We're back at it later tonight with another episode this week, and of course we're all wondering: Are Ralph Angel and Darla still engaged?
But before we get to that, Charley is helping Nova find something to wear for her TV appearance. Charley encourages her sister to buy something new, then hints she might want to buy some lingerie for her new beau. Nova confides in her that she's a little nervous about how fast things are moving between her and Robert, especially because they're working together. Later, while Nova goes shopping for her appearance and Robert calls her and questions why the publicist has her booked in an Atlanta hotel for their appearance instead of staying at Robert's house, Nova gets all awkward and just hangs up, and it's clear Robert has caught on that something is up with her.
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Ralph Angel and Darla are still together for now, at least, and Ralph is studying for an Agricultural farming class before they head into their first couple's counseling session at the church. The pastor asks each if they've seen their parents fight; Darla admits her mother basically would just follow what her father said, while Ralph Angel has a more romanticized idea of marriage because he used to see his parents kissing all the time before his mom died when he was 10. The pastor tells them they haven't seen, up close, the model of the kind of partnership they seek, so they both have some work to do and he's going to give them homework.
Violet is ready to send off the paperwork for the contracts for the grocery store to stock her pies, but Hollywood asks if she's sure, considering that the doctor told her to slow down because she might have fibromyalgia. Ah, so that screen we saw last week of Violet researching the illness wasn't just a hint. But Violet is not having any of that slowing-down mess; she's already figuring out how to bake her pies in bulk. Later, though, when Hollywood sees her hand cramping up and expresses his concern, Violet brings him to the bedroom so she can show him there ain't nothin' to worry about. Okay Aunt Vi!
Charley is giving her mother, Lorna, and Remy a tour of the Queen Sugar harvest festival site; her mother is, predictably, critical of her decision to throw a party without much return on her investment. But while Mama Lorna is in town, she's making the rounds and goes to meet Micah's girlfriend, Keke. At lunch, she explains that she met Charley's father at the army base in San Diego where she was working as a secretary, before she worked her way up in the private sector. Lorna's now retired and traveling the world on her own, she says. Keke sweetly talks about saving money for her someday travel fund, while Micah's grandmother brags about the travels they've already taken together. Poor Keke.
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Charley and Lorna then meet up for some golfing (clearly a hobby that comes from her mom's side of the family). Lorna brings over Martin, who's coincidentally golfing nearby and is also in the sugar business. He also happens to have 20 acres of land, and even though he's distantly related to the Landrys, apparently, he says he doesn't work with them because they refuse to give him a family discount because he's a black sheep. Charley seems suspicious, but intrigued.
Back at Charley's house, Nova walks in and unexpectedly sees Charley's mother, who awkwardly tries to extend her condolences about her father's passing. But Nova says she chooses not to wade through all the pain Lorna has caused her family. Lorna finally reveals the truth: That Nova's mom and Ernest had actually been broken up already when she met him, that Nova's mother Trudy — who'd never married Ernest — had sent him away to California after their breakup. Neither of them knew that Trudy was already pregnant with Nova. Charley and Nova are both overflowing with tears here, because there have been so many secrets that caused a rift between the sisters over the years. But, like everything else on this show, it turns out there was more to the story.
Ralph Angel seems to be doing well in his class, taught by Remy, but when Remy challenges him on an answer, Ralph Angel calls him out after for trying to make him look dumb. Remy explains that it was a critical thinking exercise, but RA clearly takes it personally. Back with Darla, she reminds him that they need to do their communication exercise later this week, but when Ralph makes a joke that it just sounds like a game for Blue, she gets upset. Remy then walks in, and when Darla mentions he's in a mood, he goes straight to Ralph and reminds him that he's only looking out for him and he needs to stop thinking the world is against him.
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Hollywood invites over Will, one of his construction site workers to watch a football game. When Violet gets home, she's clearly surprised to see this white man in her house, and she admits as much when he leaves. Hollywood is upset that Vi is not-so-lowkey being racist, and she blames it on generational differences, but Hollywood ain't havin' none of that.
Nova then comes over with some um, medication for Violet's aching hands. Violet tells Nova she doesn't like the fact that Hollywood had a white friend at the house, just like she don't want Charley's white mama Lorna in her home either. Nova finally straight up asks her if the reason she didn't like her over the years was because Lorna was white, but Violet says she just doesn't care for her — that she would act like she owned Ernest and was better than him. But Nova wants to know for real what happened between Charley's mother and her father, because she's been hating on Lorna all these years because of the way Violet feels about her, but she never really knew for sure what happened — or how she should feel about her herself. She starts challenging Violet (finally!) on what really went down, and Violet reveals that yes, Trudy wanted to explore at one point in her relationship with Ernest, but that everyone knew Trudy and Ernest were really meant to be together.
Then, Violet confirms that Trudy did break up with Ernest and sent him to California, where he married Charley's mom Lorna. And when Ernest returned to Trudy to ask for her back — while she was pregnant with Nova — she denied him. This is all a very different story than the Lorna-is-a-white-homewrecker story Nova has heard her whole life, so Nova says she thinks it's finally time she gets to know Lorna herself to make up her own mind.
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Violet heads over to Charley's house, where Lorna is alone waiting for her daughter before they head to dinner. Violet is awkward at first, but then admits seeing Lorna makes her think about Ernest more than she's ready to right now. Lorna says she can relate — she really did love him and never meant to hurt anybody. It finally looks like maybe Lorna isn't going to be the wicked witch of the west anymore.
Hollywood is at a bar with his friend Will watching the game (I guess he's not taking him over to the house anymore...) when someone from the construction site comes over to tell him that they're going bring them on contract for another job — now that Sam Landry's been brought on as a client, they have more business. But Hollywood says he can't do it. He won't say why, but obviously we know off-screen that it's because of the whole Landry/Bordelon family drama. This is gonna get ugly.
The end of this episode is super sweet: Ralph Angel blindfolds Darla for their communication exercise, directing her around the house without her being able to see. Next, we see Nova on the couch at Robert's house in Atlanta — she used her key! Nova admits that she doesn't want to let the potential of this relationship fall apart like it once did for her parents. She's tired of trying to figure out how this ends — she wants to just enjoy it. And then the two embrace, and Nova finally looks like she's ready to accept love — real love! Yas, girl!
I can't wait to see what's next for these two. Until then...