02x10 - Drums At Dusk

[bunniefuu]

RALPH ANGEL: Previously
on "Queen Sugar"...

Me and Mama getting married.

- So, you'll be together forever?
- Forever.

ROBERT: Zika, it's a
hurricane by another name.

And believe me, Nova,
you connected the dots.

CHARLEY: Hello, Mother.

I'm the first black woman
to own a mill in the state.

Will you be satisfied with this?

You know, your hair
it's falling out a little.

You might need to get this
checked out, girl.

About that night,
we have to tell your mother.

She doesn't wanna hear about it.

- What's eating you?
- Something happened to Micah.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Good to see you.

All right. Thank you.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Why you looking at me like that?

Ernest giving you this farm
was the best thing

that could have happened to you.

- Look what it's done.
- Man, watch out, Aunt Vi.

I ain't gonna mess this up, Aunt Vi.

Well, speaking about things
you ain't gonna mess up.

You wanna make sure
you stay on track with Darla.

This is something
they started at my church.

For the young folk getting married and
divorced like it isn't sacred no more.

Ain't no shame in getting advice.

Even those that think they got it
all figured out learn something.

And it's free, so don't
give me nothing about that.

(SIGHS)

You look like you're feeling better.

I am.

- (LAUGHS)
- About to get outta here, Aunt Vi.

I love you, Aunt Vi.

I'll see ya.

- Hi. Can I help you?
- Good morning.

You know where I might
find Miss Bordelon?

May I ask why?

Well, a manager at Delta Diner told me

that Miss Bordelon made the
best pie I've ever tasted.

- What kind of pie?
- Cherry.

Tart, sweet,

flaky crust to die for.

Yeah, well, if you pass on from my pies,

that's gonna hurt my business.

So, you're Miss Bordelon?

It's an honor to meet you.

Kind of you to come this
way, pay a compliment.

Oh, well, that's not the
only reason for my business.

I'm Jarrett Rawlings
of Rawlings Supermarkets.

We got stores in three parishes...

And I do plenty of shopping
at the one in St. Jo's.

Y'all's double coupon Thursday...

best thing going.

Well, thank you. That was my idea.

Good one.

I hope you like my...

my latest brainstorm.

We'd like you to provide us
with pies a week

to sell exclusively in our stores.

All the terms are laid out there.

I think you'll find everything
is more than adequate.

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

♪ 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. ♪

♪ Why is blood
flowing through this body? ♪

♪ Why is air in my lung?

♪ Where we goin' now? ♪

♪ Why did I get to place my feet here? ♪

♪ Thy kingdom come, Thy kingdom come ♪

♪ Oh, I got a song to sing

♪ And it's a song about hope for you ♪

♪ It's a song about faith ♪

♪ I see all that you are going through ♪

♪ And it's gonna be all right ♪

- Thanks, Pop.
- ♪ ...gonna be all right ♪

♪ It's gonna be all right ♪

♪ It's gonna be all right ♪

♪ Everything's gonna be all right ♪

♪ It's gonna be all right ♪

♪ It's gonna be all right ♪

♪ It's gonna be... ♪

(SIGHS) Oh...

Hi.

- Mm.
- Oh! Whew.

Huh?

You're still thinking about
your father's will, aren't you?

Charlotte, you can't
dwell on this forever.

I just wanna know why Daddy did it.

Why he didn't discuss it with me.

The truth is, your daddy
was a man who changed his mind.

But what you have now, it's
far greater than that land.

The mill.

'Cause it's yours. It is yours alone.

I'm not sure how much
good that is anymore

since a huge part of my business
plan was tied to the farm.

Now, that is something
that I can help you with

if you just give me a few hours.

Okay.

Thank you.

Charley, you're gonna get through this.

Let me help.

Huh. I told you, no physical labor.

You're just here to check in
the volunteers as they arrive.

Please. I'm just glad
I could still use my body

for more than just feeding the twins.

- How are they?
- Growing like weeds,

and too young to resent me

for taking a few hours
to help you, sister soldier.

And I can't thank you enough.

Hello.

Robert, meet my oldest
friend from Tulane... Sierra.

Oh, this is the friendship
that began with the fight

about whether or not Black History Month

is a form of self-segregation.

- NOVA: Mm-hmm.
- She won that fight, by the way.

Uh-huh. Of course she did.

(WOMEN CHUCKLE)

- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, too.

I'm surprised at how quickly
you pulled all this together.

- Ooh!
- Go on.

- No, I know you wanna say it.
- Are you talking to me?

Yeah, some kind of "I told you so."

Since Timothy North's donation is the
reason we could do this so fast.

There's nothing wrong with giving a
bit of credit where credit is due.

You can give him
all the credit you want;

he still a horse's ass.

(SIERRA AND ROBERT LAUGHING)

Yes, he is. See?

Always wins.

- What a pleasure.
- A pleasure.

Mmm...

Last I heard, you were done dating.

Now you with a damn unicorn.

We ain't like that.

Really? The way he looks at you?

- How is it, then?
- We have a lot of respect for each other's work.

Uh-uh, that's not what I asked.

How... is... it?

- Well...
- Ooh!

That's what I thought!

Girl, look, I just want
the best for you,

so give this man a chance
to be like that.

'Cause if you don't, I'm gonna
scoop him up for myself.

You know what? Come on, girl.
We got work to do.

And don't you lift nothing.

Matter of fact, stack
them bottles one by one.

- I'm watching you.
- Mm-hmm.

- One by one.
- Miss Bossy. Yes, ma'am.

(BOTH LAUGH)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

♪ I was tempted from the beginning ♪

♪ Swallowing these second guesses ♪

♪ 'Cause I had you in my mind ♪

♪ Baby

♪ Following your thirst and sweat ♪

♪ On a whim when first we met ♪

♪ I just had to rewind it ♪

♪ Got me spellbound with that face ♪

♪ And the way you move that waist ♪

♪ Thinking "Can I get a taste?" ♪

♪ Mmm...

Wow.

That dress looks beautiful on you.

What do you think?

I think that it is way too expensive.

Do you really like it?

You can be honest.

Darla, honesty is in my blood.

My mother is the queen
of brutal honesty.

(SIGHS)

I was with her when I went
wedding dress shopping.

(CHUCKLES) I had fallen in love

with the first dress
that I ever tried on.

People say that never happens.

But my mother, she hated it.

She said that it made me
look pregnant...

which I was.

But...

Yeah.

My mother knew that,
but refused to accept it.

She didn't want her friends

believing that her daughter
was having a shotgun wedding.

And I wasn't.

I mean, Davis and I,
we loved each other.

But my mother was disappointed,

to say the least.

And she did not try to hide it.

Not from me.

The point is...

(CHUCKLES) if I didn't
think that dress looked

anything short of beautiful
on you, you would know.

Oh, no, wait,

- did... did I say something?
- (SOBS, SNIFFLES)

I'm sorry, it's, um...

it's just my family doesn't even
care that I'm getting married.

I called them to tell them...

I haven't heard back.

Well, how long has it been
since you've talked?

Years.

Well, that must have taken a lot.

Yes.

My mom actually sounds a lot like yours.

- (SOBS)
- Mmm.

I always just wanted to please her.

I think... (SIGHS)

when I called her...

a piece of me was still doing that.

Probably most of me.

I just wanted her to see...

how far I'd come.

So she wouldn't feel like

she's embarrassed of her daughter.

Just proud.

Well,

I don't know why
they haven't called back.

BUT I KNOW THIS:

You have a family...

Ralph Angel and Blue... and another
one that you're about to join.

So even if you never
hear from them again,

you are still surrounded
by people who love you.

Thank you.

Admit it, you'd rather be here

than editing white papers
with your colleagues

in some ivory tower right now.

Technically, my colleagues are
actually on the golf course right now,

but this definitely leads to a
stronger sense of accomplishment.

(GRUNTS)

Damn, Aunt Nova! Look at those g*ns.

Micah, I didn't know you were coming.

Neither did I.

It was Keke's idea.

- Hi.
- Hey.

Oh, you two have never met.

Okay, Aunt Nova, this is my girl, Keke.

- Keke, Aunt Nova.
- Hi.

I've heard so much
about you from Micah's mom.

And I love your writing and
everything you do for the community,

and just... you're an inspiration.

Hey, I didn't know you were a super fan.

And this is Dr. Dubois.

Just Robert. Pleasure to meet you.

- Good to see you, young man.
- You, too, man.

Well, I think I see the news
crews from Channel over there.

We should probably go talk to them.

Thank you both so much
for helping us out today.

- Of course, of course.
- Good to see you.

- Nice to meet you.
- (MOUTHS) Bye.

I know. (CHUCKLES)

Cool.

Hey, man, I'm Micah.

Leon.

- (MAN SIGHS)
- (METAL THUDDING)

Hey.

I'm ready.

All right.

- (SIGHS)
- So, I was thinking...

- You was thinking.
- I was thinking

we should get a porch
swing for the house

so we can look up at the stars at night.

Blue would love that.

(CHUCKLES)

Ain't even moved in yet,
and she already takin' over.

No, I just... I think it'd be nice

to switch things up a little bit

so it feels different,

like a clean slate.

As long as I got you and
Blue under the same roof,

I'm good.

You should make it your own.
It's your home too, now.

- My house too, now.
- (CHUCKLES)

(CHUCKLES)

- (TAILGATE CLOSES)
- (CLEARS THROAT)

What is this?

Just Vi being Vi.

Premarital counseling.

I think it's a good idea.

Why? We good.

We doing it on our own, been doing it.

No, I know, but it's kind
of like doing your steps.

I think it'd really help us
if things get hard, or...

I ain't down with no counseling, Darla.

If I'm gonna get advice from someone,

it ain't gonna be some priest
who never been married.

(SCOFFS)

What's he gonna tell me
about being a husband?

(CHUCKLES)

(KNOCKS)

Well, I...

What are you doing here?

I'm helping Charley
with her business plan.

I mean here in St. Jo.

We had an agreement.

Yes, we did.

But then my daughter
chose to move herself

and my grandson here full-time.

- And that don't change nothing.
- Of course it does.

You can't keep me from seeing my family.

I ain't worried about your family.

You can buy them plane tickets
to see you on any continent.

I'm worried about mine.

And I won't have you upsetting Nova.

Nova is a grown woman.

Who just lost her daddy
for the second time

after you stole him the first time.

You coming around here is
just gonna stir all that up,

and that's wrong.

I am sorry about your brother,

because I know how much he meant to you.

(DOOR SLAMS)

SAM LANDRY: So he says,

"How many acres do you own?"

And he says, "Well,

I own a few cows."

(CONVERSATION TRAILS OFF)

If it ain't Miss Charley
Bordelon herself.

Welcome to your first meeting of the
St. Josephine Sugarcane Society.

We started an hour ago.

I didn't hear anything
about a time change.

I sent an email.

I guess I don't have
the right address for you.

Strange. I was on all the
other emails in the chain.

Maybe just hit "reply all" next time

or I can show you how if the
technology's too confusing for you.

Most everyone's gone

since we finished the serious business,

but we decided to come
and sit out here in the sun.

Guess I gotta introduce
you to the troops.

This is Terence McGrath.

He owns , acres

from St. Josephine to St. James.

This is Christina Bertrand-Moore,

vice president of external
affairs at Bertrand Refineries.

A family business for six generations.

Lucky for you, you missed all the
boring logistical rigmarole.

Now comes the fun part...

choosing this year's
Sugar Crystal Court.

- Well, where should I, uh...
- Shall we begin?

Olivia Mercer.

Volunteers with St.
Josephine Animal Shelter

where she pioneered their program

of bringing dogs into nursing homes

to cheer up the residents.

- Oh, she's got my vote.
- Mm, mm, mm.

CHRISTINA: Iris Calvert.

Now, she's Olympic caliber.

- She's...
- What about Keke Raymond?

Captain of her dance team,

over hours of community service.

Miss Raymond isn't
Sugar Princess material.

You're new here.
Maybe just listen for a while.

Mmm.

Wow!

This is different than your mom's place.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah.

You know, my... my dad is out of town,

so we... we have the whole
place to ourselves.

What do you wanna do?

After all the work we did today,

I just wanna take a shower.

Hey, what do you say
we take one together?

Micah, I don't know what type of girls

you dated in Los Angeles,
but I don't roll like that.

Oh, no, I wasn't...
I wasn't assuming anything.

I just...

Micah, I'm a virgin.

And I know it may sound cheesy,

but I'm not having sex with anybody

until I'm in love.

I just don't wanna have any regrets.

And I'm not saying
I don't care about you.

I do.

But we're just...

we're still getting to know each other.

We're not ready.

Yeah, I'm... I'm really
sorry about that.

I just, you know... I don't want you
to feel pressured or anything.

Should I take you home?

I never even asked if you wanted

to come over and be alone with me,

so whatever you wanna do

that's what I want, too.

I wanna stay here
and spend time with you.

- That's cool with me.
- (BOTH CHUCKLING)

Great, thank you.

Yeah, I'll be in touch.

That was my friend, David Handleman,

producer at ACN.

They want us to appear on a special.

What? Why?

The Spellman panel,
your front-page story.

- You are an expert.
- Mmm.

And, might I add,
you have a gorgeous face

- that belongs in front of a camera.
- Stop.

(CHUCKLES)

When's the taping?

So you're in?

It'll bring more attention

to the problems I'm trying to solve.

So, yeah, I'm in.

(CHUCKLES) And here I
was ready to be content

with the great work we did today.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Thank you.

- (CHATTER CONTINUES)
- (CAR STARTS)

Star?

Damn, you look as fine as ever.

You free right now?

I can pay extra.

You have me confused with someone else.

Nah, Star, I recognize
that ass anywhere.

Hope you're here
next time I roll through.

(CAR DOOR CLOSES)

(MUSIC PLAYS)

What was that?

I don't know.

The world's full of crazies.

- (ENGINE STARTS)
- MAN: Whoo!

- (SIGHS)
- (DOOR OPENS)

(SIGHS)

Well, how was the rest of your day?

Ha!

(EXHALES)

You found my business plans, huh?

Yes, and all the problems with it.

Every farmer that you're working with

brings in fewer than , acres.

Yeah, that's just how it is here, Mom.

Black farmers can't afford
more than , acres.

Are you saying that you are exclusively
grinding with black farmers?

Yes.

Well, why is that?

(SIGHS) When I first got down here,

no farmers wanted
anything to do with me.

And over time, I was able
to change a few minds.

They just happen to all be black.

Well, did you even try
talking to the others?

I mean, did you even attempt
talking with the white farmers?

Of course I did.

None of them wanted to mill with
a woman who looked like me.

Like I said, that's...
that's how it is here.

It sounds like an excuse to me.

I did not raise you
to believe in barriers.

You cannot just roll over

because "that's how it is here."

If you don't like the way things
are, then you work on changing it.

Changing it?

We're talking about years of history.

Our history.

Then just be the bigger person, Charley.

Reach across the color divide.

Because green, that's the only color
that you should be looking at here.

If you want my advice, that's it.

That is how you are going
to expand this business

now that you don't have the farm.

I'll take that under advisement.

And your aunt Violet
stopped by earlier today.

What you doing over here?

Just braiding my hair.

- My bad.
- (BOTH CHUCKLING)

I'm just not used to you
touching my hair.

But come on.

- ♪ ..the Porsche
with the power on ♪

Grab these, this...

♪ So I don't care if it
crash right here ♪

♪ All black, black, black
with the fires on... ♪

...this and this.

- I only got two hands.
- Wait, hold that in one.

- Okay.
- And that in that one.

There you go. Now crisscross.

♪ I left you in the dust, baby ♪

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

- Got it?
- I think.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

Uh, I don't know how you do this.

♪ That's why you in the slow lane ♪

- ♪ All your drama in the slow lane... ♪
- Yep.

♪ All your issue in the slow lane ♪

- ♪ That's why I left you yesterday...
♪ - (CHUCKLES)

Not bad for your first time.

You're lying.
You're just being nice to me.

I mean, it's not bad, you know?

♪ All your drama in the slow lane... ♪

NOVA: His mama told me something
that happened to him...

when he was pulled over
a few months back.

My whole life is about lifting up people

who have been hurt.

But when it comes to my own nephew...

I failed.

It's one of the reasons
I've never wanted kids.

Yeah.

Me neither.

You don't?

No.

And I hear about it from everybody.

Grandparents, parents, friends,

anyone who feels entitled
to share their opinion.

(SCOFFS)

My parents told me, um,

raising a family is the reason

that God put me on this earth.

You know, I don't
mean them any disrespect,

but, like, I feel like my
work has a higher purpose.

I feel the exact same way.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

♪ Hey

♪ The bed is your stage ♪

♪ Take it away

♪ Put on a show

♪ Put on a play

♪ Don't pass, babe ♪

♪ You know I'm your
number one fan, babe ♪

♪ So get those cameras rolling
right now, under light ♪

♪ And then I really wanna see you
right now that you're lighted ♪

♪ Take over you

♪ Your body's taking over you ♪

♪ Now, baby, we can take it slow ♪

♪ Say my name

♪ Don't let go ♪

♪ I can hear your body

♪ Said I'll take it slow... ♪

(CRICKETS CHIRPING)

DARLA: It's time to go to bed, Blue.

Hey, come on, Boo-Boo.
Time to go to bed.

BLUE: Kenya's excited to move, Mommy.

She's excited that you're here for good!

That's very nice of Kenya.

But you should also tell Kenya

that if you both go to bed right now,

you can play for an extra hour
in the fort tomorrow.

No, it's time. Let's go inside the fort.

Come on!

Where you get that light from?

In the kitchen under the sink.

(SIGHS)

You're real resourceful, huh?

(TAPPING FLASHLIGHT)

- Wanna see something cool?
- What?

Okay.

(BLUE BARKS)

I wanna try.

(BLUE BARKING)

DARLA: And if we all do it,

we can have more than one dog.

Come on, Pop!

DARLA: Come on, Pop, try it.

BLUE: Come on.

- Like that?
- (BLUE CHUCKLES)

- BLUE: Yeah. That's good.
- (DARLA CHUCKLING)

It's a dog family.

- Mommy?
- Hmm?

Are you really gonna be here
every night from now on?

Yes, Blue.

Is it true, Pop?

Pop?

Yeah.

Evenin'.

I'm so sorry I didn't tell
you my mom was in town.

Treating her like a secret
is a bad idea, Charley.

You can best know your siblings are
gonna feel some kind of way about that.

I didn't know how long she was staying.

I didn't... I didn't wanna upset
anyone for no good reason.

I just...

Baby, what's wrong?

It's just this meeting
that I went to today.

A Sugarcane Society meeting

with Sam Landry and friends.

Well, that must've been
one hell of a meeting.

They treated me like I was invisible.

And not just me but the
secretary and the maid

and Keke.

I just had to sit there and take it

because I don't wanna be the angry
black woman at my first meeting.

And then I get home
and my mom is telling me

that I should bring
white farmers into the mill.

And on one hand,
it's... it's good advice.

You know, it'd actually
expand my business,

but, I... you understand, I just don't
feel like doing that right now.

And I...

I just, um... I can't please anyone.

Charley, you're grown

and you have a son that looks to you
every day for who he's gonna be.

You ain't got time to be playing

by anybody's rules but your own,

and I ain't never known you

to be someone who needs permission.

Thank you.

You know, my mom said that you came by,

but she didn't say why.

Well... (CLEARS THROAT)

I had a real nice offer this morning,

and I need your help

'cause I'm gonna start selling
my pies in grocery stores.

Okay.

(DARLA SIGHS)

(SIGHS)

This is my first night
living in this house...

and you're acting like you don't
wanna be anywhere near me.

All I can think about is
that guy we saw earlier...

and how you might know him.

I knew it.

I could feel you judging me
the second we left.

So I'm right?

It's a guy you knew from back
when you was turning tricks.

(SIGHS, SCOFFS)

How come you ain't just
tell me the truth?

What was I supposed to say?

I don't wanna talk about Star ever.

I have spent every single day of my life

trying to forget her.

You think I wanted
to be called out like that?

Well, it ain't easy it just be
thrown in my face like that.

I can't get that picture out my head.

We've both done things
that we're not proud of.

We were just trying to get by back then.

You was trying to get by on dr*gs.

What?

You was whoring to make
money so you can get high.

Ain't that what happened?

- And you were stealing credit cards...
- (SCOFFS)

- ...and robbing convenience stores.
- Nah, the two don't compare.

I did that so I could take care of Blue.

You was only thinking of yourself...

(SCOFFS) as always.

Is this what our marriage
is gonna look like?

I don't know.

Us having the same argument

over and over again.

You cannot keep punishing me
for my mistakes, Ralph Angel.

I ain't punishing you,
but it is what it is, Darla.

I'm not that person anymore,

and I am so tired of trying
to convince you that I am not.

If you can't accept me for the
person that I am right now...

I can't marry you.

(SCOFFS)

I'll sleep on the couch tonight.

Grandma has definitely
made herself at home.

CHARLEY: Yep!

- How was your day?
- Good.

(REFRIGERATOR DOOR CLOSES)

Yeah, Keke took me to Aunt Nova's
Zika thing in the lower th.

- You saw your aunt today?
- (SIGHS) Yeah.

- How was she?
- Fine.

A lot of people showed up.

Well, that's good.

How was the actual project?

Oh, yeah, Keke saved the day.

Yeah, she crawled in.

Yeah, she was handing back the
trash so fast, I couldn't keep up.

Yeah, she got it done.

Go, Keke.

I was just talking about her today.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

With who?

It was at the Sugarcane Society meeting

about the harvest festival.

Mm, for the, um,
Crystal Court application?

- You know about that?
- Yeah, she applies every year.

And she knows she's never gonna get it,

but she still applies
as her own sort of resistance.

Wow.

Sounds like you guys are, uh, really
learning a lot about each other.

Getting pretty close.

Yeah, we are.

She's incredible. (CHUCKLES)

Are y'all...?

(CHUCKLES) No, we're
taking it very slow.

Good for you.

Mom, I've never even... I've
never met anyone like her.

She just, I don't know... she's
already taught me so much.

Enough about me. How was your day?

It was great.

Because I decided...

that this year, the Queen Sugar mill

will be holding its own harvest festival

for the black community.

- Wow.
- Mm-hmm.

That's gonna be cool.

Yeah.

Yeah, it will be.

- (HORN HONKS)
- ROBERT: Car's here.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

I guess this is goodbye, then.

- I don't wanna go.
- Then stay.

I'm already giving the
keynote at this conference.

I would.

I guess that'll hold me
until I'm in Atlanta.

Yeah.

I'll be counting those days.

- Wait, you know what?
- Hmm?

Guess what?

In fact, when you get to town,

why don't you use these
to let yourself in?

Mm-hmm.

All right.

I'll call you from the airport.

♪ You wanna use my car, my house ♪

♪ My name, my bank, my money ♪

♪ You wanna use my car, my house ♪

♪ My name, my bank, my money ♪

♪ Ooh, honey...