'Queen Sugar' Remains a Resonating Juggernaut in Season Three

Queen Sugar season 3 poster.

Warning: If you haven't watched Queen Sugar's epic season two or the first few episodes of the recently debuted third season please do not scroll down.

Sisters Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner, left) and Nova (Rutina Wesley, right) comfort Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe, center) after he receives paternity test results.  

Last season ended on a traumatic shocker. Darla let out a colossal secret that many viewers didn't see coming. Blue was not Ralph Angel's flesh and blood. After years of raising the sweet, lovable tyke as his biological offspring, Ralph Angel was crushed to learn the devastating truth.

Micah (Nicholas Ashe) and Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) have dealt with Davis's scandalous affair/love child in similar ways.

This third season is more somber, its quietness contained. The characters are dealing with personal aftermaths, channeling hurt, anger, frustration, and rage in cages that could have detrimental consequences. For one, Charley is pulling further away from her family, deserted by them. Rightfully so. No one seems available to answer her despair. She is a determined, headstrong woman.. It took time for the others to understand why she sold the mill to the awful Landry family. Thus, when Davis tells her about his daughter from an elicit affair, that shatters Davis and Charley's brittle post-divorce relationship. She handles her pain against grain, against logic, allowing the younger Landry-- Jacob Boudreaux-- to take her to dinner and dancing, going as far as sharing a public displayed kiss with him.

Whereas Charley can't see that Micah is putting forth the same emotional distance. He too is blown away by Davis's shameless discretion. As he becomes fully ingested with public high school life, fresh from strict, upper crust private institutions, he is enamored more and more with the young black activists, a team of black students campaigning for justice anywhere they see fit. While their ways of raising black awareness impresses Micah's vulnerability, especially after running into the white police officer that tormented him, he is slowly lulling away from his girlfriend, Keke.

Now Keke appreciates the young black activists' valiant efforts, but at the same time, she knows that she is a teenager with a lot of life to  She wants to be there for Micah, but he brushes her off for the thrills of egging on conservative white people. It gives him the power that was stolen from him, revives his spirit. Still, Micah is allowing the pursuit of danger to grant him comfort instead of his loved ones. There will come a moment that he will have to choose between activism and his relationship with Keke. From these seven aired episodes alone, he is grappling with countless pent up issues on top of his father's latest betrayal.

Nova (Rutina Wesley) has reservations about becoming involved with Charley's ex Remy (Dondre T. Whitfield). 

Meanwhile, as Nova prepares her novel, seeking out influences from Ida B. Wells to Aunt Violet, her love life is becoming another taboo. First was the tawdry affair with Calvin, a white police officer. Then came a short tryst with Chantal Williams. Lastly, a man who didn't know her at all, the kiss up, Dr. Robert DuBois. Now Remy is wooing her with words, subtle touches, and longing looks, despite his very recent history with Charley. From the first two seasons, Remy appeared to be a humble, sweet man turning on that rustic Southern charm. He is also rather old fashioned. He couldn't work out with Charley because she was an underhanded schemer and dangerous risk taker. With Nova, perhaps he sees quite the opposite. After all, he is fond of her writing. Nova gets to the heart of the matter without playing any manipulation tactics.

In "Delicate and Strangely Made," the sixth episode, at the dead of night, Nova comes to Charley's house having learned of Davis's love child. Previously, a tear stricken Charlie had called Nova (whom had her phone off as she spent time fishing with Remy). Nova had plenty of time to get back to her younger, hurting sister. Instead, she's texting Remy and not returning her sister's call. Thus, when Nova is at Charley's house, apologizing and wanting to provide solace, Charley is ice cold, closing the door on her. Nova was wrong for not being immediately present. Afterwards, she texts Remy that they cannot continue.

However, in "Study War No More," episode seven, a fickle Nova appears to have changed her mind, letting Remy tenderly hold her hand in Vi's kitchen. And Charley, who is constantly the family's black sheep, is many yards away unbeknownst to this newest burgeoning development.

Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) and Darla (Bianca Lawson) have it out over Blue.

Blue (Ethan Hutchison) tugs onto Darla (Bianca Lawson), making a shocking announcement.

Ralph Angel rambunctiously unleashes his pain in a more destructive fashion. At the beginning of the season, he is sleeping with random black women, shoving Darla's Facetime phone calls on Blue, and drinking heavily. However, he is focused on making sure the farm is harvested. Out of good will, he even allows a stranger, a former convict, have a job and stay at his house. When Darla returns-- fresh faced, hair cut, and new lovely home likely supported by her parents-- she is outraged by what Ralph Angel has been withholding. She lashes out about Blue's school behavior and the random stranger gambling with friends in the house Blue is living in.

Darla stays vigilant in her sobriety, seemingly well put together. As she grows accustomed to living back in St. Joe, sustaining without Ralph Angel and realizing that his family that ostracize her forever, she focuses on being a mother to Blue. It is unclear if Darla found a steady local job since Charley fired her.

Darla's return also ignites a change in Ralph Angel's behavior. Suddenly, he is ready to pursue a new relationship and the boss's daughter, Trinh, holds the key. They go out on a few dates. Trinh shows Ralph Angel the appeasing nature of ordinary life, which is eerily reminiscent of Darla taking Ralph Angel to watch independent films. At first, Ralph Angel is nicer to Darla, letting her chaperone Blue on the school field trip instead of himself and allowing her to have Blue spend the night in her new house. Yet when Ralph Angel goes on an ice run with Trinh and Blue in tow, they look like a family unit. In fact, to the blurry eye, they look like Ralph Angel, Darla, and Blue. Although Trinh and Darla are different nationalities, they have the same complexion, doe eyes, full mouth, long dark hair (yes, Darla cut hers but still...), and slender body type. Darla sees the three of them together and is hurt by the sight. Ralph Angel, king of petty, aware of her presence, drives off without a care.

It will be interesting how Ralph Angel, Darla, and Blue move forward in this pins and needles fragility and if Trinh is going to be a permanent fixture in their lives. Ralph Angel is still hurt that he isn't Blue's father and Darla, who has realized the grave error of mismanaging her recovery steps, yearns to make amends to get back what she has again lost.

Blue celebrates his birthday by sending letters up to Ernest Bordelon: Micah (Nicolas Ashe), Blue (Ethan Hutchison), Vi (Tina Lifford), and Hollywood (Omar Dorsey) stand in front of the firepit.

In Queen Sugar too, it is never late to find love. As the younger Bordelons weigh ups and downs in their relationship choices, Hollywood and Vi are the finest illustration of love having no age limit. They have their battles though. Vi's independence remains an issue that Hollywood must face. Vi's pies business is booming so wonderfully that a couple offered to buy stakes. The stakes are more for them and less for her. She wants to create a storefront, well and within her right. After all, she is so popular that she calls on Nova for help. Vi is stubborn as a mule when it comes to asking for a second hand.  It is a red flag that she insistently rejects Hollywood.

As the family celebrate Vi's big 60th birthday, Hollywood's mother, who had stayed over to take part in the festivities, touches on Hollywood's insecurities. Sadly, Hollywood had originally wanted kids in his future. Even if her intuition was right about Hollywood's first wife, LeeAnne, we all hope that she is wrong about Vi. It would be flabbergasting if like Darla and Ralph Angel, Hollywood and Vi do not make it to the altar.

Relationships aside, the Bordelon farmland brings Charley, Nova, Ralph Angel, and Vi together. With Charley's daring sleuthing, the family has discovered a startling secret project that the Landrys have planned-- a private jail on properties of black farmers including the desired Bordelon property.  With corrupt institutionalization modern day slavery, the Bordelons will be damned if history repeats.

Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Oprah Winfrey, Rutina Wesley, Kofi Siriboe, Tina Lifford, and Ava DuVernay are what make Queen Sugar great.

As the complex, juicy stories unfold onscreen, off Queen Sugar dominates the awards shows honoring our specific demographic. For good reason, it has won the African American Film Critics Association's (AAFCA) Best Drama Series twice in a roll and has NAACP Image Awards honors for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for Ava DuVernay. Rutina Wesley has won Best Actress in a Drama from the Black Reel Television Awards and is nominated again this year. Although it continues breaking new, pivotal ground each season, with its all women directing team, phenomenal top notch acting, breathtaking cinematography, and gut wrenching narrative, the white institutions running Emmys and Golden Globes cannot remove themselves from historical prejudice, a discriminating hierarchy that will rarely nominate black actresses let alone black and women writers and directors.

Moreover, Queen Sugar deserves all the praise received. Whether its spread via Twitter trends, topping Wednesday night Facebook feeds, and the main topic of countless blog think pieces, Queen Sugar is a buzzing wildfire honey. Its sweet taste stings and soothes simultaneously. Endless television shows including this year's Emmy nominees cannot compare to Queen Sugar's brilliant delivery. On the screen moves mountains. Behind -the-scenes, women are helming and finessing to the magic of Meshell Ndegeocello's pulsing soundtrack. Every little element operates succinctly, like the brain, heart, and lungs of a full working body. Thus, we should continue to revel in this existence, of seeing and hearing what has long since been denied.

Week after week, viewers are fortunately rewarded with a generous helping of gratifying storytelling, of a show that demonstrates what it means to be a black body in the 21st century, to fight against oppressive capitalism, to take what has always belonged to us, and retain heart, strength, and dignity. We are seeing vast diaspora of our flesh range and as multifaceted human beings who demonstrate rights, who make grave mistakes, who fall in love. At the same time, wise and authentic Queen Sugar says in a clever, roundabout way, that family can often be the ticket to accessing those values that matters most, that are not often seen from black and women point of view.

Ferocious 'Queen Sugar' Returns With Vital Strength and Meaningful Passages That Hit Home

Life is more complicated than ever for the Bordelon clan.

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) named it best and number one television drama series. The NAACP Image Awards named it outstanding drama. 

Now award-winning Queen Sugar’s back. After the Winter (episode one directed by Kat Candler) and To Usward (episode two directed by Cheryl Dunye) provide graceful followup to continued commitment of offering television at finest authenticity. Stories are richly formed thanks to several components successfully operating together. Beautiful, focused camera lights dance around brown and black skin tones, singing harmonies in accentuating contrasts between radiance and shadows, illustrating tender portraits rarely seen. Shot exterior vignettes among succulent backdrops are as visually stunning as lush, colorful paintings hung in the walls of various interior settings. Meshell Ndegeocello's solid musical choices behind gorgeous scenes set appropriate tone for facets of emotional range. Lastly, the perfectly cast ensemble is a dream unlike any other, embodying exceptional notes of deeply manifested scripts that present the current world that we live in, especially complex histories of gritty American South.

Nova (Rutina Wesley) wants women to support the community bail fund-- a source that helps young brothers who cannot afford the outlandish bail fees.

After the Winter is an up and down roller coaster opener. The girls are hanging out, having laughs, dancing, and bonding as a close-knit sisterhood. This visible unity between Nova, Charley, and Violet seemed to deepen overnight despite the tense undercurrents of last season. The love and forgiveness is strong, undeniable, wonderful.

Last season, Ralph Angel received news (a handwritten letter from Papa Bordelon) that he is the sole heir to the farm. He has kept this huge secret from his sisters and is focused on growing soybeans. Once again, he is clashing with headstrong Charley who still has trouble taking him seriously. Charley and Ralph Angel are each other's biggest obstacles when it comes to this significant inherited land. They each have ideas, but have yet to sit down together and have a civilized discussion. Both sides have valid support from the family and the local black farmers. Remy, especially, is an asset.

Nova (Rutina Wesley), in an amazing "Unheard Voices of Louisiana" t-shirt, advocates for justice in her community.

Rutina Wesley continues to bring top notch acting class to the silver screen. She is a chameleon. We don't know where the acting begins or ends. She is Nova from the inch of her locs to the fabric of her clothing to sole of her shoes. It is her voice, breaking on a tear spoken cry that renders audience to listen. She is reason. She is purpose. We cannot deny the imperative message she passionately exhales near closing of To Usward:

"These brothers and sisters find themselves caught up in a system meant to destroy them. Falling into an abyss that has swallowed too many of our people for too long. These police officers, they're trying to intimidate us. They want us to fear them. But we're not afraid. They want us to fade away, but we won't. They want to erase our humanity. To act as if we don't exist. But these black bodies are real. We cannot allow black bodies to be simply disposed of like trash."

Charley (Dawn Lyen-Gardner) doesn't like to lose.

The Bordelons often make questionable decisions. That much is true.

Dawn Lyen-Gardner portrays Charley as a multifaceted character whose faulty ambition overrides greater good. Charley sees positive endgame of becoming a black woman sugar cane farmer. Before reaching goals, however, she sacrifices moral ethics and a burgeoning new relationship. She's not evil or vindictive, but she can come across as selfish. Her "needs" are the rights for her family. It is their right to own that property and see it thrive. Charley wants that. We want that for her too. Although her methods are at times eyebrow raising, Charley's inner struggles are tested. When she needs Davis' signature on a loan he didn't authorize (much less know about), there is a beat or two, a silence mirrored in Charley's thinking, a singular pause. She quickly scrawls his name and rests a hand on her chin, defiant in an empty room. In her eyes, rests a tiny flicker of regret.

Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) is holding strong as an ex-convict single father finding his purpose and retaining love.

Kofi Siriboe is more than a handsome man melting hearts around the globe. He is a phenomenal actor inhibiting balances between stern determination and rustic charm, finessing Southern Hospitality accent as though he ruthlessly studied locals. Siriboe's role is complex and layered. Ralph Angel harbors an angered spirit due to circumstance, but is doing the best he can with a second chance, something rarely granted in society. He is a thoughtful, encouraging father, telling Blue in words and actions to be himself, dolls and all. His affection towards Darla as the loving boyfriend is maturing each episode, their vulnerable love conveyed convincing looks and touches. The first season showed a rough and volatile relationship filled with anguish, regret, and loss. This season is healing, the healing between man and woman, between man, woman, and their child as well as individual healing.

Most precious family unit: Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe), Blue (Young Artist Award winning Ethan Hutchison), and Darla (Bianca Lawson).

Don't discount secondary players also showing their hand in this full house deck of brilliant performances. Bianca Lawson has been utterly riveting as a former substance abuser, bringing such profound significance to recovering Darla-- still a work-in-progress. In a meaningful singular scene, she bared insecurities, her soft, candid delivery poised, expressing tender sensitivity that leaves soul shaken with empathy. It seems abhorrently unsympathetic when the white woman sponsor sucks out vapid energy, showing how little white people care about black suffering.

Micah (Nicholas Ashe) finds himself in a most horrific situation.

After the Winter bravely addresses "fear" of the black body, the male black body. Micah just celebrated his birthday with Charley and Kiki, enjoying his special milestone with those he loved and cared about. The world crumbles down on its ears when this ugly American shadow pulls Micah over-- in his newly gifted car no less. Although Micah has respectfully followed the white cop's instructions to a tee, the white cop ungraciously draws out his gun and aims, fingers on the trigger. It is frighteningly violent. Almost surreal in its honest depiction of police brutality. Nicholas Ashe is exceptional in these scenes, articulating Micah's wide eyed panic and trepidation as this innocent teen seemingly stares at what could have been his own untimely death. With his family desperate to find him, everything blurs in a state of pure, horrifying despair and agony. Dramatic suspense is riveting here: the missing child, the scared mother, the helpful aunt, and the remaining members of the concerned family.

To Usward relays aftermaths and consequences. Micah is withdrawn, bereft, robbed of security, left with broken shards that Charley sweeps underneath the rug. Ready to finally become divorced from Davis, she is pretending everything is fine, that she would come out victorious. When she finds out Micah wants to spend more time with Davis, which means rearranging custody, her calm demeanor flips the script, crashing into itty bitty pieces. Interestingly enough, she leaves a message for her mother and turns to Remy. In a poignant outburst of pain, Remy reveals that it is the anniversary of his wife's death.

Hollywood (Omar Dorsey) and Violet (Tina Lifford) have much to overcome.

Love has no age limit. There is no perfect love either. Every romantic pairing has hurdles to jump through, not just over. Vi and Hollywood are no exception. These two are collard greens and yams simmering in a pot together, trying to find right nuances between salty and sweet. When they reunite  no words are necessary. Love is apparent in the fierce cling, that gracious touch.

In a shocking twist, Nova has had relations with a tantalizing black barber, but of course, it "was just for fun." Heck, she even flinches away from him. Hopefully, this is building blocks for new territory, an awakened sensory for a woman who campaigns for brothers, but not necessarily forms any other kind of other intimacy with them.

The auntie/nephew hug was a beautiful tear jerker alongside that wonderful song.

What is next for Charley and Micah now that Davis will have a bigger role in his son's life? How will these flawed couples (Ralph Angel/Darla and Hollywood/Vi) strive in the midst of family turmoil? Will Charley and Remy stay professional? Will Nova let someone in? Or has Calvin ruined her heart for other men? Most importantly, will the farming succeed? Only time will tell.

Queen Sugar is telling intriguing narratives that we need to see. As the talented writers and directors keep venturing down the road to the healing of the Bordelons' clan, we are holding on tightly, treasuring each part (good and bad) of the gold paved journey.