If last week’s episode seemed a bit like filler, this week more than makes up for it. The official title of Episode 7 is “Of Several Centuries” and things start out with a bang. Well, in a manner of speaking. A mysterious figure vandalizes Aunt Vi’s Prized Pies and Diner. Aunt Vi (Tina Lifford) is already used to dealing with disasters and since Hollywood (Omar Dorsey) is away with his ill mother, she’s going to press on regardless.
But Charley (Dawn Lyen Gardner) has no such issues – she’s going to find out who did it and make it right. She goes to her investigator to get the footage from the cameras across the street because Aunt Vi never thought she’d need them. Aunt Vi, I know it’s a small parish but Charley’s making enemies. Get those cameras.
On the farm, Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) comes home to find Benny (Jaren Mitchell) getting arrested. Not Benny, he’s been the most positive example of what Ralph Angel’s reentry can do to help the formerly incarcerated get back on their feet. But it seems the po po have found some methamphetamine in Benny’s car. Oh really? Ralph Angel knows its bogus but he also knows if he gets too aggressive he’ll be back in jail himself. So he tells Benny to hold his head and he’ll find a way to help.
500 or miles away in Philadelphia, Nova (Rutina Wesley) continues her exes, I mean, book tour. She’s appearing on an ancestry show and there’s new info about her father’s side of the family. The show wants to include it but whatever it is, Nova doesn’t want it revealed. Wait, there’s a family secret Nova doesn’t want to tell? But she does get another surprise – her mother has a cousin that is still alive, when Nova thought she was the last living female from her mother’s side left. I’m thinking we’ll meet that cousin at some point.
But in Philly, she runs into Calvin (Greg Vaughn). Let the church say Amen! Thank you Queen Sugar writers for reigniting the most interesting relationship on the show (aside from Ralph Angel and Darla). He’s finer than ever and still in love with Nova, who it turns out, did put him in her book, as maybe the love of her life.
Charley has gotten a good look at the guy who vandalized Aunt Vi’s diner. Turns out, its Ignacio’s son, Joaquin (Joshua Rivera) Ignacio is the farm worker who was deported an episode ago. Apparently some shady oil company guy has been staking out the diner and told the kid he’d pay him $500 and would keep his mother out of ICE hands. Wondering who offers to pay someone while threatening them at the same time, but I digress. Joaquin’s sorry – he was just protecting what is left of his family.
Darla (Bianca Lawson) has her own problems. At work, she’s confronted with a copy of Nova’s book, open to the chapter on Star. Damn, that’s cold. What kind of coworkers are these? Might be time to get another job. She throws the book away but not before her funky coworkers sneak a laugh at her expense. Darla was right – in a small town, everyone knows everyone and she’s been outed.
She tries to call Ralph Angel but new boo, Deesha (Erica Tazel) is there and he’s not paying attention to his phone. She’s a lawyer so she’s going to help with Benny. And along the way, get in some delicious kisses with RA. We don’t blame you, girl! Darla has no one to turn to except her new friend, Leo (Bryan Terrell Clark). Though this is a lot of drama for a new relationship, he understands. He thinks she should talk to her sponsor. Darla says she’s OK, but we’re not sure.
Aunt Vi’s going to reluctantly let Joaquin work off the damage to her place. His people, including Pastor Martinez (Armando Leduc) who we met last episode, are going to help as well. Martinez recognizes the man who hired Joaquin as a representative of a natural gas company, Old World Energy. Charley meets with Jacob Boudreaux (Lea Coco) who thought Charley was finally going to give him some. Instead, she finds out that the parish’s land is valuable for fracking (natural gas drilling) purposes. So basically, the Landrys have already made the deal to sell out both parishes in the way of their money.
Back in Philadelphia, Nova and Calvin do lunch. Then they play pool. They they do each other. Naaaah, that didn’t happen. They agreed to take it slow but the good news is, they have officially reunited. (YES)! And for once, Nova is thinking about someone else’s feelings. If you remember, the series’ very first scene showed Nova in bed with Calvin, waking up from a night of illicit love, since he was married at the time. He’s now divorced, so let’s hope we get a hot love scene at some point in the future. Wonder how the family will feel about this if they ever talk to Nova again. Good thing he’s not a cop anymore – now he runs a private security firm.
Charley, boss bitch that she is, gathers residents of the two parishes affected by the shady fracking scheme for a public protest and display of unity. I must admit, it was nice to see people of color come together on something that impacts them both. But Charley’s victory is short-lived. The mill is on fire.
Til next week, Sugar babies! What did you think of this episode?
PHOTOS: Skip Bolen, OWN
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