.
So did you call him?
- I did.
- Mmm.
I did.
- I told him that I need more time.
- Mmm.
So Emani
was right. You need
to pull that band-aid.
Yeah, but I still love him though.
If I let him go, then I'll
never find anybody else.
You know, you've always
had one foot out the door.
Okay. Either step in or out.
Make a choice.
Yeah.
This place has not changed at all.
Mmm.
The only place we could smoke,
drink, cuss.
Dream.
You know, all you talked about
back then was law school.
What happened?
Life.
I got distracted.
Babies, bills, you know?
I thought I was gonna be
the next Pauli Murray.
What's stopping you? You still can.
Stop thinking and just do.
I'ma need you to get a new catchphrase.
It works for me.
Does it?
Whatever.
I can't stop thinking about
that council meeting.
I talked to mo earlier,
and she gave me an idea.
We can stage an event
on our land as a protest.
Well, maybe stop thinking and just do.
- See how I turn that around?
- You
You know,
you using my words against me, okay?
I see you. Touche.
You right.
You absolutely right.
There he is.
Hi.
Hey.
All right, why are we clapping?
Not bad, rookie.
10k your first time out.
Wait, I sold?
You sold.
I sold!
What? No.
Man, I couldn't have done
this without you.
Damn right.
Just remember, you only
as good as your last sell.
Great job, bro.
- Welcome to Ivory.
- Thanks.
Let's party.
Yo, thanks, team.
Yo, let's go.
Where are we going?
You'll see. You'll see.
Why do I have to close my eyes?
Where are we going?
Okay, here we are. You can open them.
Prosper, this is beautiful.
It's like we're right here
next to the ocean.
Oh, this is just too much.
Wow.
- Thank you.
- Mmm.
And welcome to cafe Jamaica.
Yeah, man!
It's irie!
What do you think?
I think you should have lost the accent.
Oh! Him been working on it all day.
- Yeah, man!
- I love it.
And on the menu for tonight,
we have jerk chicken,
rice of peas, steamed cabbage,
and Joachim's special plantains.
And rum cake for dessert.
Oh, my.
Everything looks so delicious.
It should.
And thank you for this blessing.
Well, you two enjoy.
Yeah.
Baby, how about we let the
lovebirds have some privacy?
Oh, oh. Yes, yes.
Okay, so, behave yourselves.
Maybe we can have some alone time too.
Yeah, right.
Whatever that means, y'all.
I can't believe you did all this for me.
I know you talk a lot about Jamaica,
and I couldn't take you there,
but I hope this will do instead.
It will.
Thank you.
Never give up never give up ♪
no matter what you do ♪
never give up never give up ♪
no matter what they say ♪
never give up never give up ♪
never gonna give you up
we just keep on goin' ♪
never give up ♪
How was your meeting?
It was good.
What have you two been doing?
Oh, nothing.
She couldn't sleep, so I decided
to show her her grandparents.
Your parents look so happy.
There's nothing better than love.
I wonder how Prosper
and Sandy's first date went.
He was so nervous.
Probably better than our first date.
You remember?
Hella awkward.
It ended up smooth.
We left that fancy place in New Orleans
and ended up getting takeout
catfish and shrimp at
- Willie Mae's.
- Willie Mae's.
Yeah.
Took you to the river
and just stayed up all night.
Mmm-hmm.
The same place you proposed to me.
I made a lot of mistakes in my life.
Falling in love with you
ain't one of them.
I love you forever.
I love you forever too.
Mrs. Prosper.
Well, look. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up.
Slow down.
Wait, what happened?
Right now?
I'm on my way.
What happened?
Miss Parthena.
It's happening.
- I got to go.
- Okay. It's okay.
I'ma call you.
- I'll come as soon as I can.
- All right.
- They're taking it.
- Hey!
They're taking my house.
- They're taking my house.
- Hey!
Hey, man.
Came as soon as we could.
We'll start putting
these bags in the truck.
I got a couple more guys coming.
Is this really necessary?
Bank wants this house
locked up by end of day.
Anything left go up
for auction with the house.
Excuse me.
Sir, I have the loan
extension paperwork right here.
We just need one more day.
That's nothing to do with me.
I just follow the orders that I'm given.
And my orders are
to make sure miss Gilmore
is out of this house.
What am I gonna do, vi?
Where am I gonna go?
Don't you worry about that.
We will figure it out.
You are not in this alone. You hear me?
All right. All right.
- Now are
- Get back in the car.