Queen Sugar Round Table: How Hot Is Ralph Angel?

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If you need more Sugar, you’ve come to the right place.

Our TV Fanatics Lee, Jasmine, Jenn, and Christine O. are here to debate whether the prostitute could have been raped, if Charley should have told Micah the truth, and if Ernest intended for his children to keep the farm.

And with #RalphAngel trending on Twitter, we all rate his level of hotness and discuss whether working full time and running the farm is an impossible task after Queen Sugar Season 1 Episode 3.

Does the fact that the woman accusing the basketball players of rape was a prostitute mean that Davis is innocent?

Lee: Hell no! Just because she is a sex worker does not mean she has automatically consented to have any and all sex. She still has the right to choose who she has sex with, how and when. And considering that she looked mighty unconscious while she was being carried into that hotel room, I doubt she was able to choose to do anything.

And the inability to say no does not automatically mean yes; that holds true even if the woman is a prostitute. It looks like Queen Sugar plans on exploring some thorny – and timely – issues around what it means to consent with this storyline, and I think that’s great.

Jasmine: Absolutely not. I agree with Lee. Unfortunately, many sex workers are victims of sexual assault because of the assumption that their occupation precludes them from saying no.

Jenn: It could mean Davis is innocent of rape, but he is still a cheater. I also agree with Lee and Jasmine that just because she is a prostitute doesn't mean she wasn't raped. Calling her a prostitute to cover up rape would be the prefect scapegoat for the team. 

Christine:  She could definitely have still been raped. Was she? We don’t know. What we do know is that Davis is far from innocent. Even if he wasn’t involved in rape, he cheated on Charley with a prostitute. And I couldn’t believe it when he tried to convince Charley that this was his first and only time. Oh please.  

Should Charley have told Micah that although Davis claims it wasn’t rape, he admitted to having sex with the prostitute?

Lee: I think so. Not only is he old enough to understand what’s going on, he’ll likely find out soon enough anyway. We’ve already seen him watching paparazzi news videos of his father on his phone, so what’s the likelihood that he’s going to be able to go much longer without hearing about this latest development?

However, I can also understand why Charley might decide that it was Davis’ duty to tell him about this indiscretion. He did the dirty deed, and now he needs to do the dirty work of telling the truth about it to those closest to him.

Jasmine: Yes. Not only is he old enough to know the truth, but they are in the public eye. He's going to hear all sorts of things, it's best that he finds out from his parents. Great lesson for consent. More young men need to learn about it early.

Jenn: I don't think Charley should have told Micah. I think it’s his dad's story to tell. Plus, Charley doesn't know all the facts to even begin to tell Micah anything. I think Davis should be the one to sit his son down and explain himself like a man. 

Christine: I’m torn on this one. Micah’s old enough to know the truth but who wants to tell their son that his father is sleeping with prostitutes? I’d hope that Davis would tell Micah before he hears about it elsewhere.

Do you think that Ernest still expected his children to keep the farm, even after he stopped planting crops?

Lee: Ernest may have stopped planting crops, but it doesn’t sound like he had any plans to get rid of the land. He might have wanted to hold onto to it for other reasons, if only for the fact that it is the Bordelon family legacy.

As Remy points out to Charley at the farmers’ meeting, many of the Black farmers in the parish do not own their own land. In the deep American South, where Black people were considered property (and unable to lay claim to any property of their own) for so long, the land owned by the Bordelons is more than just a farm: it’s a symbol of how far they’ve come and how hard they and others before them worked to get there.

Jasmine: Definitely. Everything Remy told Charley regarding black farmers and the rarity of ownership rings true. It's more than a farm. It's their legacy.

Jenn: I think Ernest still thought the children would keep the farm. If he didn't, I feel like he would have sold it himself. I think in the coming episodes we will learn just how many generations have had that land. I hope we also learn how the family came to own the land.

Christine: If he didn’t want his kids to continue the legacy, I’d guess he would have sold it himself. I too, hope to find out more about the history of that land.  

Can the plan for the farm work with Charley going back to L.A., Nova working at the paper, and Ralph Angel having to keep a 40 hour a week job at the warehouse?

Lee: Something is definitely going to have to give in order for the farm to work. I think that despite her repeated assurances that she’s flying back to Los Angeles soon, Charley will stay in Louisiana. Either that, or she’ll initially go back, then realize that there’s nothing left for her in Los Angeles, and come back with a change of heart.

I really, really hope that Ralph Angel doesn’t have to sacrifice his job, considering how important it is that he present a pay stub to his parole officer. His first priority should be working full time so that he can provide for Blue. Then, once he is on steadier footing, he can help out with the farm.

Jasmine: Charley's final words to Yosemite Sam, along with that smirk, tells me she's not going anywhere. There will be obstacles, but the Bordelon siblings will stick together and make it work.

Jenn: I think Charley is going to get those farmers (including her new boo) to help Ralph Angel. I think she will need to spend more time at the farm to get things off the ground. It will be hard doing business in LA because she now has so many distractions. Nova may need to choose between the paper and her families legacy.

Christine: I think they’re putting Ralph Angel in an almost impossible position. Working 40 hours and trying to get the farm up on its feet are going to test his limits. He’s going to need help and I hope he finds it before all of those good intentions fall apart. 

“Ralph Angel” was trending on Twitter. On a scale of 1 to 10, how smoking hot is Ralph Angel?

Lee: On a normal day? A 9 – a point taken off for some of his bad life choices, which I don’t find very attractive. But in that crisp white funeral suit on Queen Sugar Episode 2? He was a 10 for sure.

On a related note: I absolutely loved the wardrobe for the funeral scene at the end of episode two, with all of the (already gorgeous) Bordelon family clad in bright white. It wasn’t just the color that I loved. I also appreciated how each family member’s choice of outfit reflected their personal style and attitude, from Nova’s long lacy dress to Charley’s badass cape.

It might sound superficial, but Queen Sugar’s wardrobe crew has done an overall excellent job of dressing its characters in ensembles that feel reflective of their individual personalities and lifestyles. It really makes the characters feel real and relatable.

Jasmine: Holy hotness! Definitely a 10. Eleven in the white funeral suit.

Jenn: Ralph Angel is an 11 period. In every scene. But when he showed up at Darla's place, he climbed to a 15. That man is fine.

Christine: I’m going with Lee on this one and giving him a 9. He is incredibly handsome, and his emotions practically pour out of every fiber of his being, but he has made a lot of stupid, reckless choices. But the man has such potential, I really hope he pulls it all together. 

What was your favorite quote or scene from “Thy Will Be Done”?

Lee: The scene between Nova and Too Sweet in the prison was very powerful. Queen Sugar is definitely not shying away from dealing with serious topics, including how the American justice system frequently treats young black men as though they’re automatically criminals as a result of their race. Not all television shows have to raise awareness of important social issues, but the ones that do, and do it right, deserve to be recognized for it.

I really want to believe that Too Sweet is innocent, and that Nova can help him and others like him get the justice they deserve. Nova is, to me, the most interesting character on the show, and the one that still feels the most like an enigma after three episodes. I hope we get see more of what makes her tick soon.

Jasmine: I thought Nova's speech to the kid was the most poignant and powerful moment of the episode too. So I'll choose Ralph Angel breaking down. I love any show that acknowledges that men cry, and it doesn't make then less masculine for doing so.

Jenn: My favorite scene was the siblings going to see Sam Landry, and Nova saying "Did you hear that?" Landry low balling them was an important scene to see. I think this showed the siblings what they have is special and not something just to sell.

Christine: Ralph Angel getting the job. It’s just a warehouse job, but the mere fact that somebody was willing to give him a chance just meant the world to him. He was thrilled just to get paid to stack boxes. 

Can’t get enough Sugar? Then check back here on Wednesday night for our review of Queen Sugar Season 1 Episode 4 here at TV Fanatic. 

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.

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Queen Sugar Season 1 Episode 3 Quotes

Breaking you down, that's how they get you to take a plea for something you didn't do.

Nova

The land is a choice. If it's not you're all's choice, then there's no shame in feeling that way.

Violet