01x09 - Next to Nothing

Episode transcripts for the 2016 TV show "Queen Sugar" Aired September 2016 - current.*
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"Queen Sugar" follows the life of two sisters, one a formidable journalist & activist from New Orleans, and the other a modern woman, who, with her teenage son Micah, leaves her upscale apartment in Los Angeles and moves to the heart of Louisiana to claim an inheritance from her recently departed father: an 800-acre sugarcane farm.
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01x09 - Next to Nothing

Post by bunniefuu »

(door opens)

(door closes)


What am I going to do about this?

Huh?

Tell me.

Ain't nothing a little time and elbow grease can't make right.

We've been through worse, chère.

Have we?

(music plays)

♪ Dreams never die ♪
♪ Take flight as the world turns ♪
♪ Dreams never die ♪
♪ Take flight as the world turns ♪
♪ Keep the colors in the lines ♪
♪ Take flight ♪
♪ Dreams never die ♪
♪ Keep the colors in the lines ♪
♪ Keep the colors in the lines, take flight ♪


How'd you sleep?

Good enough.

Ralph: Hey.

We need to go y'all.

They said it was a hurricane.

I mean, what kind of damage can we expect?

It's not unusual to get 15, 16 inches of rain this time of year.

But we got 17 inches in 24 hours.

Prosper said we should pump that off.

Remy: I told you we don't need to.

I bred my cane to withstand flooding.

It's going to be fine.

We fought too damn hard to get all 200 acres planted before the storm hit to lose it, Remy.

Look, I say pump it, just to be safe.

Look, this is all talk till we know what we're dealing with.

(soft knocking)

Nova: Hey.

I wanted to see if you wanted to go out.

See what we can do to repair the garden.

Ain't you leaving?

Can't. Roads are closed.

The van is stuck.

Guess you'll have to put up with me a little longer.

Aunt Vi, you're worrying me.

You okay?

I'll help out.

It'll feel healing to get back into your garden.

Baby, what's the point? It's all ruined.

Those plants that were ripped from the ground can regrow.

Put them back in the dirt.

They'll take root again.

Okay? You'll see.

Auntie Vi, you can wear the gloves, if you want.

Oh, no, baby. You can keep them.

You're doing a good job, you know that?

Yup.

Yeah.

I don't know why my mom said those things to you last night.

We said some pretty hurtful things to each other.

Micah: If it's still cool, I would like to stay with you when I start school.

If it's okay with you.

Baby, I would love nothing more.

But it's up to your mama.

But I'm the one going to school.

She just wants what's best for you.

Everything was doing so well.

Nova: It'll all grow back, Aunt Vi.

Remy: Hey, this looks pretty good.

Ralph: Seriously?

Yeah. It's honestly going to be fine.

I was expecting more flooding than this.

Ralph: What if it rain again, Remy?

Remy: Then we'll see what that looks like.

What about the new cane?

There's pools of water everywhere.

Look, if harvest were this week, with all this mud, we'd be in trouble trying to get tractors and trucks in here.

But there's hardly any water on the cane.

Yeah, thank God.

I guess.

What?

Is...?

(flies buzzing)

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Yo, what?

Remy: Oh, no. No, no.

Charley: Who are they?

Deputy: So, you're the last owner we haven't spoken to, Miss Bordelon.

Charley: You know what the motive was?

Deputy: Seeing as they didn't have any valuables or wallets...

Baby, what you doing back here?

I'm just trying to...

That's got nothing to do with you, Ralph Angel.

You should be out there talking to the deputy.

You might have something that can help them catch whoever did this.

No, I don't know anything.

I don't know nothing.

So, what you going to do?

Run every time you see the law?

Huh?

You don't know how it is.

They're going to ask for you.

Sitting back here makes it look like you got something to hide.

So come on.

Ralph Angel...

(indistinct chatter)

Remy: ...in enough time to get home safely.

Deputy: So, they were still out there working with the storm bearing down on the parish?

Yes.

Hmm.

Deputy, I already gave my statement to the sheriff back at the farm.

Well, two men are dead, Mrs. West.

They had plenty of time to get to cover.

Deputy: Mm-hm.

So, just to confirm,
you recognized the two victims, correct?

They both worked on the farm.

Deputy: And the two dead men, what were their names?

I... uh...

I guess their names slipped my mind.

I'm sorry.

Miss Bordelon, did you know the men's names?

I'm sorry.

I don't.

Deputy: Look, it's not a big deal, y'all.

We'll fingerprint them, see what comes up.

So that's it?

(cell phone vibrates)

For now.

Excuse me.

Leland.

Deputy: Mm-hm.

(horn honks)


Got it?

This should be heating.

(upbeat music plays over truck radio)

Boogie, boy.

What you doing around these parts?

Well, we came through the storm in good shape, so Keke and me said we were gonna ride by, see about y'all.

What's going on here?

Hollywood: Yeah, yeah, that ain't for us.

Couple of guys got k*lled over at Ernest's property.

Vi's niece found them.

You lying.

Wish I was.

Keke.

Hey.

Hey, Blue.

Hi.

Blue, you growing faster than a cane stalk.

I need you to stop.

(laughs)

You better put a hat on before you catch heatstroke.

That boy from California. He all right.

What, they don't have caps in California?

Well...

Violet: Hey, Boogie!

Hey, Keke.

Vi.

Miss Violet.

Violet: I see you met Micah.

I got friends that follow you on IG.

Really?

You looked taller in pictures.

(laughs)

Um...

(laughing)

Violet: Keke, baby.

Come on. Help me with my garden.

Over here, Boog.

Come on, Micah.

Keep your eyes to yourself, boy.

(laughs)

Hey, yeah.

You tell him again.

So, you back in the Ninth?

You go by my house?

And everyone else make it okay?

(sighs)

No, I do not know when the roads will reopen.

Actually, something's up. Sheriff's at my auntie's house.

I'll talk to you about it later.

Yeah, okay.

Bye, Chantal.

Deputy Conroe.

Before you leave, I'm curious.

Y'all have this kind of thing happen around here often?

Deputy: Ain't too many homicides in St. Jo.

It ain't like the big city.

So you are going to talk to the folk in the migrant community about what happened.

Look, we get our share of petty crime, we hear about some robberies now and then.

A large percentage of the migrant workers, they get paid in cash.

And since they don't bank, they're like walking ATMs.


Are you writing something on this?

I'm a reporter. Habit.

Just to be clear, I ain't accusing y'all of having undocumented workers, but I have an uncle in the sugarcane business and from what I hear, the government is making it really hard to hire guest workers.

Think you'll catch who did it?

Maybe.

We'll do what we can to find them. It's a heinous crime.

Nobody deserves to get k*lled for a little bit of money.

But...?

Hell.

We can't help those people if they don't talk to us.

Sounds like there's a lack of trust there.

Listen, we're just trying to do our jobs.

If they don't trust us, it's on them.

Right.

You have a good day.

Yeah.

You, too.

Darla: Do you got any fives?

Blue: Go fish.

Darla: "Go fish" again?

Blue: My turn? What about sevens?

What is she still doing here?

Roads are still blocked.

She can't go nowhere, and you know it.

Y'all didn't know the names of the workers that were k*lled?

Nah.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

Aunt Vi, you real selective with your sympathies.

(scoffs)

(drops spoon)

(turns hose off)


So are you really friends with Jaden Smith?

Yeah, we... our parents know each other.

Hmm.

What, you got a crush on him or something?

No.

(laughs)

(g*nsh*t)

What the hell was that?

(laughs)

It's deer season.

Thirty-aught-six hunting r*fle. About a mile off.

You ever sh*t a g*n before?

Of course I have.

Paintballs don't count.

(laughs)

Jokes.
Nova: Charley.

Hey.

You okay?

Hey.

How could I not know their names?

I saw them damn near every day.

They worked for me.

They worked for us.

No.

I forced them to keep working before the storm hit.

If they had left sooner, then... maybe they'd be alive right now.

You ain't God.

When your number is called, ain't no stopping that.

You said it yourself.

What we're doing here is... it's like sl*very, right?

Replacing the black with the brown.

I say a lot of things.

What about Daddy?

Nova: Charley, don't do that.

Don't put the blame on yourself.


He tried.

He tried to get me to come back and help.

I wouldn't listen.

I used to be a good person.

Come on, now.

You're not a bad person.

You have no idea.

You remember that woman?

That prost*tute that Davis was seeing?

Of course.

I leaked her name to the press.

And Davis's teammates... they did r*pe her.

And I ruined her life.

For what?

You know, I wanted to ruin her life like she ruined mine.

What kind of a person does that?

You had a card to play... and you played it.

So, you surf?

Oh, my God. Why does everybody here ask me that?

Because you a California boy.

And I know you don't sh**t.

Um... yeah, I used to go to surf camp when I was a kid.

See?

(laughs) I knew it.

Surf camp?

Where that at, Malibu?

Malibu, yeah.

So you got yourself a Malibu girlfriend too?

Nope, not anymore.

Y'all just broke up?

Yeah.

This past month has really sucked.

Big time.

(horn honks)

Boogie: Keke, let's get a move on.

Gots to go.

Yeah.

Hey, um... it was really cool hanging out with you.

You're just happy you had help cleaning your auntie's garden.

(laughs) No.

Well, it's not done yet, so...

Yeah, well, that's all the free help you going to get.

Boogie's got his scrap metal.

You won't see me unless you want to.

What?

(both laugh)

Follow me on IG.

@Keketwirl.

"Keketwirl," like one word?

Two together.

(Micah laughs)

I got you.

Just "Keketwirl."

Keketwirl.

Got it?

Okay. Bye, "Cali boy."

Bye.

Boogie: All right, let's get out of here.

(engine starts)

♪ And I will follow where this takes me ♪
♪ In a world uncertain, say you'll be my stone ♪


Vi. Vi, get down. I got this. I got this.

No, Hollywood, you been going 90 miles an hour all day.

You ain't hardly stopped to rest.

I'm fine.

I'm okay. I got it.

Sit. Just sit down.

Woman, sit down, please.

Ralph Angel's still pressuring me to sign them guardianship papers.

And look what would have happened if I had.

Darla waltzing in here, trying to mess that child up again.

No way I'm signing them now.

I just won't.

And I know something's going on between the two of them.

I can feel it.

But if Ralph Angel want to go on back to Darla after what she did, that's on him.

But as far as I see it, I was right not to sign them papers if that's how it's going to be.

Now you know I'm right about that.

No, Vi.

You wrong.

Look, it ain't Blue you're struggling with, trying to let go.

Ralph Angel ain't your baby boy no more.

Now, I'm gonna tell you this one the last time.

You're going to have to let him live his life.

Ralph: Appreciate it.

How well you know them, Ralph?

Ignacio and Arturo?

Ain't like we're friends, but I know they work hard.

Nova: At least you know their names.

I'm thinking about talking to them.

Learning more about the men who d*ed and where they came from.

Like a story?

Maybe.

Ralph: sh*t, Nova.

They don't even know yet.

Ain't nobody told them.

You got to be kidding.

No. No.

What's going on?

We need to tell them about their friends.

They... They have no idea what happened.

Charley, you speak Spanish, right?

Well, barely.

I mean, I can't give them this news in broken Spanish.

They'll have questions. I won't be able to answer them.

I know somebody who can.

(speaking Spanish) Is there any problem?

(speaking Spanish) Are you unhappy for any reason?

What'd he say?

He thinks you've invited him to your home because you're not happy with his work.

Maybe we should just wait.

We need to just tell them.

Your...

Your friends, Miguel and Alejandro, We think when they cut across the field to go off to the next farm in order to catch the bus... somebody robbed... and k*lled them.

The sheriffs are looking into it.

(Reyna translates in Spanish)


(speaking Spanish) Their families...

(speaking Spanish) Their children.

No, no, no.

We're very, very sorry.

(speaking Spanish)

We would like to know more about these men.

Did they have children? Where were they from?

(speaks Spanish)

(speaks Spanish) Miguel was married.

(speaking Spanish) And father of three.

Alejandro.

(speaking Spanish) Was hard.

(speaking Spanish) Would get married...

(speaking Spanish) .. and expecting his first son...

(speaking Spanish) .. a boy... was going to born in fifteen days.

Reyna: Miguel was married... and was a father of three.

Alejandro just got married,
and was expecting his first child.

A boy.

Can you tell them I'm a journalist... and I would like to write a story about your friends.

And if it's okay if I record what they're saying about Miguel and Alejandro?

(translates in Spanish)

Man: Sí.

Man #2: Sí.

(sighs)

(speaking Spanish)

(Spanish continues)

They were brothers.

Uncles.

Fathers.

They didn't make these sacrifices for citizenship.

There's no path for that when you're a guest worker.


They did it to give their family a better life.

(speaks Spanish)

They'd like to pray for their friends.

(sniffles)

(praying in Spanish) Our father...

Who art in heaven...

I appreciate the call, Deputy.

No, really, really. Thank you.

Okay. Bye.

Well, what'd he say?

The sheriff arrested someone.

Who?

Meth addict trying to score.

Oh, my God. How senseless.

He had a g*n that matched the m*rder w*apon and he had Alejandro's ID card on him.

I want Miguel and Alejandro's remains returned to their families.

That's not going to be easy.

It's going to cost a whole lot of money, too.

I don't care.

It's the right thing to do.

(door opens)

Nova: Aunt Vi?

Yeah, baby?

You all right?

I will be.

Time takes care of just about everything.

Like all that water that fell last night.

You need to let that wash on away from here.

And I feel like maybe you're putting too much time into Hollywood, and Blue, and Ralph Angel.

Maybe you need to put some more time into you.

What you talking about?

They can't hold all you got to give.

Not because they bad folk, but because they were never meant to hold it.

You got to put that weight where it's meant to be.

And where is that?

Inside your purpose.

My purpose?

(laughs)

God.

sh**t, Nova, when I was growing up, caring for the folks you care about was your purpose.

Your be-all and end-all.

And we felt satisfied to be able to do that.

Yeah.

And I respect that.

This your time, Aunt Vi.

Take it.

I could watch him all night.

How he breathes up and down.

So precious.

I know it sounds stupid.

Ralph: No, it don't.

Blue will do that to you.

Little things about him make you just want to fight the whole world just so he won't have to.

Thank you.

For what?

Everything.

Today.

Yesterday.

Keeping me out of the storm.


For what you said to Violet.

For a whole day with Blue.

Especially that.

Every day's a good day with Blue.

(laughs)

I got to admit, though, I am more tired after one day with him than I am at the end of a whole work week.

(both laugh)

He don't stop, do he?

That boy can go.

I wish I could see him more.

I really do.

Do you think I could?

You got a car seat?

No, but I could get one.

(laughs)

But the size, or...?

I'll take care of it.

(laughs)

It's a booster.

It's real simple.

But I'll show you how to use it.

I would like that.

Yeah, we could work something out.

(sighs)

You know it's not going to be all the time, Darla, but... we can work something out.

Would you mind giving me a ride back to the farm so I can get my car?

If you're not too tired?

No.

Okay.

I'm off.

(sighs)

Thank you, Remy... for everything.

For all the work on the farm.

Well, I told you we'd be all right.

Mm-hm.

You know, from now on, whatever you say, I say, "Yes, sir."

(laughs)

Now you know you ain't never said "Yes, sir" to nobody not a day in your life.

You're right, I haven't.

(both laugh)

Remy: Oh, boy.

Well, we're not totally out of the woods yet.

What do you mean?

Well, because sometimes water and humidity can add up to borers and whitefly.

We'll still need to keep a close eye on the crop.

So last night...

You don't need to say anything.

What if somebody sees?

Everybody around here is grown.

Including us.

Let them see if they want to look.

And what will they see if they do look?

A good man telling an extraordinary woman that he don't want to be her friend.

That ain't enough.

Things are so complicated right now.

They were for me for a long time, too.

They're becoming less so every day.

And I think that's your fault.

So... you know where I am.

And you know where I live.

I'm here when you're ready.

(car door opens and closes)

(car engine starts)

♪ I've been loving you ♪
♪ Too long ♪
♪ I've been loving you ♪
♪ For... ♪
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