Queen Sugar

Previously on "Queen Sugar"...

Ernest giving you this farm was the best thing

that could have happened to you.

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

When you get to town,

I want you to use these to let yourself in.

Won't have you upsetting Nova,

who just lost her daddy for the second time

after you stole him the first time.

What about Keke Raymond?

Miss Raymond isn't Sugar Princess material.

Premarital counseling.

I ain't down with no counseling, Darla.

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

I can't marry you.

Thank you for doing this.

Between the mill and your planning the festival,

I... I didn't think you'd have time.

- No wonder you're overwhelmed. - Yeah.

And the network has all these rules

about what won't work on camera,

so I figure you're the expert?

Is...

is this neutral enough?

Well, my motto when I go in front of a camera,

"Don't step into the spotlight

looking like you're trying to fade into the background."

But if you show too much skin,

no one is gonna hear what you're saying.

- Please, just find me something. - Okay.

Let's see.

You need to go shopping.

I know you're not insulting my wardrobe.

Definitely not.

I'm saying that you're gonna be on air.

Your words are gonna be broadcast to millions of people.

It's important,

so go out and treat yourself to something special.

- You're right. - Usually am.

Mmm, and while you're spending some money,

get somethin' that your doctor friend hasn't seen before.

I mean, it's special for him, too, right?

What?

Last time he was in town,

he gave me a key to his place.

And that's a bad thing?

I don't know.

I do know I definitely hadn't been thinking

about giving him a key to mine.

You feel like it's moving too fast?

It's less about the speed than where it's going.

I've always been able to see the end at the beginning, you know?

- This... - I get it.

It's scary.

Especially since the two of you aren't just dating.

I mean, your careers are intertwined now.

I know from experience how tricky that is.

Trying to figure out where to go for vacation,

and suddenly you're fighting about whether to take an endorsement deal

with Nike or Under Armour,

for instance.

And things only get harder

if your relationship is public,

and a hungry press wants to feed off of it.

So what do I do?

You don't let that key

move you in a direction

that you're not comfortable going.

It's okay to be cautious.

Mm-mmm. Mm-mmm.

Malcolm's mom called,

asked if Blue's play-date with Malcolm tomorrow could be a sleepover.

That's fine.

You know, auditing a class means you don't get a grade, right?

I know.

But everybody else already been there for a month.

I don't want to slow nobody down.

I'm proud of you for taking that class.

And for taking ours.

Thank you.

You make it sound like I'm doing you a favor.

So does that mean you do or don't want to go to the session?

It means I want to marry you.

Now, in your questionnaires, you both ranked

communication as your biggest concern?

We need to learn how to fight fair

when we disagree.

- Yeah. - It's a problem.

We... we can help with that.

Now, did your parents fight a lot?

I never... never saw them fight.

Okay, so they were a team?

My father was in charge.

Okay. And your...

your mother never had a difference of opinion?

Um...

if she did, she'd never admit it.

Okay. And how about your parents?

Did they argue?

My mama died when I was 10.

I just remember being embarrassed

'cause they was kissing all the time.

So you have a romanticized idea

of marriage.

This is good.

It's good to know that neither of you have seen

up close in your own home

the model for the partnership that you seek.

Here's what I propose.

You'll both need to do some homework

before we can schedule your time.

Okay.

- Mornin'. - Hey, baby.

I need you to, um,

drop this in the mailbox for me on your way to work.

Okay?

Please?

Those the contracts for the Rawlings market?

Uh-huh.

And you signed them?

Well, sending it back without a signature

would be wasting the postage.

No, I meant, are you sure about this?

The doctor says you need to slow down.

The doctor said I might have fibromyalgia.

She's not sure.

I'm sure those doggone kids' fightin'

had me stressed out.

Now that they all at peace,

I'm not about to let some mights and maybes

chase off this opportunity,

especially when it it comes with a $50,000 advance.

Well, it look like you done spent the check before they even cut it.

Yeah, well...

I got to figure out how to adjust my recipes to bake bulk.

So you saying there's gonna be pie when I get home.

Maybe.

Maybe a bunch of failures.

Well, you can save those, too.

Mm-hmm.

Let me get a taste.

I'll give you a second opinion.

So this stretch will be all food booths.

Sweet glazed ribs, cotton candy.

Anything with sugar.

Mm. And plenty of deep-fried stuff, too, right?

I'm all for reviving this tradition,

but you gotta revive all of it.

The band will play there

until we crown the Brown Sugar Queen.

And we'll put carnival rides

over there.

I mean, what's a festival without a Ferris wheel, right?

Oh, this is gonna be the biggest party

St. Jo has ever seen.

And you're paying for it.

Well, my mill is an economic engine in this community.

Your mill is a risk with no potential growth,

unless you can find farmers with more acres.

You have to prioritize repaying your loan,

unless you also want to be the first female grower to declare bankruptcy.

Really, ask yourself if throwing a party

that brings absolutely no return on investment

is really the best use of your money.

Some things are more important than money, Mother.

The Landrys and the Boudreauxs can't dictate

what has value and what doesn't

in this community forever.

I mean, this is about black folks standing for themselves.

You can understand that, right?

Yes, of course, I do.

But I just don't want to see you

take on such a daunting project

when you are already dealing with so much between Micah and the mill.

I'm just here to help.

I know.

I know that you are,

but trying to talk me out of it isn't helping.

I love this little dream.

And I'm gonna make it a reality.

Okay?

- Wow. - Yeah.

It's so strange seeing Mr. Ernest that young.

- Yeah. - And your grandmother,

she looks so worldly.

Yeah, well, you know she's been to every continent, right?

Really?

Mm-hmm. Yeah, for her work.

What does she do?

I don't... something, like, with an energy company.

Something like that.

Vice President of Outreach and Engagement.

But I started as a secretary.

And that is where I met your grandpa,

on the base in San Diego.

Well, thank you for coming.

Oh, yeah.

Grandma, I really want you to meet my girlfriend,

- Keke. - Hi.

It is so lovely to meet you.