Queen Sugar (2016) s07e01 Episode Script

And When Great Souls Die

Last season on Queen Sugar
I'd like as much love
surrounding this baby as possible.
Really good to meet you.
Fan of your work, your voice.
I just want to get to know you better.
I wanna thank you for being here.
I'm your daughter.
I'm supposed to be here.
I knew you were into
photography, but damn, bro!
Something has come up
in the friendship. Intimacy.
Charley Bordelon, will you marry me?
Yes.
I didn't know
what you were going through
with Jimmy Dale.
He spread vicious rumors about me.
Did you ever stop to think
if what you heard was true?
I didn't wanna do it.
Said he'd do to my mom
what they did to my dad.
I love you, mijo.
You did this shit and you were
caught red-handed.
Please send my father in.
Ralph Angel signs over the farm to me,
and the rest goes away.
I'm ready to run for
United States congress.
You wanna see change, maybe we
gotta be the ones to do it.
So the idea is for a co-op.
We can prove historical artefacts.
Making this a historic
landmark was just the beginning.
Whatever.
You know what's about to happen next.
I promise this ain't the end.
Never thought I'd leave my farm.
Tell you that much.
But I couldn't do it.
Couldn't take that deal.
Not when all them farmers
put they trust in me.
You did the right thing.
After Katrina and ida,
they're all so tired.
I told my wife maybe we should move.
But
Too hard to start over.
When you make a promise,
you gotta stick with it, you know?
Look, man, I know you out here
till you get
that co-op business
up and running, but
We like having you around.
You talk a lot.
That's what my pop used to say.
Wonder if he can hear me now.
Keep him in your heart, bro.
He gon' hear you.
I know.
I know.
Look at my baby. Look at my baby!
That's my little man.
Well, good morning!
Morning!
- Mwah!
- Hello!
Hello!
You hear that?
Yes, she is!
Look at how much she's grown.
I know. She's so big now.
Do you want some coffee?
No, I'm good.
Come here, come here.
Yay!
Well, hello little one.
Yes!
Tell me, how's your day?
How your day is going?
Did you ever get any rest last night?
Four glorious hours.
- Ooh!
- It's a new record.
First time in six months.
Now, if you need us
to watch her one night,
just say the word.
Aw.
Thank you, but
I am not the one that I'm worried about.
Ralph Angel will burn himself out
working two jobs like that.
Hopefully soon,
he'll start getting a salary
from the co-op, but
In the meantime, I'm
I think it's really good
for him to be busy.
Yeah.
You know, him and Ernest are the same.
Whenever times got rough
they just walked away.
I feel bad for him,
he can't do that no more.
Ms. Trinh.
Hey.
What's going on?
Mmm.
You doing?
Um, my mom and brother
sent this from Dallas for the baby.
It's supposed to be good luck.
How Ms. Phan been enjoying retirement?
In name only.
She calls me twice a day
to check up on me.
Backseat boss.
She been here for what, 30 years?
Longer.
She was 10 when her parents
bought this place.
Khanh tells me you're pretty
broken up about the farm.
I am so sorry.
It would have been nice to
Leave my land to my kids, but
Guess god got other plans, huh?
Hey.
I know how much that place meant to you.
So if there's anything
I can do to help, just
Let me know.
Hey, you ready to go?
Hey.
Hey, uh, Ralph.
What's going on?
- How you doing?
- It's Ralph Angel.
It's good to see you, man.
Yeah.
Tell khanh he still owes me a beer.
Tell Ms. Phan I said thank you.
- And stop working.
- I'll try.
You're a lucky man, dude.
- I know it.
- I'm the lucky one.
Y'all be easy.
Yo.
Hey. Where my little Princess at?
- Hey, you.
- Your daddy miss you.
Hey, baby.
How was your day?
I have another box from Charley.
- Ah.
- Mmm.
- Lord.
- It's from Ms. Phan.
This baby only six months old
and got more gifts than I had
in my whole life.
That's because she is a Princess
and she deserves to be spoiled.
That's right. What's up, baby girl? Huh?
- Hi, daddy.
- Hi, what's up, baby?
I'm gonna finish getting ready
and then we can go.
It's from Ms. Phan.
Oh. Huh.
What's up, my little sugar puff?
You want more milk?
- What on earth are you doing?
- More milk.
Baby sign language.
All the books say that
babies learn languages
before they can speak.
More milk. There she goes.
Y'all with this new-age parenting
is something else.
Then she can tell me what she wants.
Ain't that right?
I ain't never had no trouble
understanding you,
your sisters, or Blue.
I know what she wants.
She's teething.
- Milk.
- Milk.
- See? She got it.
- She is gonna love this.
- See?
- She's gonna love it.
Vi.
Now, you know we are trying
to keep the baby's diet plant-based.
When did you hear of a vegan baby? Hmm?
I mean, it's not like
she's got high sugar.
And it's not really meat, it's a bone!
Okay.
I understand.
Micah, hey!
Mom, I, uh
I'm proud of you, I am, but
Can you please stop sending me packages?
Like, Bezos is rich enough
and my apartment is not even that big.
So, I'm about to start a slew
of party leadership meetings.
I gotta go.
- Yeah. I miss you.
- Miss you, too.
- Give 'em hell.
- Have a good day. Bye.
Hi.
Hey.
I had fun last night.
Me too.
- You about to get out of here?
- Mmm-hmm.
- Oh, you got somewhere to be?
- I do.
So you just wake up looking like this?
All the time.
- I'll call you.
- You better.
You better answer.
Billie, I try to stay in my own Lane
when it comes to your personal business,
but you can't keep
ignoring Vince's calls.
You look nice!
- Hot date?
- Oh, hush.
Just heading over Sandy's.
She needs help fixing a window.
You must have fixed her
whole house by now, daddy.
Easy.
Now, we're just friends,
but I do enjoy her company.
And?
And how is the money
for the debt relief coming?
Still on hold.
White farmers claiming
reverse discrimination.
Can you believe that?
All right.
You smell real nice, daddy.
Hey, we said no phones.
Oh.
- You know, I'm nervous.
- Mmm.
I always get nervous
when a big article drops,
but this one has so much riding on it.
It is beautiful out here.
You know
It's funny.
How you can grow up someplace,
think you know all the spots
And still find places you've never been.
So what's next?
Ah! Okay.
Let's be tourists.
We can get beignets at Cafe du Monde,
and oysters at Felix's,
and finish the day drinking
hurricanes on an airboat.
Yuck. I had hurricanes
on a dare once in high school
and I'm never doing it again.
All right, well, what about the airboat?
I mean, they're awesome.
And you know I grew up in Florida,
I can show you some sick moves.
That I wanna see.
But today
- Let's just be lazy.
- Mmm.
- I like lazy.
- Oh, good.
Aw. God, she's changing so fast.
Feel like these last
six months just flew by.
Yesterday, she looked up
at me and smiled.
She had this, like,
huge big grin on her face.
It was so cute.
All the moments I missed with Blue.
You're not missing it.
You're with her every day.
She'll do it again.
I'll film it next time
and send it to you.
This co-op?
Gotta work.
Haven't been doing all this for nothing.
It will.
If Mo Evans approves
that application today
Finally be legit.
Southern Louisiana federation of co-ops.
Sounds good.
Baby, listen to me.
You did all the heavy lifting.
She's making the trip.
If it was a no, she'd send an email.
She's coming because of you.
And I
I want you to take care of yourself.
Mmm, that's why I started
swimming again.
You need something.
Maybe, uh
Weren't you and Hollywood
supposed to go fishing?
And I hate fishing and fish.
Uh, being around fish all day.
Well.
That did not stop you
from going
back to work for your hot ex-girlfriend.
What'd you say?
Somebody jealous.
- Uh-oh.
- I'm not jealous.
I'm not jealous.
Nobody got nothing on you, baby.
I promise.
You still gonna take the long way?
Are you ever gonna drive
by the land again?
Not yet.
Micah already left?
Yeah, he was running late
for his photography class,
but he knew I'd kill him if he
didn't finally drop them off.
I can't believe Charley had
all of this hiding in her garage.
Hell, we need a VCR.
How's her campaign going?
She won the primary.
If I know Charley, mmm,
she'll be sitting with the
squad come November.
Oh.
Now I'm saying this as a
professional cultural anthropologist.
Now just take this.
A perfectly encapsulated moment in time
illustrating the influence of
pop culture on young, black girls.
Now I'm gonna guess
this is, like like, 1995
- when waterfalls came out.
- Give me that.
- Oh!
- All right, give it to me.
Give it to me.
- Oh.
- You three were crazy, sexy, cool.
- I know, I'm
- Did you just
- It sounded weird when it came out.
- Did you really yeah.
But you got but look,
it's true, look.
Especially left eye
- with the overalls.
- Oh, especially left eye?
Mmm-hmm. Mmm.
I mean, in this picture,
left eye is everything.
It's up.
Top of homepage.
Did they include the full list of
the massacre victims' names?
Yes, this will finally put
an end to Parker's petition.
"Nova Bordelon and Dominic
Bachard's profile serve to resurrect
the story of a group
of farmers in Louisiana
who fought for a living wage
in the early 1800s.
By filming their living
descendants" stories,
and using the victims' own words,
this silent legacy is finally giving
them a voice it deserves
in our history."
You are gonna be
the next nikole Hannah-Jones.
Oh, we all grew up hearing stories,
but we didn't know the details.
My great grandmother, May,
lived with us at the end of her life.
And even then, she never
wanted to talk about it.
She was afraid to say something.
None of them have to be afraid anymore.
Here, baby.
How you doing?
Hello, how are you?
Oh, what is this, Joaquin?
It's a twist on your BlackBerry pie.
I added something to give it a kick.
I told you before.
Don't be messing with my recipes.
Now I just hired you back here,
I know you want to be a chef,
but don't think I won't
pick you out of the kitchen.
Joaquin.
This is delightful.
Really?
It is really good.
I think you might have something here.
You tell your mama thank you.
And tell her we'd love to see her more.
I'll let her know.
You really like it?
Yes, now go on 'cause
I'm not paying you to cook.
Yet.
Mmm-hmm.
Look who's warming up
to Joaquin being back here.
I still got my eye on that boy.
But this pie is great.
- It's delicious.
- Mmm-hmm.
That's for the whole year.
- Yep.
- Mmm.
Keke.
Micah West.
- Hi.
- It's been forever.
How you been?
I'm good.
I'm actually here to take a class
with this photographer activist.
Dude's like the next Gordon Parks.
Rahad Stephens?
- Oh, you know his work?
- I do.
- I'm his ta. Amongst other things.
- Ooh.
Amongst other things.
- Okay.
- Not like that.
I run his NFT accounts.
He has an aversion to the Internet.
It takes away from his art.
You better get in there.
Yeah.
He hates it when his students are late.
Yeah.
Hey, it's good to see you.
You too.
Y'all did it, bro.
- Um, excuse me.
- Yes, ma'am.
I'm interested in a CSA subscription.
Yes, absolutely.
All right, it's farm fresh produce
delivered straight to your door.
Locally grown by black farmers.
We'll give you a quick tour
and we'll get you situated. Okay?
Mo'll be here in a minute.
- You got that final sale count for me?
- Mo Evans?
The Mo Evans?
You sent all of us a link
to her Ted talk
about a hundred times.
I just wanna make sure y'all
familiar with her when she get here.
- All right?
- Yeah.
All right.
So what are your intentions
with my friend Sandy?
It's been six months.
None of us are getting any younger.
You need to do something or
let her find someone who will.
I'm gonna get that coffee refill.
Okay.
Excuse me, Parthena,
can I talk to you for a minute?
So I looked over your
books like you asked.
And the third account is overdrawn.
I know, still waiting
for debt relief money.
Okay, I'm a little bit worried
about you
falling so far behind on your mortgage.
You're almost 90 days past due.
I can't pay the bills
if the money's not there.
Have you filed for an extension
on your mortgage payment?
Sure did.
Three months ago.
I'm still waiting for the approval.
It always comes at the last minute.
Yeah.
We should go check on it.
- I'll drive you.
- All right.
Okay.
This isn't the end. You begin again.
Like you did before
and they did before us.
Oh, this is it.
She's here, y'all.
She's here. Come on.
So is mo short for something?
No, my brothers just
started calling me mo
when I was little and it stuck.
My first word, I always wanted Mo.
Well, ain't nothing
wrong with wanting Mo.
Well, that's what I tell the ladies.
No, seriously, thank you for coming, Mo.
- Mmm.
- You know, I've read all your books
and took your classes and
the seminar about land trust.
You know, I even sent
all the farmers your ted talk.
Several times.
Yep, with commentary.
I first heard about your name
when I read up on the
freedom Georgia initiative.
Well, it's inspiring what they're doing.
They're reclaiming the land.
Black wall street
and a self-sustaining farm?
- It's incredible.
- Yeah.
We basically modeled our co-op
after yours.
You know, csa set up. Land trust next.
You a real inspiration around here.
And this is my big sis, Nova.
She's writing an article on the co-op.
Nova Bordelon.
You have quite a reputation.
All good, I hope.
I don't shy away from bad either.
I've been watching your profiles online.
Powerful.
Thank you,
that land means everything to our family
and my brother sacrificed it all
in order to make this co-op work.
Nothing extraordinary happens
without taking chances.
Speaking of chances,
Mr. Prosper been taking a chance
on this new youth program
we've been developing.
- You wanna, um
- Yes.
- Yeah, beautiful, beautiful.
- Let's do it. All right.
- Hope to see you later, Nova.
- You too.
Excuse me.
What you doing?
- What?
- What?
I saw the way y'all was
gazing and all that.
Don't go pulling a Nova, Nova.
- I know how you move.
- Don't.
- I'm serious.
- Okay.
It's looking good.
Y'all settle down, please.
Look, I know it ain't much, but please.
Ridiculous.
What am I supposed to do with that?
First you sit through a
million meetings, what for?
Once we cover overhead costs,
we'll be right back where we were.
When is that gonna be?
We all got bills to pay.
Well, maybe a few weeks.
- Maybe a few weeks?
- Come on, Ralph!
One, two weeks.
Like I said before,
this ain't nothing but a pipe dream.
Hey, hey!
For those of you I haven't met yet,
I'm Mo Evans.
I'm here representing the southern
Louisiana federation of co-ops.
What Ralph Angel and y'all
have accomplished
over these last six months
is extraordinary.
Eighty percent of those doing
the farming are black and brown,
but only 3% are owners.
Well, it don't feel any different.
Well, it should.
You are building the foundation.
That is the hardest part.
Okay, next is the house,
but you won't get there
if you start measuring the value of
what you're doing here
to those checks.
Every force out there
will try to tear you apart.
Don't let 'em.
I came to let you know we've
approved your application to join us.
Welcome to the 3%.
Thank you.
Our revolution is based on land.
Know who said that?
No.
Malcolm.
All the farmers that came
before us and died on our land,
they disrupted the system.
They didn't just take
what was given to them,
they demanded respect.
This co-op
is for them.
And now, it's our turn
to disrupt the system.
Reclaim what we lost.
But
the only way we could do it
is if we move together
as a unit.
Makes sense.
Yeah, let's stick together.
Hey, Billie.
Thanks again.
All that lida stuff
really gives me a headache.
No, it's no problem.
You get used to it,
it's like learning another language.
I mean, uh
A few of us are having
a bonfire this weekend,
if you're not busy 'cause
- I think you should come along.
- Um
Yeah, I'm not really the
bonfire party kind anymore, so
Well, we could maybe do something else?
- Go into town? I know a place.
- Kenny.
Look, you're really sweet, but I'm
gonna have to stop you right here.
Okay, just, uh
don't say no yet.
It's all timing and
i get it.
I'm a patient man, Billie Denton.
Take it easy.
Honestly,
I was just surprised to see you.
I know.
You looked like a deer at
the start of hunting season.
Oh, come on.
You never liked surprises.
Okay, to be fair, like,
surprises haven't exactly
gone over well in my family.
Mmm.
- Mmm-hmm.
- So
Yeah, and how are they?
Your mom is all over the news.
Yeah, I mean, dad is killing it.
You know, mom's campaign is on fire.
Yeah, squad is hot.
Yeah, well, I mean, she gotta win first.
- Okay. Yeah.
- She gotta win first but, uh
Honestly, I think she missed California.
You know what I'm saying,
like, she loved it here, but
And you?
You moving back to la too?
Nah.
Nah, I'm here.
Oh, so you finally free.
Your parents miles away.
- Parents miles away.
- No curfew.
No curfew.
- That's all.
- Nice.
Walk the river with me.
Keke.
- Micah.
- I want to, I want to, I just, um
I got this family christening
to be to in a couple of hours.
I just can't show up faded.
So much for being in the moment.
But I'll see you in class.
Cool?
Wait!
Yo!
You just gonna leave me like that?
Yeah. Catch up.
Thanks again, Prosper.
I want you to know I'm happy
to help whenever you need me.
Um
You know, I want you to know that
sometimes I like to get out.
I mean
with you outside
alone.
Are you asking me out?
It's, uh, it's been a long
time since I've felt like this.
Ms. Sandy,
would you like to go out
with me on a real date?
Child, I was running
out of things for you to fix.
Nova, hey, listen.
There's an offer on the table
for blessings and blood.
They wanna turn your book into a movie.
The times profiles have
garnered a lot of attention.
The producers submitted
an offer and it's substantial.
High, six figures.
The other two movies that they
just did are also on Oprah's book club.
I can't believe this. I can't.
Can I have some time before I
give them an answer to sit with this?
Tell me you're
not thinking of saying no.
Nova.
Something like this
doesn't come along everyday.
Think about it.
But call me back quick, okay? Thanks.
A Hollywood producer wants
to turn my book into a movie.
Ah!
And apparently the offer
is high, six figures.
Like, what does that even mean?
I mean, half a million? More?
And and they wanna meet me.
This is huge. We gotta celebrate.
- What's wrong?
- I can't do this.
I need to think.
Can I?
The book almost broke my family.
Opened up old wounds.
Everyone is so vulnerable right now.
See your uncle.
- Like he claims.
- Aw, hey, baby girl.
You know that my great
grandmother made me this,
so this for her daughter.
Got a long line of powerful
women inside of you.
Their blood is coursing
through your veins.
Feel that the world
is stacked against you,
their voices are gonna guide you in.
That's right, baby girl.
- Mmm-hmm.
- Gorgeous.
The dress and the words.
- Mmm-hmm.
- Hey, mom. Can you hear me?
Everybody say hi.
- Hey, everybody.
- Hi!
- I was literally about to call you.
- We miss you so much.
- Miss you too.
- Talk to your baby sister.
- Hi, Tru.
- We love you all so much
and we're all so grateful
that you're here with us today.
Say hi.
- Hi.
- That's your big bro.
- You looks so pretty.
- Thank you all for coming.
Oh.
What name do you name your child?
Tru.
Tru Bordelon.
After her grandmother.
Well, she certainly have
an angel watching over her.
That's right.
Here we go.
True, I baptize you
in the name of the father.
It's okay, baby.
In the name of the son.
In the name of the holy spirit.
Amen.
That's all, true.
You did it, you did it, you did it.
You did it, true, you did it.
Hey.
I was looking for you.
You and that phone.
- What's up, millennial?
- I think I'm gen z.
Why are you hiding over here?
Today was just a weird day.
- You know, um, my ex, Keke?
- Mmm.
I ran into her at the center.
Ah, okay.
That was the first friend I
made down here,
and it was just, like, whoa!
Like, we have all these
memories between us, and and
You know, there's
still kinda, like, this vibe.
I don't know, I went to class,
and my teacher started showin'
us all these, like, weird, little
- Micah? Are you high?
- Pictures a
- A little bit.
- Oh
I had to.
I Keke was givin'
me all this shit, like,
"oh, Micah, you never do
anything spontaneous."
And you fell for that?
- Oh, gosh, is it obvious?
- Yeah, mmm-hmm.
- Uh, man.
- It's okay.
Now all jokes aside, that thing
- for Tru?
- Mmm.
Ah, it was beautiful.
Wait, when I was baby, y'all ever,
I don't know,
do something like that for me?
Your parents aren't the lesson type.
But you
were blessed
from the minute you were born.
- Come here. I love you.
- And I love you, too.
- Come and join us, huh?
- All right.
- When you're ready.
- Yeah, when I
- Get it together.
- Get it together
Get it all the way together.
- I'm gonna sit right here and
- All the way.
Figure my stuff out.
- What?
- Girl, Micah is baked.
Can you imagine bein' 21 again?
Nah, that would be terrible.
- Nova?
- Hmm?
A real movie?
Ba-ba-ba-ba!
Please don't make me regret telling you.
I can keep a secret now. I've grown.
Yeah, that was too soon, I'm sorry.
Your secret is safe with me.
- It's just so exciting!
- Mmm-hmm.
- Can I be in the movie?
- But
No, I I know that I'm not
in the book
and I don't care about that.
Just put me in the movie.
No, no, do you remember when
we used to steal daddy's truck?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- And we would hang in the woods?
And put put that in the movie.
Shut up!
What?
What are y'all gossipin' about?
Dominic? I wanna hear.
Spill it! It's been six months.
That's almost a lifetime in Nova years.
- Oh!
- Hey! That's not fair.
I'm not that bad!
I was with Calvin for almost five years.
I mean, I know,
four a those he was still married.
Nothing to tell, mmm-mmm.
Dominic is great. Mmm-hmm.
Well, we're all glad. We like him.
And we were worried.
We didn't wanna lose him.
You know you can
go through men like water?
And where is this coming from?
And I haven't only dated men.
And we never meet the ladies.
You gotta find someone when you're
ready to receive what they're giving.
Ah! That sounds like some
super soul Sunday advice.
I read a lotta self-help last year.
But Nova, sounds like you really
found that. Don't take it for granted.
I don't. We're really happy.
There's no drama with Dominic.
We just work together, it's
nice.
Mmm, I just want
you to be happy, that's all.
And it seems like Dominic
makes 'ya happy.
And if nice is enough
for you, then god bless!
- All right. Go on.
- All right.
So you're gonna
put me in the movie, right?
I want more family tradition.
This book
is the first piece
a property our family owned.
And passed down through generations
they kept track
of the land in the back
and the family in the front.
Our beautiful baby girl,
Miss Tru Bordelon
she was born on our land.
You know, um
I wasn't around when Blue was born,
so I wasn't able to add his name
to the book, my daddy handled it.
That bein' said, I'm proud
to add
Miss Tru no "e"
Bordelon.
After everything we've been through
it's easy just to look around,
and see the cup half empty,
play victim.
But when I look around,
that's not what I see.
I see everything I need
right here in front a me.
That goes for you too, Blue and Charley.
I love you all with all my heart.
We love you, too.
I love you mom. I love you pops.
Wish I was there with you.
I love you. I love you.
- I love you, too.
- I know you do.
That's all she wrote.
- Hmm?
- Who is that?
Mmm-mmm. Get back in the car and turn
around,
you are not welcome here, Sam!
- Did 'ya all hear, Landry?
- Come on, now.
Here me out, please. We're family.
- Family.
- You're not family.
I hope I'm not interruptin'
anything important.
What do you want, Sam? Spit it out!
I came here to congratulate
miss Nova on an excellent article.
All right,
tracing the names of all these victims,
that was a hell of a lotta hard work.
And your call to action,
seeking out living descendants to ensure
the land
remains untouched was genius.
But because a all that
hard work, we found out
that our family is intertwined
with yours, once again
in the grave.
What are you talkin' about?
There are no
Landry's, no Boudreaux' s in that grave.
Are you serious, Sam?
She wouldn't want this!
Uh, vi? What's goin' on?
Arsenault, those are Betty's people,
her maiden name.
Parker's mother.
Parker's a living descendent
of the massacre.
And now, she's filed a petition
to overturn the historical
marker status on her land.
With that piece, we can finally
expand the outlet mall, as planned.
We will remove
the bones first, of course,
and then the concrete trucks
will pave over the rest.
We've already been in touch
with most of the living descendants,
so it's gonna take a lot more than your
pathetic daughter
to overturn the marker.
Huh! Well, we'll see.
I better let you get back to that baby.
Sam
you're sure you wanna
go down this path?
You know where it leads.
You didn't leave us any choice, fine.
A-ray-ray.
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