Simone Missick On The Meteoric Ascent Of 'All Rise': 'We Are Operating At Our Highest Selves'

All Rise has been a singular type of show since its inception. It is much more than a courtroom procedural drama. Led by Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), the series follows the cases that land in her courtroom and the personal and professional lives of the prosecutors, public defenders, bailiffs, cops, and defendants that orbit around her. 

After a two-season run, All Rise was canceled on CBS. It has since been revived on OWN as a more comprehensive series that expands beyond the courtroom. As we head into the second half of season 3, Shadow and Act spoke with Missick, who is also now an executive producer on the series, about this amplified version of Lola, multifaceted female characters, and all of the remaining secrets and surprises that this season will reveal. 

"I definitely wanted for Lola to make some missteps," Missick says of the expansion of her character this season.

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Cheryl Dunye Wants to Create the Black Lesbian Canon of Fiction

In the 25 years since she became the first Black lesbian to direct a feature film, the acclaimed “The Watermelon Woman,” Cheryl Dunye has lent her perspective to dozens of stories stretching across various genres on-screen. The NAACP Image Award-nominated director recently put her signature stamp on “Lovecraft Country’s” episode “Strange Case.” Now, she is lending her vision to OWN’s new series, “Delilah,” a legal drama centering Maahra Hill in the titular role as a lawyer trying to juggle her personal and professional lives.

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How OWN's 'Cherish The Day' Allows For Black Male Emotional Growth Without Harming Its Black Women

In a 1984 conversation between James Baldwin and Audre Lorde about the power dynamics between Black men and Black women, Lorde pushed Baldwin to examine the inherent privilege of being a man in a patriarchal society that privileges men over women, intersecting with white supremacy, which harms all Black people. Lorde said in part, “I do not blame Black men for what they are. I'm asking them to move beyond…we have to take a new look at…[how]…we fight our joint oppression…We have to begin to redefine the terms of what woman is, what man is, how we relate to each other."

Now, nearly 40 years later, the patriarchy still reigns, and sexism and misogynoir are as rampant as ever. However, in cinema and television, with more Black women at the helm of Black love stories, we are beginning to see a new soft Black intimacy take center stage and stories that do what Lorde has demanded: redefining gender roles and relationships within the Black community. These stories do not put Black women in a position to struggle or fight for a man's attention or place Black women in the line of fire on the road to Black men's emotional growth and maturity. Instead, they look at Black people in all of their complexity and splendor while requiring self-awareness and accountability, especially for Black men.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

The Bordelons Are Stronger Than Ever In 'Queen Sugar' Season 4 Finale [Recap]

After the blowup in last week's episode with Micah (Nicholas L. Ashe) telling his mother Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) that he will be attending Xavier University instead of Harvard University, things are tense in their home. Micah apologizes for telling her the news the way that he did and Charley apologizes for her reaction, citing the stress of the city council election. She also tells Micah that she needs more time to process his choice. As she watches her only child exit the room, someone bangs loudly on the front door.

As Charley opens the door, several St. Josephine deputies burst inside with a warrant for her arrest. Charley is being arrested for arson and intent to defraud. This is connected to the fire at Queen Sugar Mill. Whew, these people get bolder every single day.

The entire Bordelon family has gathered at the police station to await news on Charley. Micah is on the phone with his mother's lawyer while Aunt Vi (Tina Lifford) and Nova (Rutina Wesley) sit anxiously in the waiting room. Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) isn't anxious, he's pissed. He's ready to pick a fight with anyone who tries him, including the police officers or Nova. Before things descend into total chaos, Charley is released and mostly unruffled. Charley's lawyer is able to get her released on a fixed bail. As the Bordelons go to exit the police station, Nova warns Charley that reporters are waiting outside.

After using Aunt Vi's compact to get her face together, Charley holds her head high and confronts the reporters. She labels her arrest a shame while also calling out the corrupt sheriff by name and warns everyone who will listen that if they are going to come for her and her people, they should be certain they aren't going to miss.

At Vi's Prized Pies & Diner, Vi is waiting as Sam Landry (David Jensen) enters the establishment. If you recall, several episodes ago she told him she was calling in a decades-long favor he owes her. It looks like Sam is FINALLY coming through. He has a stack of papers that prove his sister Frances Boudreaux (Annalee Jefferies) has been up to no good. It turns out Sam's secret is that he has a Black daughter. Back in the day when his father found out he'd fallen for a Black woman, he tried to kill Sam. Vi stepped in and helped the woman and child escape St. Josephine unscathed. Though Vi hasn't spoken to the mother of Sam's child for 15 years, she does inform Sam that his daughter is a Spelman College and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania graduate.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Skip Bolen/OWN.

"How Dare You?!": 'Queen Sugar' Season 4, Episode 12 [Recap]

The episode opens with Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) and Blue (Ethan Hutchison) at home attempting to do some spring cleaning. While cleaning RA finds a large wrapped gift in the back of one of the closets. It's a gift addressed to Blue from RA's late father, Ernest. Unable to deal with it right that second he pushes the box back inside the closet.

Just as he's stuffing his memories and the gift out of sight, Nova's (Rutina Wesley) car rolls up to the house. Blue is delighted by the prospect of seeing his auntie, but RA isn't having it. He informs Blue that Nova is sick and won't be coming inside and instructs him to continue cleaning up. Ralph Angel meets Nova outside before she can make it to the door. She tries to apologize for laying all of RA's business bare in her book Blessing & Blood, but Ralph Angel is still pissed. He informs Nova that Blue is in therapy because he knows RA isn't his biological father. Ralph Angel also tells her that Darla (Bianca Lawson) has experienced a relapse. He informs her that he will never have to worry about enemies with a sister like her. Cold-blooded, but true. Nova is stunned and heartbroken, but she also understands Ralph Angel's anguish. 

Elsewhere, Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) is decked out in her Harvard gear while she decorates for Micah's (Nicholas L. Ashe) college acceptance party. This is the most gleeful Charley has been in weeks, but Miach seems reluctant. Something is obviously bothering him.

Back in New Orleans, Nova is relaxing and researching at home. She stumbles on a name in her reading that's connected to the Old World Energy company that seems determined to build a highway through St. Joesphine. She calls in a favor to the New Orleans Daily News to get it looked into. Just as Nova hangs up the phone, there's a knock at her door. It's Violet (Tina Lifford).

Nova is shocked to see her auntie. After being invited in, Vi demands that Nova give her Jimmy Dale's (David Alan Grier) address. Nova, being nosy, wants to know why. Violet tells her to mind her business. In the end, Nova agrees to give Vi the address if she drives her and IF they can talk. Vi agrees to the driving but not the talking.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Skip Bolen/OWN.

Essence Atkins Won’t Be Underestimated: EXCLUSIVE

Until very recently–we’ve all known Ambitions star Essence Atkins for her fun-loving, lighter roles. But now, she’s proving that we should have never put her in a box. Though she’s still heralded for her roles in series like the ’90s hit Smart Guy, the quirky early 2000s comedy, Half & Half and more recently on the Fox sitcom, Marlon, opposite Marlon Wayans–Atkins’ latest role shows her in a darker and sexier light.

In the OWN drama Ambitions, the Brooklyn native stars as Amara Hughes. Amara is a federal prosecutor who returns to Atlanta with her husband, Titus (Kendrick Cross) to get her marriage on track. However, what she doesn’t expect is that skeletons buried and shoved in the closet long ago–resurface. Almost as soon as she settles back into the city, Amara finds herself in the crosshairs of attorney and Atlanta’s First Lady Stephanie Carlisle (Robin Givens). Stephanie also happens to be her former college best friend and sorority sister, and the woman Titus was once in love with.

Though she’s determined to focus on fixing things with Titus, Amara can’t help but get entangled in Stephanie’s messy web of games and lies. However, she might have more than a little ammunition up her sleeve to fight fire with fire. Ahead of the midseason finale of Ambitions, STYLECASTER sat down to chat with Atkins about the jaw-dropping new series, and why she’s happy to be shedding her “good girl” persona.

Continue reading at STYLECASTER.

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There's A Reckoning In 'Oh Mamere': 'Queen Sugar' Season 4, Episode 10 [Recap]

Episode 10, titled "Oh Mamere", opens with Violet (Tina Lifford) doing her thing at her restaurant. Unfortunately, she has an unwelcomed guest. Nova (Rutina Wesley) has commandeered one of the booths for herself and she has no plans on leaving until she and Aunt Vi hash some things out. When Vi confronts her, Nova refuses to cower. She knows that after bringing Vi's violent ex-husband Jimmy Dale (David Allen Grier) to her doorstep and writing about all of Vi's personal business in her book, she needs to beg for forgiveness. Vi tells Nova that past memories are haunting her spirit and her marriage and it's all because of Blessing & Blood. Nova FINALLY gives Aunt Vi a true apology, before her Auntie hits her with some food for thought. Nova then realizes that she would have published her memoir even if Vi had asked her not to.

We see Darla (Bianca Lawson) at home getting Blue (Ethan Hutchinson) ready for a day out with Micah (Nicholas L. Ashe). Darla ties her son's shoe and makes sure his overnight bag is packed. When Micah arrives to pick up his baby cousin, the two boys look excited about a day at the fair. Darla seems better than the last episode when we saw her clutching on to a bottle of liquor and her sobriety teetering on the edge. But she still has an uneasiness about her. Almost as soon as Blue and Miach leave Darla gets a call from her mother. She informs Darla that her former best friend Jordan is in New Orleans from D.C. and though Darla seems uneasy about this information she still takes Jordan's contact information.

Back at Vi's Prized Pies & Diner Nova is still reeling from her conversation with Vi when Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) drops by. She has an early birthday gift for her big sister and gives thanks for Nova taking care of her when she had nearly fallen apart after the burning of the Mill, her lover Romero's (Walter Perez) rejection and the attacks against herself and her family from St. Joesphine's most elite families. Nova is visibly touched by the gesture, to the point of tears. The ladies have a strained conversation until Charley invites Nova on a women's retreat with her. It will be the last opportunity Charley has to relax before the City Council campaign kicks into high gear.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: OWN.

Brutal Blows & Breakthroughs: 'Queen Sugar' Season 4, Episode 9 [Recap]

As "Stare at the Same Fires" opens we find a wilted Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) sitting at some bar in New Orleans drinking away her sorrows. She begins venting to the bartender in a very un-Charley-like fashion and though he tries to suggest that she slow down or call someone to help her Charley simply puts on her sunglasses and keeps on drinking. Charley has given up. After the fire at the Mill, Romero's (Walter Perez) rejection, Blessing & Blood and everything in between, she has nothing left to give.

Somewhere else in Lousiana, Nova (Rutina Wesley) finds herself on the doorstep of her mama's cousin, who lives in a large white house in a rural area. As Nova approaches the house, the two women gleefully greet one another. Ms. Martha is a regal woman who works as a healer. She tells Nova that she is the spitting image of her late mother, Trudy. Nova seems grateful to have a family member to grasp on to. She also tells Ms. Martha that the place feels familiar to her. It turns out that Trudy used to bring Nova to visit her cousin. Those visits stopped once Nova turned three.

The women have a long sit down where they discuss family, healing, and Ms. Martha's past. Nova also reveals to Martha that her mama has been visiting her in her dreams. Martha, in turn, reveals some things that shake Nova to her core. She learns that she was never a burden to her mother. She also learns that her father buried her mother's body on their land. For years, Nova was under the impression that her mama was cremated.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: OWN.

Phylicia Rashad, Dee Harris-Lawrence & The Cast Of ‘David Makes Man’ On Memory & Storytelling

When playwright and poet Tarell Alvin McCraney gave us Moonlight–he showed the magic and nuances of Black men–specifically those struggling with their sexuality, in a way that we’d never seen them before. With his stunning new arthouse coming-of-age series, David Makes Man–starring Phylicia Rashad and a slew of newcomers, McCraney delivers once again.

Based on the events of McCraney’s own life growing up in Miami, the OWN series follows 14-year-old David (newcomer Akili McDowell), a young Black man growing up in the Miami projects. Still haunted by the death of a close friend–David is also grappling with caring for his little brother (Cayden K. Williams) and his relationship with his mother, Gloria (Alana Arenas)–a hard-working woman who is recovering from drug addiction. Each day, David is bused miles away to his affluent magnet school where his teacher Dr. Woods-Trap (Phylicia Rashad) prompts him to expand his mind in new ways.

Breathtakingly stunning and compelling, David Makes Man presents a poetic picture of Black identity, masculinity and what it means to “make man.” Ahead of the series premiere–STYLECASTER sat down to chat with the showrunner, Dee Harris-Lawrence, the legendary Phylicia Rashad, Akili McDowell and Nathaniel Logan McIntyre who plays David’s best friend Seren.

“This project, from day one of meeting Tarell Alvin McCraney, became very much my story,” Harris-Lawrence revealed. “There have been coming of age stories but I don’t think there have been coming of age stories like this where you get into the mind of a young Black boy–and we have such a young Black cast. When I first met with Tarell after I read the script I said, ‘I’m pretty much the female version of David, in terms of growing up in the hood and having to be bused miles away to go to school.’ I used my imagination in a big way, and I was a huge dreamer. I had a teacher named Ms. Brown who got me writing stories. As I started writing more stories, my daydreams began to wane. That’s when I realized, ‘This is what I have to do.'”

Continue reading at STYLECASTER.

Image: OWN.

There Is Only Suffering Here: 'Queen Sugar' Season 4, Episode 8 [Recap]

As "All the Borders" opens, it's clear that Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) has faded into herself. She, along with Ralph Angel (Kofi Sirobie), Romero (Walter Perez) and Micah (Nicholas L. Ashe), sit helplessly as the fire department finally gets the fire at Queen Sugar mill under control. Keke (Tanyell Waivers) even comes running up desperate to see if Micha is OK. The fire has devastated the building. The structure is unstable, and to add insult to injury, it took the firemen 30 mins to get to the scene. The Fire Chief claims they never received the alarm. He also informs Charley that the fire was an arson--and that she should key herself up for a criminal investigation.

In the midst of this Nova (Rutina Wesley) runs up on her family out of nowhere asking about the mill and their wellbeing. Unfortunately, she can't help but make the moment about her. Amid the destruction, she begs her siblings to meet her halfway. Ralph Angel simply looks at her uninterested while Charley reads her for filth. Charley and RA leave Nova standing there with the burnt mill in the background as they get into RA's truck.

At Vi's Prized Pies & Diner, Vi (Tina Lifford) has much of her fire back. As she eats her breakfast, Sam Landry walks through the doors like he owns the place. The two trade a few barbs back and forth and Vi tells Sam that he's crossed the line with the mill fire. Sam insists that it wasn't him but Vi has had enough--these two have a history. She tells him that she's calling in the favor he owes her and that he must end this war with her family. Sam looks shook.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: OWN.

'Queen Sugar' Won't Let The Bordelons Get A Break: Season 4 Episode 7 [Recap]

As is the theme with this season of Queen Sugar, "Of Several Centuries" opens with Nova (Rutina Wesley). This time the eldest Bordelon sibling is in Philadelphia to discuss her book and to be a guest on a Finding Your Roots-type television program called Legacies. Caught up in the whirlwind of pseudo-celebrity, a revelation completely jolts Nova. Legaciesproducers have uncovered something so shocking in the Bordelon family tree that Nova refuses to let it be publicly disclosed. However, she does discover rather happily, that her late mother has a living first cousin.

In St. Josephine, Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) is chatting with a St. Thomas councilwoman named Joyce. Joyce is the only woman on the city council and she 's not too keen on trusting or throwing her support behind Charley after reading Blessing & Blood. With plans for the highway still firmly in St.Josephine, Joyce knows that St. Thomas is bound to become a ghost town and tasks Charley with figuring out why the highway plans were moved from St. Thomas to St. Joesphine in the first place.

As for Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe), the Boudreauxes and Landrys are doing everything in their power to shutter RA's re-entry program. After planting drugs in RA's friend Benny's car, a police officer tampers with the cameras on the farm and threatens Ralph Angel's freedom. Later, RA calls his lawyer friend to try and help Benny.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

'Queen Sugar' Returns With A Bang, Literally: Season 4 Episode 6 [RECAP]

After a week-long hiatus, Queen Sugar has returned and things are only becoming more complicated for the Bordelons.

"By The Spit" opens with Nova (Rutina Wesley) in Atlanta for her book tour. Octavia Laurent (Cree Summer), her old professor, is by her side for emotional support and schmoozing. Nova seems to revel in Octavia's attention. She is finally allowing herself to be taken care of and she has no qualms about her luxe amenities, room service and champagne. However, things begin to shift for the women when Nova receives word that she's been shortlisted for the National Book Award for Blessing & Blood. Immediately, Octavia tries to downplay the prestige, which jilts Nova. She thinks the award may help her reconnect with her estranged family.

Later, during an interview with a publication about her novel, Nova is shaken when the journalist reveals that Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) is running for city council. As Nova sits and tries to process her thoughts Octavia highjacks the interview. It is becoming increasingly clear that she has ulterior motives.

Back in St, Josephine's parish, Blue (Ethan Hutchison) is still coming to terms about his parentage, as much as any kid can. Darla (Bianca Lawson) and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) are being supportive by allowing him to take the day off from school. However, Darla wants to be proactive about Blue's emotional wellbeing and urges RA to call in a counselor for Blue. Though Ralph Angel seems reluctant, he puts Blue's happiness over everything.

Later, a therapist sits with Blue and his parents to discuss his emotional state following the revelation that Ralph Angel is not his biological father. After speaking with all three of them, the therapist determines that Blue is handling everything well. She urges RA and Darla to write down some dreams they have for their son's future.

The next day, Blue seems to be in brighter spirits following his therapy appointment. Both Ralph Angel and Darla can take a deep breath for now but with this show, who knows what the future will hold.

Meanwhile, Charley was very serious about running for city council. With the support of Councilwoman Barrera, she's found a space for her headquarters. Romero (Walter Perez), Micah (Nicholas L. Ashe) and Mr. Prosper (Henry G. Sanders) have all gathered around her to help. With very little time before she announces her intent to run, Charley will be working overtime to get a real foothold in the community. Meanwhile, Romero, ever the gentlemen, wants to be sure Charley knows what she's up against. This might be a moot point as a woman named Genevieve from St. Thomas parish arrives to help Charley as her community also has a vested interest in making sure the highway does not get routed into St. Josephine. Genevieve's presence puts a pep in Mr. Prosper's step.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Skeletons Never Stay Buried: 'Queen Sugar' Season 4 Episode 5 [RECAP]

"Face Speckled" opens with Nova (Rutina Wesley) in New York for her book tour. As she has spilled everyone else's tea except her own, she is still being haunted by her past. She's been dreaming of her mama, her teenage self and the regal white outfit she wore to her father's funeral. Since her family has iced her out, Nova is going to be forced to deal with herself--one way or another.  Startled awake by her dreams--Nova makes a record of what she remembers on her bedside tape recorder. It appears that the eldest Bordelon sibling is also working on another project.

Back in St. Joseph parish--Darla (Bianca Lawson) is stricken by the horrors that Nova revealed in Blessing & Blood. She's barely functioning, ignoring her new bae, and allowing Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) to do the heavy lifting when it comes to parenting Blue (Ethan Hutchison). At the last hour, Darla begins to pray feverishly for a way forward.

At Vi's Prized Pies & Diner--Violet (Tina Lifford) seems to be getting a handle on things again. Though she's not quite back to her old self--her euphoric spirit is slowly seeping through. She's further delighted when Remy (Dondré T. Whitfield) comes sliding through her new place of business. (High-key we almost forgot he existed.) After his less than gentlemanly behavior with Nova and Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) last season, Remy has had to do some real soul searching. He tells Vi and Hollywood (Omar J. Dorsey) that his time in St. Joesph has run its course. With a packed lunch from Vi Remy looks like he's ready to embark on a new path.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Photo by Skip Bolen © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. / Courtesy of OWN

Violet, You In Danger, Girl: 'Queen Sugar' Season 4 Episode 3 [RECAP]

Season 4 episode 3 of Queen Sugar, "Where My Body Stops or Begins," chronicles the continued of the fallout over Nova's (Rutina Wesley) forthcoming memoir, Blessing & Blood, which drags up all of her family's secrets without permission. Her sister Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) and brother Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) were devastated by Nova sharing their lowest moments with the world in last week's episode, and this week, it's Aunt Violet's (Tina Lifford) turn to feel destroyed and betrayed by Nova's words. Without considering her aunt's feelings, Nova has drudged up Vi's past as a domestic violence survivor at the hands of Vi's ex-husband, Jimmy Dale (David Alan Grier). Vi buried that past some 30 years ago--and that's not Nova's dug up for her aunt, but we'll get to that later.

After spending the entire night reading Blessing & Blood cover to cover, despite Hollywood (Omar J. Dorsey) urging her not to, Vi is unsettled and exhausted. Not to mention, Nova hasn't returned any of her phone calls. Though Aunt Vi heads to Vi's Prized Pies & Diner, determined to press onward, her day is quickly cut short when she encounters the one person she wants to see least in the world, Jimmy Dale. He's come to town for who knows what and Vi is so terrified, she faints in his arms.

In the West/Bordelon household, Micah (Nicholas L. Ashe) and Charley are at odds. Micah has immersed himself into his aunt's book, and with the attitude that he's brought home with him from Paris, he and Charley can't seem to find any middle ground. All of Charley's worst fears about her son, especially his turning to Nova for guidance instead of her, are coming to fruition.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Skip Bolen © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. / Courtesy of OWN

The Past Catches Up To The Bordelons On 'Queen Sugar' Season 4 Episode 2 [RECAP]

"I No Longer Imagine," the second episode of the fourth season of Queen Sugar, opens right where the premiere left off.

After reading preview copies of Nova Bordelon's (Rutina Wesley) memoir, both of her siblings, Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe), are absolutely gutted that their sister has willingly and eagerly spilled their personal pain and secrets onto the page for the world to see. Though she's shaken, Charley goes into fixer mode, something she has mastered well following the implosion of her marriage to her NBA baller ex-husband Davis (Timon Kyle Durrett). As she frantically tries to gather the forces she needs to prevent the memoir from going to print, she's also avoiding a confrontation with her big sis.

Ralph Angel, on the other hand, has turned to rage. Nova, the sibling he was closest to, has put his darkest humiliation on display for the world to see, exposing not just him, but also his son Blue (Ethan Hutchison) and his ex, Darla (Bianca Lawson), who is recovering from addiction and just now finding her footing. Never one to back down from a fight, Ralph Angel confronts his eldest sister. But instead of the woman who has been there to embrace him and soothe his ailments as she has so many times before, what he finds his indignation and self-righteousness.

Aunt Vi's (Tina Lifford) focus is on her new business, Vi's Prized Pies & Diner. She is oblivious to the storms that are barreling right towards her. She is stable and content for the first time in her life, with a man so profoundly devoted to her that he tries to shield her from Blessing & Blood. However, Aunt Vi has never been a fool. After seeing the haunted looks on Hollywood (Omar J. Dorsey), Charley and Ralph Angel's faces, she knows that whatever ugly secrets of her own that Nova has decided to serve up to the masses are going to be gut-wrenching.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Skip Bolen © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. / Courtesy of OWN.

Truth And Betrayal Have The Same Face In The Season 4 Premiere of ‘Queen Sugar’

In the Season four premiere of Ava DuVernay's critically acclaimed, family drama Queen Sugar, under the ruse of revealing her truths—Nova Bordelon (Rutina Wesley) betrays her loved ones, shattering the safe, familial space that she’s been building with her brother Ralph-Angel (Kofi Siriboe), half-sister Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) and Aunt Vi (Tina Lifford) for the past several years, in the wake of her father’s sudden death.

Titled, "Pleasure Is Black," the premiere shows the Bordelons all in very different spaces than we've seen them previously. No longer weighed down by the pain of loss, struggle, or suffering, they are a thriving family with a sugar cane farm and mill, on the cusp of harvest season. Charley in particular, who has carried the weight of the world on her shoulders since season one seems lighter. Back at the helm of the Queen Sugar Mill, Charley is glowing from her summer romance with Romero (Walter Perez). Dewy and carefree, Romero and Charley have returned to St. Josephine from summer vacation, and they are teetering on the cusp of a full-blown love affair.

Aunt Violet and Hollywood (Omar J. Dorsey) have also returned home from their Thailand honeymoon. With an expanded palette and a slew of ideas running through her head, Vi is eager to open Vi’s Prized Pies & Diner. Her new business is a culmination of everything she’s worked so tirelessly for her entire life. Like his middle sister and aunt, Ralph Angel is also in a space of hope and anticipation, celebrating the end of his lengthy parole and the return of his freedom. RA and Darla (Bianca Lawson) have also found their rhythm when it comes to co-parenting their son, Blue (Ethan Hutchison).

Unfortunately, Nova brings a reckoning to them all. Having stayed quiet about the imminent release of her memoir, Blessing & Blood and the contents of it—Nova looks increasingly sick to her stomach as the book release date approaches, and her press tour begins. Though she sees her memoir as triumphant, she knows that her family won’t feel the same. Instead of offering her siblings and her aunt the opportunity to read her words prior to releasing the manuscript, Nova cowers, allowing the people she claims to love most in the world to be taken by surprise and thrust into a humiliating firestorm. For Charley, Ralph Angel, and Aunt Vi—Nova’s truth looks a lot like betrayal.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Images: Skip Bolen © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. / Courtesy of OWN.

Oprah Winfrey, Mara Brock Akil And Michele Weaver On 'Love Is__,' Heartache And Lessons Learned

Black women aren’t often given the opportunity to tell our love stories publicly. Instead, our courtships, regrets, and lustful encounters are whispered about amongst our girlfriends. Epic love stories -- the ones that we see in movie theaters or on TV screens are typically reserved for white women, while advice from male “relationship experts,” and unfounded statistics are strewn across social media platforms and news sites telling Black women all the reasons we can't find love. With her new romance series, Love Is__ writer/showrunner Mara Brock Akil is reclaiming the romance genre for Black women by sharing her own very intimate story – a tale of how she and her husband, writer/director Salim Akil fell deeply in love. Love Is__ follows Nuri (portrayed by Michele Weaver) a rising writer in '90s Black Hollywood whose settling into her career in LA, making a name or herself, and furnishing her newly purchased home. Her life collides with Yasir (portrayed by Will Catlett), an aspiring writer-director without two nickels to rub together. Told from the perspective of the couple 20 years in the future, with music from everyone from Brownstone to Lauryn Hill contributing to the soundtrack, Akil invites you into this exhilarating time in her life, one that was full of romance, heartache, and so much magic. At the Love Is__ premiere in Los Angeles, I chatted with Akil, OWN CEO Oprah Winfrey and Weaver about the series, the power of Black love, and what can grasp from heartache.

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Mara Brock Akil And Salim Akil Talk Their Seductive New Show 'Love Is ___' With Series Leads Will Catlett & Michele Weaver

Love stories were made for the screen. There is a magic that comes with falling, diving in head first, and allowing yourself to become connected and enraptured with another soul. In romance films, the audience is pulled under quickly, caught up in the first mesmerizing moments of desire and lust. However, television allows artists and audiences to unpack the nuances of love. We are able to suss out the grit and imperfections that come with entangling two lives together. The enchantment is still there obviously, but there is also space for the reality of it all, the past relationships, finances, and the grind of daily life. Set in Los Angeles in the 1990’s, married Hollywood dream team Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil -- who've brought us series like, Girlfriends, The Game, and Black Lightning, present Love Is__. A love story based loosely off of their relationship, the gorgeously shot drama follows Nuri (portrayed by Michele Weaver) and Yasir (portrayed by Will Catlett). Told from the perspective of the couple twenty years into the future, wiser Nuri (Wendy Davis) and Yasir (Clarke Peters) reflect on their initial spark. At different points in the lives and careers when they first meet, the pair sees something special in one another. When they first connect Nuri is a new homeowner with a coveted position in the writer’s room on a new black sitcom, Marvin. Yasir, on the other hand, is struggling in LA. A recent transplant from the Bay – he's an aspiring writer/director who is trying to make his last two unemployment checks stretch as far as possible. A week before the Love Is__ series premiere, I sat in the OWN offices in Los Angeles to chat with the Akils, Catlett, and Weaver about bringing the sexy and rich love story to the big screen, what it was like to reflect back on the ‘90s, and why seeing Black love on screen is so healing.

https://youtu.be/ZgRXkypO5_Y

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On 'Queen Sugar's Ralph Angel And The Nuances Of Black Fatherhood

n the canon of Black American television, Black fathers have been a staple – particularly on some of our most beloved sitcoms. From James Evans on Good Times to Phillip Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, these men have been the ultimate father figures for those of us who are deeply connected to our own fathers and for others who felt a paternal void. Despite varying economic statuses and levels of education, these men were pillars when it came to representing idyllic versions of Black nuclear families. They were was respectable, whole, and constant. After all, according to the CDC, Black dads who live with their children are actually the most involved fathers of any race. And yet, as much as we admire these characters, reciting classic lines, words of wisdom and reminiscing on our favorite scenes, these TV dads don’t look like the young Black fathers that we see on a daily basis. These are the young men pushing strollers down 116th street in Harlem or even styling their daughter’s hair on Instagram. Since networks and creators were so concerned about putting out a specific kind of Black image, they failed to pave the way for certain types of Black fathers to be seen on screen. These men look like our brothers, friends, or even the towering figures that have raised us. Though we’ve observed single Black fathers on TV before like Flex Washington on One on One, and even very involved fathers like on Kenny Chadway on Showtime’s Soul Food, Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar is the first time we've seen a single millennial Black father in a TV drama. Kofi Siriboe’s Ralph Angel is an anomaly on television. Stoic but loving, Ralph Angel is struggling to parent while trying to unravel his own identity as a Black man, father, ex-con, and landowner. His presence is very refreshing.

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Bianca Lawson talks embodying Darla ahead of reunion with parents on 'Queen Sugar' (EXCLUSIVE)

Bianca Lawson radiates on screen. Becoming Darla on the stunning OWN series Queen Sugar has been an exceptional gift for the actress. A veteran in the television and film industry, Lawson has been delivering stellar performances in everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the ever-popular Pretty Little Liars. On Queen Sugar – where she plays a young recovering addict, Darla who is trying to rebuild a life with her son Blue (Ethan Hutchison) and his father Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) — Lawson has had to expose herself in ways that she hasn’t ever had to previously. Infectiously effervescent, Lawson’s personality is very different from the quiet and anxious Darla. We spoke earlier this week, just a few days before the premiere of Darla’s much-anticipated reunion with her estranged parents. “There is something about this particular character, she's completely unlike anything else I've ever played — you have a really visceral experience with her," Lawson explained to me. “It's analytical for me. I think when I started acting it's something about feeling the security of hiding behind a character — and for her, I've had to actually reveal more of my true self. With Darla, there's something very interesting about her where the things that she's gone through even though I haven't gone through the exact same situations, I've had to process things about myself or confront things about myself or at least expose certain aspects of myself to do her justice. This has probably been the most personal character for me, and definitely, I'd say the most complex and intricately layered. I feel like she's made me a better actress. I feel like she's made me a more empathetic human.”

Accustomed to creating her own back-stories for her characters, Lawson was not aware of the complicated layers that shaped Darla’s past when she first read for the role. Embodying this young woman has brought forth an arresting fierceness not often seen on television – especially in a role that has historically been portrayed stereotypically. “Ava and I had a long call before I officially came on,” Lawson recalled. “She told me a little bit about her thoughts about the character, and why she wanted to write this character. She really wanted to tell the story of a young Black woman getting sober in a way that hadn't been done before — in a way that was more real and true to life. There’s a real loneliness in that journey.”

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