Source: Courtesy OWN / Oprah Winfrey Network
MADAMENOIRE had the chance to chat with the cast of Queen Sugar ahead of next week’s drama filled episode and it looks like season seven is already off to a juicy start. On episode 5, we saw a number of challenges come to a head for the Bordelon family from Micah’s scathing NFT project to Darla’s near relapse. While attending a special luncheon with the cast of the OWN drama series, we got the exclusive scoop on what this season has been like so far for the cast and what fans can expect as the storyline begins to crank up this season.
What’s happening to Micah this season?
Viewers were shocked when they discovered that the eldest Bordelon Charley, played by actress Dawn-Lyen Gardner, would not be returning for the seventh and final season. It felt odd given Charley’s pivotal role throughout the series. Some could argue that her character is needed now more than ever as her son Micah struggles to find his individuality as an artist and navigate life in college. Nicholas L. Ashe, who plays Micah on the popular series, spoke to us about developing his character in Charley’s absence.
“I always talk about Micah really mirroring my life experiences. I just lost my mom two years ago actually, and in her absence, I have been forced to navigate my manhood, my emotions, mental health and everything,” he shared.
“That again parallels the character. When you go to college, whether your parents are here or not, there’s a level of like ‘ok you’re on your own, figure it out’, and I feel like Micah is really navigating that and to be honest, he’s better for it. You don’t really know who you are until you leave the nest.”
We also see Micah confronted with a tricky situation in his professional life. He wants to excel as a digital artist and build his own legacy outside of his family’s fame, but selling one of the most embarrassing moments of his mother’s life as an NFT has landed him in hot water with family and internal turmoil with himself. How will the story unfold you ask? Without giving too many details away, Nicholas hinted:
“I think with any artist, especially in 2022, where there is so much media and such a social component to art, Micah is grappling with, do I stay true to a small audience or do I fabricate and elaborate on what might be true so I can reach the masses? He’s falling prey to the faster route, but I think long term, if anybody in this industry wants success, authenticity is meaningful.”
Bianca Lawson talks channeling Darla’s dark past
Ralph Bordelon’s wife Darla is confronted with a dark moment of her past. The mother of two received a call from Chase, the same man who sexually assaulted her years ago. Bianca Lawson, who plays the strong matriach, spoke about the challenge of channeling Darla’s pain in that emotional scene. Lawson, said she worked side by side the series show runner Shaz Bennett to peel back the traumatic layers of Darla’s past.
“We shot the front scene and in the back scene on different weeks. It’s weird because I’m an actor, but sometimes I get shy especially if I’m doing a scene or an emotion that I don’t normally do,” the actress shared.
“Shaz said well ‘why don’t you go in your room and even though we’re not shooting it, just kind of start screaming and then come in,’ which is crazy, but it really helped. We worked on it all day and Rutina was right there and so present. When you’re with people that are in it with you, it just makes it so much easier to take those kinds of emotional risks,” Lawson added.
If you watched episode 6, Chase seems to be calling Darla more frequently, but why is he so adamant about disrupting her life now as the family finally begins to gain some piece and clarity? We’ll be patiently waiting to find out.
Will there be a Queen Sugar spin-off after Season 7 ends?
OWN’s Queen Sugar will be wrapping up after this season. Ava DuVernay has done such a beautiful job of showing the power of family and legacy in the Black community. This season has also given a proverbial nod to a few unsung hero’s in Black history, like the Gullah Geechee people, who fought to preserve aspects of their unique African cultural heritage after they were brought to the lower Atlantic states during slavery. They created the ring shout, a distinct call and response ritual that some historians says heavily inspired the Blues genres.
“She’s a force,” said series show runner Shaz Bennett, who has worked closely with Ava to direct several episodes this season. “She expects and wants you to come to the table on 100 every day. We work well together.” Bennett applauded the awarded winning director for her ability to take real life issues and make them feel “personal” in each and every last character on the show. “It doesn’t feel like you’re learning a lesson. These are characters we love and we care about. It makes it feel so much deeper. She’s not a plot person, she’s a character person.”
We asked Shaz if there were any rumblings about a Queen Sugar spin off after the series comes to end. She didn’t say much but there have been some ideas floating on the table.
“I always wanted to do a story about the Bordelon’s but back when Aunt Vi and Ernest were teenagers,” she said with a big smile on her face. “I thought that would be kind of cool. Micah is also an interesting character because he’s in the future.”
There’s still so much more to come this season. Will you be watching? Catch “Queen Sugar” every Tuesday on OWN at 8 pm ET/PT.
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