Season 7 | Episode 9
THE GOOD
Nova and Camille do get together and I would call it a date. They go for a walk in the park. They go down memory lane and both agree that it’s good to be back in touch. Camille stayed in St. Jo, with no desire to leave. She loves it there and speaks poetically about it. Nova doesn’t see it the same way. She thinks that St. Jo doesn’t love her. Camille says that that’s a story that she has told herself. It’s time for Nova to tell herself a new story – one where she’s not the victim and is the hero. Listen!! This one statement sums up Nova’s existence, trajectory and why she has consistently urked my soul. Anywho, Camille and Nova had a real thing in high school. They used to read bell hooks in the cane together. Nova tells Camille about her life. Camille tells Nova about hers. She had a wife, but she’s divorced now and they share 2 kids. Nova tells her she never had kids and didn’t think that was her path. But now they have to get down to what happened between them. They were supposed to go to a dance together and basically “come out” to the world. But Nova didn’t show up. Turns out, that was the day she got outed to Pops by Billie. So she didn’t show up and left Camille hanging. And since then, she’s been broken (we can tell).
But here’s the kicker. Pop used to come by Camille’s restaurant and he told Camille that she should call Nova. Camille never did. But Nova is finally getting some of the validation that she’s always craved. In her mind, Ernest was done with her. Remember that episode after RA told them that the land was his? Charley and Nova struggled to understand why Ernest would do this to them. Why weren’t they good enough? Charley went all the way back to Vi having a room at her house for her and how Vi never treated her like “daddy’s other daughter.” In the end, she says that nobody ever fights for her – no matter what she’s going through. Meanwhile, Nova declared that she wasn’t enough for her father and it was all because she’s fluid. She couldn’t give Ernest what he wanted. But Charley gave him his first grandchild. And RA came through with a second. Later, Nova went in on RA and essentially blamed him for their father not marrying their mother until she was pregnant with him. She’s been carrying all of that around for a long time. And finally, she finds out that her dad probably wasn’t as done with her as she had led herself to believe. It was a story she was telling herself. You know Nova and Camille got back together again for another date. Nova is still talking about Pop coming by to connect with Camille. The two of them dance like no one is watching. Camille tells Nova that this is their time. And all I can think about is poor Dominic. By the time he gets back from Sudan, Nova gonna be married to Camille.
Vi and Wood got the sads because their boys are gone. Having them there had Vi remembering about all the feelings she’s tried to avoid. Wood tells her that they should think about fostering again. Vi is resistant because goodbyes are so hard. Wood convinces her that this would be good and a way to help and nurture lots of kids. So they are going to be foster parents! Yay.
Wood is still very much in father mode and gets the guys together to join him in creating a branch of “Fathers on Patrol” at St. Jo. The guys agree that something has to be done to help these kids who are struggling. Wood and ‘nem got some shirts printed real quick and rolled up to the school to be what these kids need. Right off the bat, Wood witnesses an altercation in the hall and nips that situation in the bud. Dads on Patrol is here to save the day.
Micah used his photography skills for good and took pictures of Cardell’s property for the insurance claim. He also got a shot of Cardell hugging RA. Cardelle says that in that moment, he could barely stand. Micah asks if he can use the photo in his next art show. Cardelle doesn’t see it as art, but Micah tells him it’s one of the best photos he’s ever taken. It shows the burden of a Black farmer. And when it sells, he will donate all proceeds to the co-op. Cardell thanks him and apologizes for all of the ignorant comments he made about the picture of Micah and his friend. Well, I’m glad that Cardell is finally making amends on all fronts. I still don’t like him tho.
Darla called Nova and asked her to meet her at the mill. Nova came and got a little sentimental about the mill and how driven Charley was to open it. Darla called her there to tell her that she’s fine with the movie. She sees what Nova was trying to do, even though how she did it was wrong. Nova apologizes for the hurt she’s caused. Darla accepts the apology and forgives her. Darla says that Chase no longer has power over her and he didn’t break her. That’s her story and that’s what she wants people to know. Nova’s books didn’t tell the whole story. It stopped in the middle. If Nova can agree to tell all of her story, she agrees to allow the movie to move forward.
A dude comes to the restaurant and says he wants to try all of Vi’s pies. He’s loving it. There’s a TikTok about Vi’s pies going around and making Vi famous. This dude is a buyer for a company that has stores in every state. He’s here to see about getting these pies to the people. Vi was acting like she had to think about the proposition but yall know good and dayum well that Vi is gonna call that man back. Remember when she had her pies in the store that one time and the people did her wrong? Yeah. I think this is a delayed but not denied situation. Vi’s pies is about to blow up.
THE BAD
RA and Darla are left to deal with all of the emotions of their encounter with Chase. RA doesn’t want Blue in the same city as him. Darla tells him that it’s going to be fine and Blue won’t find out about this until they are ready to tell him – if they tell him. RA says that things have a way of coming out (ain’t that the truth) and maybe they should tell him. Darla isn’t trying to hear it. RA is also feeling a way about that money that Chase is having to pay. Darla says he’s making a donation and every time he has to send that cash, he will have to face what he did to her. RA doesn’t think Chase cares at all. Darla says that she’s not afraid, she’s here and all is well. RA tells her that he’s proud of her. I placed this under bad because I think that there are all these feelings swirling around. RA isn’t comfortable with the way that Darla chose to handle this. He is still questioning everything and he’s not over anything. Later, RA asks Wood about therapy and I applaud that. But for RA to even bring it up lets me know that he’s really struggling with this.
THE UGLY
Nova spoke at the school board meeting about the book banning and it went all the way left. Nova was trying to encourage them to be openminded and allow their children to learn the truth. Per the usual, they were not trying to hear it, want all the books that even mention history they don’t want to think about banned, and got disrespectful. The school board voted and went just like the council meetings usually do. The books will be banned. The vote was 3-2. Nova is distraught because they are erasing our history. The Black lady on the board told the Bordelons that there will be a special election to replace one of the members on the board. Wood was like…I will do it. Send me!
Micah got the art show going and gets praise from his teacher for the picture of Cardell and RA. He feels like this is the right direction. But then, Zane shows up and has the audacity to tell Micah that some of the pictures should be used in THEIR next campaign. Excuse me? Zane was like…we can make money off this. Micah tells him that he’s not doing that and Zane is really having a hard time understanding why Micah is dropping him like a bad habit after he put Micah on. Micah told Zane that he learned exactly what not to be by watching him.
So, Darla is still on a mission to fix the mill and one of her guys comes back with used parts he bought. RA is cleaning the parts and tells Darla that he thought the parts were from shuttered mills. That’s what Darla was told. But the part that RA is cleaning says “Landry Enterprises.” Landry is selling parts? That doesn’t sound right. So Bonnie and Clyde decide to go out and get to the bottom of Landry’s latest shenanery. They notice construction markers and take pics. They show Vi and Vi points out that whatever they are doing, they are doing it on Betty’s land! Betty wouldn’t approve of this. Vi says she needs to find out. It’s time to let Betty know that there’s something up. This along with that school board meeting got her fired up. These people are doing way too much and she believes that meeting with Betty is the answer. She just needs to find her. Wood says he can help.
Remember that Black guy that was at the FDA office and heard Darla and Parthena pleading for an extension on her loan? Well, he was pretty powerless then. But they fired him and he knew it was coming. So when he left, he took all the evidence with him. He had applications for the Black farmers that were never sent off. And, Sam Landry’s file shows that Sam ain’t paid in over 18 months. He has a lot of debt and he always has. Charley found out a long time ago that Landry was broke. She also knew that they wouldn’t be able to take on their farm AND the shopping mall project at the same time. It looks like things haven’t gotten better financially for the Landrys. I would be interested to know what Frances going down did to their finances as well. So now that Inspector Gadget aka RA has this info, what is he prepared to do with it?
THE INTERESTING + ODD
Aint it funny how Camille showed up and summed Nova up perfectly? Nova’s spirit of victimhood has plagued her for so long. I hope she heard her.
It’s all good that Micah is going to donate proceeds from the picture to the co-op, but don’t he got a credit card bill to pay? Because Zane ain’t tryna pay it.
Nova was mad because they banned her book and many others. She cannot believe that they are allowing the erasing of our stories and our history. What I struggle with is that Nova had a grand opportunity to write about the plight of Black farmers, history and legacy – but instead, she decided to open up her family’s Pandora’s box. I remain perplexed.
Clearly Zane has never rolled up on the wrong person with his foolishness. In what world do you max out somebody’s credit card, don’t pay them what you owe them, then show up acting like we friends and don’t get knocked tf out? My first question would have been where my money at. And then a call to the police might be warranted because this dude is a straight thief. Instead, Micah gave him a lecture on morals. Mmmmmmk.
That’s all I got. See yall next week.
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