We Can Be

Season 7 | Episode 11

THE GOOD

Vi finally found Betty (and she’s being played by Vanessa Bell Calloway!!) Vi asked Betty to come home because she needs her help. Betty invited Wood and Vi in and she recounted how all of St. Jo turned their back on her. But she got out because of Vi and Ernest. Betty really isn’t really trying to come back. Sam’s father threatened to kill her if she had the baby. Sam and Betty got married, but before they left, Sam’s daddy got to him. Sam stayed. Betty left, and she had Parker. Nonetheless, Vi reminds her that she’s still married to Sam. And it makes a difference because it could help them stop Sam once and for all. Vi let Betty know about all that Parker has been up to and Betty can’t believe her child. Ole girl name ain’t even Parker. It’s Imani. Sam done got all up in her mind and Parker has created this character. And then Betty decides that she’s on board – and it ain’t even all about the land. It’s about saving her child. She ready.

Parker and Sam are ready to put the nail in St. Jo’s coffin and get this strip mall popping. All they need is this board vote and voila! Parker kicks it off, but then Prosper interjects and reminds the people that the community is allowed to comment. Parker is like…cool. Community comment time. Go for it. Prosper opens the door and Betty walks in asking Sam how he’s finna sell land that doesn’t belong to him. Ain’t nothing but open mouths from Parker and Sam. Parker is like…what? Betty was like…I came to get you. I let Sam turn you out. The game is over. Parker told Betty that she needs to chill because this deal is what’s gonna keep those checks coming to her every month. Ouch! Even Sam was like…holeup…you need to watch yo mouth. Betty goes on to present to the board and tells them that part of the land that’s part of the deal belongs to her AND Parker. Parker had no clue. Betty showed Parker their marriage certificate. Neither of them have ever filed a divorce. And upon leaving town, Betty secured her future, with the help of Ernest and Vi. Sam never divorced her because of the land. Parker tells her she doesn’t understand why she came back for this. For Parker, it’s just about the money, not about St. Jo. Betty cares that Parker is out here scheming like Sam. Betty asks Parker to please walk away from this foolishness. Parker ain’t feeling it.

Later, Parker comes to the bar that all the people in St. Jo end up at after a hard day. The same one Billie came to after coming back home and being met with drama. Charley took the bar stool next to her and told her what she needed to hear. Billie did the same for Parker. She tells her about coming home and facing the past. They have a lot in common. She was run out of St. Jo – just like Parker and Betty. Parker never knew the story, but now is the time to understand it all. Later at the diner, Sam comes to bring Betty the paperwork. He can’t have this getting out to the public right now. And then at Vi’s house, Betty gives her land to RA to do whatever he wants with it. Maybe build his own house there. As long as he makes good use of it, she doesn’t care. Vi cooked dinner for all of them. Later, Billie and Nova drag Parker into Vi’s house to confront her mom. Parker apologizes and she’s invited to have a seat at the Bordelon table.

Micah is headed to NY. His grandma is setting him up and actually connected him with a legit investor. And this is why I struggle to understand Micah. He has every single connection he will ever need in life. He needs to stop working hard and start working smart. In NY, while waiting for his meeting, Micah watches a news report about Charley’s campaign. She’s behind by about 5 points. The investor, Rae, walks in and tells Micah that his mama is a badazz. Rae is a young, Black woman, and catches Micah by surprise. So Rae is about the business and wants to know Micah’s photography motivation. She wants to see more of Micah’s portfolio and business plan. My favorite part was when Rae’s friend told Micah that the NFT of his parents was definitely not the move. I”m feeling good about Micah’s direction. He finally found his people.

RA has been asked to speak before the USDA regarding all that’s been happening with the farmers. He’s nervous and doesn’t believe in himself. Later, Prosper gives him the extra courage he needs and tells him to speak from the heart and to speak for his father. So at the hearing, they played the recording that RA and Darla got when they went to pay their USDA loan. RA testifies that the Boudreauxs and Landrys are 18 months late on their loans. While Black farmers are behind 90 days and get evicted. The local USDA is trash and they been discriminating against Black farmers since the beginning of time. Somebody on the board wants to talk about the funds the farmers have received and pointed out that RA was incarcerated at the time. RA took responsibility for what he did and he did the time. He also got out of jail and started working, just like his father. He works for his children’s future and he won’t give up. A Black lady on the board requested all of Mr. Miller’s files for the last decade. She asks for Sam’s records as well. And the Bourdreaux’s files too. Oh snap!

THE BAD

RA still can’t get over Chase. Chase has messed with his peace and now he can’t get it back. He confides in Micah. How can he let this go? He still wants to kill Chase. Micah tries to talk some sense into him, but he just can’t let it go ad he doesn’t know what to do with all his feelings. Darla is moving on and it seems like she’s not in pain. Micah encourages him to talk it out with Darla. She loves him.

Nova goes to visit Aunt Martha down in the bayou. She’s greeted by the neighbor, who tells her that Martha passed away last month. Martha was anticipating Nova’s return tho. She left the book for her. Nova blames herself for not visiting Martha and fears that she’s lost so much. Billie tells her she can get it all back.

THE UGLY

Darla and RA get into it. RA wants to tell Blue about Chase. He doesn’t want Blue to find out about Chase. Darla is adamant about him not knowing. She doesn’t want the association of what happened to her to his existence. He’s too young. She believes that RA is doing too dayum much and it’s unnecessary. RA tells her that they need to get it out. He remembers Charley coming for the summer and no one even talking about the fact that they had different mothers. It didn’t serve any of them.

Prior to the big board meeting, Parker and Sam have a convo about how hard it’s been to close this deal. Sam says that with “people like them,” only dominance works. That’s interesting. Parker IS people like them. Sam be forgetting his child is Black sometimes. Parker tells her that his plans ain’t been working and she didn’t plan to be in St Jo this long. Sam tells her that it will all end today with the council meeting and then all the other issues will fall away and she gets to be the Black girl in charge of the property. A full circle moment for him. Fate. Parker looked at Sam like she had just seen a ghost. Is she finally realizing her daddy aint ish.

THE INTERESTING + ODD

Nova offered to do a reunification ceremony for Billie and Vince. Chiiiilllllle. I would pass on that. I’m not confident in any of her rituals.

Wanna know what’s funny? The fact that we found out Sam was married in the first season. Is he a bigamist or did the writers forget?

I like the constant them of coming home to confront the past. It’s happened time and time again – Charley, Billie, Parker, Betty, Nova.

I get that RA was caught off guard by the Chase situation, but I need for him to find a therapist that’s not Micah. He’s talking about this to all the wrong people. Telling Blue isn’t about Blue, it’s about RA. Blue has know that RA isn’t his bio dad and he hasn’t asked not one time who is real father is. I’m with Darla on this one. He’s too young. She will have to tell the entire story to him. That includes the rape. And what happens if he now wants to meet Chase, but Chase doesn’t want to meet him?

RA was right about one thing. Pop never openly addressing the fact that Charley has a different mother messed the all up. I was hoping we would get some answers on how that all went down in this last season, but it looks like we won’t. I’ve always been bothered by how it seems like VI was allowed to create a story about Lorna and let it fester. Why did Ernest never check Vi? Why didn’t he foster unity among them?

Sam talking bout he don’t want stuff to get out. Sir. You think them folks at the meeting weren’t recording when Betty rolled up in there? It was prolly in FB live before that meeting was even over.

Well folks…the Queen Sugar journey is almost over for good. Only 2 more eps to go…