04x12 - Here

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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04x12 - Here

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on "Queen Sugar" My baby's going to Harvard!

Alright, now!

NOVA: I learned something on my book tour that I think you should know.

Just in case you need more amm*nit*on.

- Charley, I know who I am.

- Do you?

Really?

Turn on the news.

I've learned my great-grandmother Landry was a proud African-American woman.

Think you can ever think about us again?

I ain't been all the way honest with you, deesha.

I'm still in love with Darla.

- Blue.

- Yes, pops?

How we supposed to be spring cleaning without cleaning supplies?

Okay.

Um, I'll go get the plastic bags from the kitchen.

Hey.

Love you.

Love you, too.

Hurry it up.

[SIGHS]

This place is a mess.

Borderline crazy, thoughts tryin' to break me But I won't Quit complaining when you livin' Your choice, your voice, you could stand back Or could speak your dream into reality The whispering heart becomes screams "For Blue.

Love, granddad.

" Dreams never die Take flight as the world turns Keep the colors in the lines 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 BLUE: Auntie Nova's here!

Where you think you're going?

A-Auntie Nova's outside.

I know she outside.

But she's sick, and I don't need you getting sick, too.

So what I need you to do is grab all your small clothes out this dresser and put 'em in the giveaway bag.

But I haven't seen auntie Nova in forever.

I just wanted to say hi.

Come on.

Do what I said.

Doin', aunt Nova?

Heard you're handing out second chances.

Thought I'd try my luck.

Gonna stay mad at me forever, Ralph Angel?

- I'll try.

- Well, can you try and talk?

There's some things I need to tell you.

You got some more bombs to drop on me?

Or white folk you wanna buy into the, uh, Landry-Bordelon family reunion?

Yeah, I heard that came from you.

I told Charley the truth about our family tree after I worked things out between us.

Now I'm here.

Me and aunt Vi next on your list?

You know we got Blue in therapy now?

- Wait.

Why?

- Why?

'Cause he found out I wasn't his Daddy from some kid at school!

You said that wasn't gonna happen.

Well, it did.

I'm sorry, Ra.

Threw Darla's past right up in her face.

Her head all messed up.

She'd have been three years sober.

Now she gotta start all over.

Darla relapsed?

I realized something.

I ain't gotta worry about the Landrys bringing us down.

Why I gotta worry about enemies?

For what?

When I got a sister like Nova Bordelon right here.

[SCOFFS]

[SIGHS]

Ma, you know you're being a little extra with all of this, right?

You got an election next week.

Maybe you should just Uh, excuse me.

You are going to Harvard.

We are going to celebrate you tomorrow, whether you want to or not.

[CHUCKLES]

And nice sweatshirt.

Well, I thought I needed something to wear when I fly up for the Harvard-Yale game.

So that's a thing I can look forward to, as well?

Great.

Micah.

You have to celebrate your wins.

After everything you've been through We've been through We deserve a victory lap.

Right?

Come on.

Let me proud of my baby!

- Alright.

Alright.

- My baby!

[LAUGHS]

I'm gonna get an extra helium canister out of the garage.

[CHUCKLES]

Huh.

[CELLPHONE CLICKING]

[LINE RINGING]

- New Orleans daily news.

- Hey, it's Nova.

Can you do a deep dive into a name for me?

Yeah, sure.

Parker Campbell.

Connected to Old World Energy.

Campbell.

I'll look him up.

Yeah.

He's a bit of a ghost.

Let me see what I can find on him.

Thanks.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

Aunt Vi.

Hi.

Well, come come in.

I need Jimmy Dale's address.

Why?

Not that it is any of your business, Nova, but I need to return something.

I-I don't know where to send it.

You talk to him about your book, so This is hard.

For months, I've wanted to see you, talk to you, hug you.

And here you are.

But I don't think you're telling me the truth.

I don't care what you think, Nova.

Please tell me you're not planning on confronting him In person, alone.

You're responsible for unleashing this demon.

The least you can do is help me get rid of it.

I know that now.

And you're right.

So I will give you his address Only if I drive you and you talk to me.

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

You can drive.

But, Nova, I will talk to you when and if I'm ready.

Understood?

I embrace the diversity of my heritage.

My goal is to educate myself on the histories between our communities and use that knowledge to be an ally and support real change in Saint Jo.

MAN: Many voters say they doubt the veracity and timing of this embrace.

Polls show Mr.

Boudreaux losing some ground, with the number of undecided voters rising sharply.

[CLICK]

Uh I don't wanna put a shadow on the good news.

What's going on?

Went down to the parish this morning, and I checked on my registration.

Told me I couldn't vote 'cause I wasn't a resident.

Mr.

Prosper, you've lived in this parish for decades.

I asked around at the farmers' collective this morning, and a whole bunch of folks are having the same problem.

I wrote down the names.

Folks that have lived here their whole life Suddenly kicked off the rolls.

This is no innocent mistake.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Come in, why don't you?

- I won't be here long.

- Good.

Privacy, please, Prosper?

It's okay.

This won't take long.

What did you do to my son?

Jacob?

Why, cousin Frances, whatever do you mean?

Telling him that my grandmother is a Bordelon off the words from some back-of-a-matchbook genealogist?

Have you lost your mind?!

Sorry to offend your daughters of the confederacy sensibilities, but I only shook the family tree.

I'm not responsible for who falls out of it.

I simply provided Jacob with the truth.

You set him up on this somehow.

Jacob is a grown man, and he doesn't need his mama running after him trying to clean up his mess.

His weakness for you I'll never understand it.

But you do have confidence.

I'll give you that.

As long as you remember, pride goeth before the fall.

PROSPER: Uh, Charley?

These deputies say they wanna ask you some questions about the Queen Sugar fire.

Looks like you're busy all of a sudden.

I'll be on my way.

I'm glad you're here.

I've called your office several times for an update on the investigation.

Yes, we're wrapping up our inquiry.

We just have a few more i's to dot, t's to cross, before we're finished.

He discovered in our investigation the probable source of the Blaze was a propane drip torch.

Did you keep one of those at the mill?

No, not that I'm aware of.

It's the kind that they use on sugarcane farms for controlled burns.

Your brother owns a cane farm, right?

You know he does.

We understand that you've spent significantly on upgrades and maintenance.

Would you say that Queen Sugar was expensive to operate?

No more than any other startup in my industry, especially during the first two years.

It's a big financial burden Maybe larger than you anticipated?

Look, I don't know where this is headed.

But, one, I'm wealthy, so I'm good.

Two, I wouldn't have fought to regain ownership of my mill from the Landrys if I was worried about money.

Did you ever check into Frances Boudreaux's role in all this?

We have no evidence of her involvement.

Your son, Micah, however He was investigated for possible involvement in an arson last year.

Wasn't he?

Okay.

We're done here.

We can continue further when my attorney is present.

Until then, you may leave.

- You told the wrong story.

- Aunt Vi, I You told the world I was broken.

No!

Aunt Vi, I told the world about your breakthrough.

You know how to talk.

We know that, Nova.

But can you listen?

Can you accept you told the wrong story?

I counted.

You wrote way more pages on my trials than on my Triumph.

And I triumphed, damn it!

I showed you.

By moving on.

By living my best life.

By letting love into my life again when I could've shut my heart down forever.

I showed you.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]

No.

Come on.

You got it.

Ohh!

My aiming is really terrible.

I'm a little rusty [LAUGHTER]

[DOOR OPENS]

[CHUCKLES]

Good, ain't it?

Mm-hmm.

Our son is, uh, such a rejuvenation.

I feel stronger just being near him.

He's good for you.

Thank you for believing in me For standing by me.

We all good for each other, really.

- Can I show you something?

- Mm-hmm.

Alright.

Be right back.

- Here you go.

Kinda big.

- For me?

- Found it back in the closet.

- [CHUCKLES]

Ta-da.

[GASPS]

Did you show this to Blue?

I'm-a hold off.

I don't wanna get him upset or anything, you know, about pops.

- Hmm.

- He got mad at me 'cause I ain't let him see Nova this morning.

She came by?

[SCOFFS]

What for?

Said she had something important to tell me.

It's all important to Nova, though.

I told her to just go on and get 'bout her way.

Without talking to Blue?

So, um, what's gonna happen next time?

What you mean?

I mean, are you just gonna ignore her at every single family gathering forever?

I ain't think that far.

I'm angry at her, too, but, uh Blue's not gonna understand.

You ain't saying she ain't did wrong by us.

No.

But Despite how I feel about her I know that she loves Blue.

And I need that little boy to be surrounded by as much love as possible.

He's gonna need it one day.

That's real big of you, Darla, but I ain't there yet with Nova.

You don't have to do this.

It's not too late.

Yes, I do.

Stay here.

[EXHALES DEEPLY]

I knew you'd be back.

This belonged to you, not me.

Am I supposed to feel something?

You need to carry the burden of what you did to me, not me.

Well, now you the big success.

You got your own house, your own business.

But you here running back to me Just like when I met you.

You just can't let me go.

I am holding you accountable for the pla P-Pain you inflicted on me.

You ain't holding me accountable for a damn thing.

sh**t, I'm the victim here.

After your hot head att*cked me, sh**t, I might could press charges!

Aunt Vi, let's go.

He's got nothing to offer you.

Better listen to her.

You never did have no sense.

[SCREAMS]

Nice house, Jimmy.

I see.

You the one that had to clean up to come see me, 'cause you know you ain't nothing.

Never been nothing.

This your life.

Your prime over.

All you got is nasty words.

I won.

I got the good life.

I got the money.

I got the house.

[LAUGHS]

I got the business.

I got the respect.

Love.

And you got nothin'.

You're just an old, worn-down dog.

You ain't sh*t.

Never have been.

[SIGHS]

[LAUGHS]

Come on, baby.

I'm sorry, Jimmy.

I didn't know you was having company.

There was a line at the store, but I can get dinner going right away.

Go on in the house, Layla.

No!

He give you that?

What was the reason?

The soup too hot?

You didn't make the bed crisp like he like it?

Layla!

Come in this house!

I know you feel like you ain't got choices, but you do.

Layla!

Don't you talk to her.

She don't mean you no good!

This is grown-folk talk, Jimmy Dale, which means that ain't got a damn thing to do with you.

Ain't got What the hell?

Don't you take not one more step.

You don't know me, but I'm you 30 years ago.

Same scared look, same hittin' bruises.

I know what you're going through.

Believe me.

You don't have to stay here.

But I don't have nowhere to go.

I know a place.

I can take you there right now.

There's a better life waiting for you.

All you got to do is take one step.

What if he'd find me?

Then he'll find me, too.

Come on, baby.

Drop that bag and come with me.

- Layla?

- Don't look back.

- You come back here.

- Don't look back.

Layla, come back here right now!

Violet!

This ain't over!

This ain't over by a long sh*t!

You ain't heard the last of me!

This ain't the last you gonna hear of me!

[VEHICLE DEPARTS]

[LAUGHTER]

- I make you laugh, though.

- Sometimes.

- [GASPS]

Sometimes?

- Look at this one.

- Look like you.

- Aww.

Beautiful.

[BOTH LAUGH]

- Babe.

- Yes.

- You see this?

- What's this?

During, uh, Katrina, the photographer's film was left behind, and it all got waterlogged.

- Mm-hmm.

- So they were gonna toss it, but instead they let it dry out.

And it turned into these images, warped and ruined But stunning in a totally unexpected way.

- Beauty out of destruction.

- Yeah.

I like when you talk about photography.

Hope you don't drop it when you go to Harvard.

Yeah.

I don't know.

Photography is more than just a hobby for me.

I'm not gonna give it up.

I mean, of course, I won't be as full-time as you, miss four-year full art scholarship.

- Okay.

- Thank you.

Sent my acceptance in yesterday.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yes.

Mama was on my shoulder the whole time.

Yeah.

My mom's been doing the most, too.

[SIGHS]

It's starting to feel real.

Yeah.

This time next year, we'll be miles apart.

But we survived the summer apart.

And you'll be back for the holidays and summers.

- Mm-hmm.

- We'll be fine.

I feel like people say that, but then they break up.

Come here.

I love you.

You know that, right?

And no matter how far away I go, I'm with you.

And I'm with you.

This is the Louisiana home for domestic abuse survivors Women just like us.

It's safe, secure.

And when you're ready, there's a job waiting for you at Vi's Prize Pies.

Again, if you need anything, you call me.

You have my number.

- Okay.

- You ready?

Alright, baby.

Come on.

[SIGHS]

Okay.

So, Joanne, if she tries to go back, you call me right away.

- Okay.

- Thank you, baby.

Come on.

We got a lot more driving to do.

This is perfect.

Thank you so much.

Hi, Miss Violet.

Hey, baby.

How you doing?

Much better.

Glad to hear it.

Thank you.

You don't need to thank me.

Yes, I do.

You helped me When I was at my lowest.

And you didn't have to.

You took a chance on helping me.

Listen.

I know that we don't always see things the same, but I just don't feel you need to carry around shame that ain't yours.

We all deserve a second chance to get things right.

This is my one-month chip.

I used to have a whole pile like this.

Now it's, um Probably my most valued possession After Blue.

I'd like you to have it.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]


Can I have everyone's attention?

[CONVERSATIONS STOP]

I wanna thank all of you for your hard work.

We're near the end, and you've given your all.

In fact, we've done so well that the people backing the Boudreaux campaign are pulling every dirty trick in the book to steal this race.

We've, uh, had our voters purged from the rolls.

And now, they've relocated the polling place for most of our latinx voters to, uh, a spot outside of town.

If we are not able to get these voters to the polls in large enough numbers We will probably lose.

Now, I can handle losing a race fair and square.

But this isn't that.

And it also ain't nothing new.

Just a new twist on an old trick.

Now, if it's a matter of getting souls to the polls, we'll do it the old-fashioned way.

We put together a phone tree, get the word out to everybody we know.

And I've already talked to Pastor Martinez about getting some of his members to put together a transportation schedule.

Now, we can arrange pick-up times and locations to maximize the turnout.

We're not going to just lay down and die.

- No!

- That's right!

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

We're gonna do whatever we have to.

Okay?

Thank you.

Thank you.

[SIGHS]

You know [CLEARS THROAT]

This is the first time in years that I haven't been thinking about that box.

I thought that, well, if he took back those bad memories, then I'd be free of everything that he brought back up in me.

But now I see That it ain't about looking back.

It never is.

It's about the here and now.

Breaking bad cycles.

And looking forward.

No more secrets.

You did good, aunt Vi.

[LAUGHS]

I'm glad you were with me.

You, um, you want some pie to go with that?

I'll go cut you a piece.

My sources and I looked into Old World Energy.

And they tend to ride into small towns and run roughshod over them to get what they want, no matter what the cost to the town.

Yeah, no surprise there.

But what is surprising That consultant we thought was gonna be the missing link, Hank Miller, he doesn't work for Old World Energy.

Who does he work for?

Still not clear.

But I went by one of old world energy's headquarters this afternoon.

It's just a tiny office with a receptionist.

A shell company.

And inside that shell is a holding company called the Beckington Group.

Most of their information is hidden behind a trust, but I did find a name on a document challenging voter registrations in Saint Jo Some guy named Parker Campbell.

Well, it's more than a challenge now.

Prosper just found out that he, along with hundreds of other black and brown voters, have been purged from the voter rolls.

- What?

- Mm-hmm.

We also discovered that the polling station for Pastor Martinez's district was relocated over 10 miles away at the last minute.

A week before the election?!

I've got my lawyers working on it already.

But this This feels bigger than the Landry family.

If this Parker Campbell and the Beckington Group are so powerful they can hide their existence, what else are they capable of?

Who are these people?

I have no idea.

But I promise you, we'll get to the bottom of it.

Until then, we can try to enjoy Micah's celebration.

Alright?

Sit right here, Blue.

I've already picked a seat, pops.

- [LAUGHS]

Blue.

- Hmm?

Maybe you should go back and sit with your dad.

I wanna s-sit with you.

Come on.

Let's go to the bathroom, Blue.

Wash your hands.

Come on.

Ralph Angel, don't put that boy in the middle of this mess.

Just 'cause you in Nova corner, that mean we all gotta be?

Huh?

[KNOCK ON DOOR, WATER RUNNING]

- Little man.

You good?

- Yeah.

[WATER STOPS]

Pop, why are you mad at auntie Nova?

Who said I was mad at her?

I heard you this morning.

You sounded upset.

Yeah, well, your auntie Nova did something she shouldn't have.

Well, did she say sorry?

No.

Not really.

Sort of.

She think she in the right.

I disagree.

It's just like when Marcus said it was his turn to play minecraft, but it was actually mine.

We had a big fight about it.

So, how'd you and Marcus work this out?

Well, we decided to each take two turns.

Because Marcus' mom said, it's not worth not being friends over the game, that we have more in common than we have different.

So you're a big boy now, huh?

- [CHUCKLES]

- Smart, too, huh?

- Come here.

- Dad, I love you.

- Love you more.

- I love you even more.

- Say, listen.

- What?

Go sit with your auntie Nova if you want to.

I am.

- Alright.

- Bye.

I'd just like to say a few words.

Few words?

Come on, Charley.

You been waiting on this your whole life.

[LAUGHTER]

Come on.

Yes, I have.

[LAUGHTER]

Micah, you have put in the work to make yourself stand out.

So here you are, off to Harvard.

And I am so, so proud.

- What's this?

- A little something.

[LAUGHS]

Thank you.

Go on.

See what you got.

Let's see what you got.

Okay.

Oh.

The rolex, though.

[LAUGHTER]

Fancy!

RALPH ANGEL: Fancy Starting your college life right, right?

- Wow.

Yeah.

- Yeah!

"Micah, go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Love, mom and dad.

" Thank you, ma.

It's beautiful.

So, here is to Micah West.

[LAUGHTER]

- Beloved son.

- And nephew!

Yeah.

You have so much to give the world.

Congrats, baby.

- Hear, hear.

- Hear, hear.

- To Micah.

- Cheers.

ALL: Cheers.

[LAUGHS]

Mom.

I was gonna wait until after the election, but Radical truth, right?

Uh, what's going on, Micah?

Mom, I'm not going to Harvard.

I'm going to [CLEARS THROAT]

I'm going to Xavier university here in Nola.

Wait.

What are you talking about?

Xavier's not even on our our list.

I-I made my own list.

I'm gonna study art and political science and pursue a career in photography.

- You knew about this?

- No.

But good for you, Micah.

It's a fine choice.

This is my first time hearing about it.

No, I I didn't decide this because of Keke.

Mom, if anything, I did it because of you.

Watching you these past few months bridging communities and fighting for what's right That's what I wanna do.

That's what I want my work to be about.

Great, great Go to Harvard, get your degree, and start a business that puts jobs into the hands of our people, which is what they need Not more pretty pictures!

Maybe you should hear him out.

I-I've spoken to men like Mr.

Prosper and and uncle ra and Hollywood, Mr.

Romero.

I've realized that these people, this community is what I want my work to be about.

You don't have to live in the community to support it.

- But it helps.

- Yeah, and I want to be here.

Harvard just feels like a pointless detour from who I intend to be.

Pointless?!

You have been dealt a winning hand, a tool to fight against the privileges that the world won't ever hand you easily!

And you just wanna toss it away?!

I'm not tossing it away.

There have been plenty of successful men and women who have graduated from HBCUS!

Yes, Xavier will provide an excellent education.

But, frankly, college isn't about education.

- Not anymore.

- Then what's it about?

Connections.

In the real world.

The kind the Landrys wield every day without even a second thought.

It will allow employers to see you as the bright, sensitive young man that you are.

- Baby, if you do this - I already did it.

I already did it.

I rescinded my acceptance letter to Harvard this morning, so Okay.

Well, what's done is done.

There's no point arguing about it.

I personally love the idea of having you close by, Micah.

I have been in the fight of my life in what shouldn't even be a contest, all because this country is set up to benefit people like the Boudreauxs.

And now you're being offered a tool to help level the field for all of us.

And you decide To just throw it away?!

How dare you, Micah.
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