So Grace finally agrees to preach while Bishop is out of town. Bishop is the king of Planet Greenleaf, so he simply, more like outright, told her she ain’t got a choice since he’ll be out of town. Gracie’s not feeling it, but brokers a deal in the process…. She agrees to take the pulpit the coming Sunday IF she can start a support group for sexual abuse survivors.  Lady Mae thinks the group is an affront to her and to Bishop. One survivor who joined the Sisters of Tamar group is also being physically abused by her husband. Grace tries to get her to leave him but the woman, Stacy, grew up without a father and refuses to let her daughters to grow up without theirs.

Jacob attempts to salvage his self-worth after Bishop told him he has no place

Meanwhile, Jacob attempts to salvage his self-worth after his daddy told him he has no place at the church. [Hot dang… that still stings to me, and Jacob ain’t even real!] So he links up with a man who is part of a Christian network to see about getting Bishop some television airtime.  And guess who’s coming to dinner? The exec and his wife. This couple hints (not so subtly) their enjoyment of swings… and not of moods or playground equipment.   They invite Jacob and Kerissa for a romp at their rustic pad in the woods. Looks like this other couple has a thought-out arrangement.  Who knows, they may even have real swings to swang at their little cabin in the woods.

Lady Mae continues to bat for Jacob, asking Bishop to reinstate him. She hints at some past indiscretion of his, but doesn’t go into it.

Cut to Kevin as he swipes through photos of men on a smartphone dating app, while Charity is struggling over a stack of resumes–candidates to fill the minister of music slot.  After a difference of artistic opinion, the previous director hinted that he’d have more artistic freedom at Triumph Church. So Charity encouraged him to bounce.

Back to the resume pile.  Kevvie tells Charity  not to think too hard about it. Just put the “maybes” in one pile, the “nevers” into another and keep it moving. “Like one of those dating apps?” Charity asks. Only she doesn’t know her hubby’s looking at such an app right under her nose.

Charity’s hire is excited about the job, but reveals he’s openly gay. Carlton informs her up front because he didn’t want anyone to be surprised because he’s planning to bring his partner to church. He says he wasn’t up front with his previous employer and trouble found him when they found out about his partner.  Charity is in his corner from the start.

Lady Mae’s interactions with Grace are the sweetest acid

So…Lady Mae visits Grace’s suite in the mansion… I could tell the interaction would be laced with drama. Her mom’s look toward her daughter is always steely—smiling yes, but no tenderness carried with it. Lady Mae told her she’s putting her trust in Grace as she preps for the big day in the pulpit… followed by her hopes that Grace would use the opportunity for “institutional purposes” and not to verbally chastise the family in public…. maybe she suspects Grace will blast them about Uncle Mac molesting  Faith?

To that,  Gracie replies, “Momma…Do you love me at all?”  [I’ve been wondering that myself]. All Lady Mae’s interactions with Grace are the sweetest acid. Lady Mae always has an agenda… her interactions never seem to be straightforward when dealing with folks, especially Grace. I’m trying to figure out why. She did say she loves Grace, and Bishop and the church. Maybe she’s just trying to protect everyone from scandal. But it still seems she has a beef against her oldest child that seems to go beyond abuse accusations against Uncle Mac.

Episodic observations:
The church has real, live gay people attending each week who LOVE Jesus. Let me repeat—Christian churches have real, live gay congregants who LOVE Jesus.  Greenleaf, I think, is subtly showing  how progressive some minds can be–even in some Christian churches, some which aren’t always known as receptive to openly gay individuals and/or couples.  But some of those same churches will gladly suction up the time and talent of gay musicians, as long as they ensconce their gayness in a corner, alcove… or closet.

Loving the one you’re with

In addition to the physical abuse/domestic abuse storyline in this episode, is another thread about spousal appreciation and the idea of ownership. When Jacob learned Kerissa would be willing to swing to advance Jacob’s status at Calvary, all of a sudden he again became interested in her as a sexual being. His reason? He doesn’t want another man touching her. “Because you’re mine,” he says.

I was tempted to be like “Awwww… Jacob’s come back around to wifey!” But that didn’t last for long because I noticed no love in that statement of ownership. He just didn’t want another man fiddling with his wife. Now that someone else is interested, he’s all in again.  Funny thing… seems he’s treating Kerissa like a body. Didn’t he just complain about that in a previous episode?  Wack, Jacob. You got one point for  un-cheating on your wife, but I snatch-eth it  back, homie.

*Don’t count on catching Greenleaf full episodes. They’ve been raptured to OWN’s glory.  Not sure when they’ll be available again online or on demand.

If something happens in public, best believe there is another story that’s playing out… behind closed doors.

Episode 4 figures a way to address current events such as reactions to police shootings of unarmed black people and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The mayors office approaches Bishop Greenleaf about hosting a “Back the Blue” tribute during church one Sunday. Bishop isn’t inclined to speak out for or against the shooting of an unarmed teen boy, so the mayor’s rep sweetened the deal. With land…

Episode 4 figures a way to address and weave current events such as police shootings of unarmed black people and the Black Lives Matter movement and weaves it into the fabric of the Greenleaf family’s lives and political dealings.

So back to the land, which could be on the table for Calvary…  If they publicly show support for the local police department, it’s implied the land would be made available for purchase.  Bishop hasn’t seen enough of a compelling reason to jump into the controversy surrounding Officer David Nelson, even though Nelson is one of his congregants. But adding land to expand and build a community center? That’s a different story, so Bishop considers being the one black church in Memphis to declare support for the police department. Basie Skanks of Triumph church has outspoken against the shooting and police brutality while Calvary church remains silent.  Should they or shouldn’t they back the blue? Uncle Mac reminds Bishop “Basie Skanks ain’t got no pool.”

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So therapy dollars aren’t being wasted, exactly. Jacob is being more open. Just not with his wife.

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Cheater and the Shrew

Kerissa and Jacob go to therapy… Kerissa doesn’t want a divorce. Jacob doesn’t answer that question when the therapist asked him if he wants a divorce. A communicative one, he is. Therapist gathers Jacob still wants to stay married but they need to figure out how they will relate to each other. So they start getting to the nitty-gritty… Jacob’s other women.  But Jacob’s expressive words are all folded and put away deep in his mental drawers.  The therapist asked why he cheats… that fool don’t even know. Or maybe he does, but we sure don’t find out.

Continue reading No matter what’s visible, there’s always another story →

So the season finale has come and gone, but I’m still writing these episode recaps… because I want to… and because I have to get them all done before Queen Sugar starts in a couple of weeks!  You can also get episode recaps straight from OWN.

Noah invites Grace to dinner. Isabel asked him to ask Gigi. It’s Izzy’s effort to get know her fiancee’s old flame. Interesting scene. It’s evident Izzy ain’t having Grace, even though she’s properly proper. Her shade seeps through admiration’s guise when she learns Grace quit her TV job to move back to Memphis. “I wish I could be that recklessly impulsive…” she starts. If Isabel actually liked Grace, maybe she would have said “I admire your spontaneity! I wish I were more like that!” Izzy’s eye is on that sparrow… and I knooooowww she’ll-be-watch-ing-Grace like a hawk.in.the.sky…

Spidey sense says…
Charity and Kevin go to karaoke.  Two men who appear gay sent over two drinks to their table after Kevin sang a warble-laden version of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour.” I think the two dudes spotted a kindred spirit who don’t yet know he’s kindred.

Charity downs too many drinks and when she stumbles home with Kevin she insists on taking a pregnancy test with her drunk tail. Kevin even holds the stick while she pees… What a cute couple!

And guess what? It’s positive. They’z pregnant now!

Unreal moments…
Zora and Sophia attend this lock-in at Calvary church.Here’s what struck me as unrealistic. After Zora conferred with a friend while the other kids kept watching a movie, then came back and asked Sophia if she wanted to get high. Puhhhlease! Who, outside of a 1980s sitcom character, is really going to ask that? It seems far-fetched… not the fact that some teens actually got high at this church lock-in… That doesn’t surprise me one bit. The fact Zora didn’t say “Hey, old-boy got some weed…you coming?” or even “We’re going outside for some fresh air… you coming?” She was all straight up about it… but then again, these are supposed to be truthful churchy kids honoring their maker in all they do. They’re not supposed to lie, so I guess it’s reasonable for Zora to be upfront when inviting her cousin to smoke what came from their maker’s earth. (Sidebar disclosure: I’ve never been high, and I don’t recall anyone ever asking me if I wanted to get high… So my knowledge base on weed invites isn’t expansive.)

Continue reading Dinner & realizations, drunkenness & pregnancy tests, denial, threats & revelations unsealed in Greenleaf episode 3 →