Brought To You By Amazon Harlem
Get ready. Harlem is returning to Prime Video. The highly-anticipated second season of the hit series will drop this week on Feb. 3 starting with the first two episodes.
Harlem follows four Black women as they navigate their careers, friendships and romance while living in Harlem, New York. The series caught viewers’ attention with stunning costumes, fly hairstyles, gorgeous set design, art and a beautiful array of melanated people of all sizes and shapes—a masterclass in inclusivity. Make no mistake about it, Harlem is unapologetically Black AF.
While we wait for the new season to arrive, let’s rewind and revisit Season 1.
Camille
The show opens up with an introduction to Camille, a hot Ivy League professor played by actress Meagan Good.
She finds out that her fine young student, Malik, wants to “submit” to her—and we’re not talking essays. Her girlfriends convince her to give him a try, but her cougar phase ends abruptly when Malik throws his legs up in the air and tells Camille to “take control”—of his bootyhole. No judgment! But sis wasn’t ready, willing or able.
Camille‘s ex Ian (Tyler Lepley) returns to town. She tries to dodge him, but is forced to face Ian at a friend’s engagement party, where she confesses that she’s still in love with him…and finds out he’s engaged.
Determined to move on, the heartbroken professor meets a new beau, Jameson (Sullivan Jones). But apparently, the D was so bomb that it made her late for a very important meeting with her department chair Dr. Pruitt (Whoopi Goldberg), who denies Camille’s application for tenured professorship.
Will Camille take a chance on her new man or spin the block on her engaged ex? Will her entanglements blow up her career?
Source: Courtesy / Prime Video
Tye
Tye (Jerrie Johnson) is the queer tech entrepreneur and the creator of “Q”, a dating app for LGBTQ+ people of color. But her sharp business savvy doesn’t translate to her dating life: Tye tends to date attractive women who aren’t the brightest crayons in the box. Her friends think her control issues are to blame. After being called out on her questionable dating choices, she decides to step up her game. She has a short-lived relationship with the gorgeous entrepreneur, Shayla. The pair clash when they realize their “take charge” personalities were way too similar.
The tech genius is invited to do an interview with Forbes, where she realizes that the reporter is a former one-night stand. The women begin dating; this is the first time Tye has openly dated a white person.
Although she has been experiencing severe menstrual cramps, Tye relies on ibuprofen and workaholism to push through the pain—until she collapses. The mogul has been suffering from fibroids and her condition worsens. Her friends advocate for her when an aloof doctor doesn’t seem to give a damn about Tye’s well-being.
This is also when the ladies find out that Tye has a whole husband. She married him in college when she was still in the closet. This health scare prompts Tye to locate her estranged husband so she could divorce him. Brotherman is still salty about being abandoned and knows his wife has a thick bank account now.
This is going to get messy.
Source: Courtesy / Prime Video
Quinn
Quinn (Grace Byers) is a fashion designer and boutique owner. We say “owner” loosely—her wealthy parents reluctantly foot the bill to keep her struggling business afloat and to cover the exorbitant rent of her swanky all-pink apartment.
Her mother Patricia (Jasmine Guy) is growing tired of funding her daughter’s dreams and encourages her to get a real job—and a husband. The hopeless romantic peruses dating apps regularly in pursuit of Mr. Right. But her discernment is lacking, as she constantly finds herself in entanglements with catfish, scammers and fuck boys. One date stole her purse and left her stranded on Long Island until her bestie Angie came to rescue her.
Her dating luck changes when she meets Shawn (Robert Ri’chard), a male stripper she met on a girl’s night out. Shawn was supposed to be a no-strings-attached bed buddy, but stripper bae wants more from Quinn. She finds it difficult to get past the fact that he’s a stripper—with a son.
Per her mother’s wishes, Quinn spends time with Isabela (Juani Feliz). Mama Patrica thinks that the accomplished Isabela will be a good influence on her fashion-designer daughter. What Mama Patrica doesn’t know is that Isabela is gay and sparks are starting to fly between her and Quinn.
Whew chile.
We can’t wait to see which way Quinn will go in Season 2.
Source: Courtesy / Prime Video
Angie
The free-spirited, sexually-liberated aspiring singer is incredibly talented—and equally unmotivated. This is probably because she’s been living rent-free in Quinn’s parent-sponsored apartment ever since her record deal flopped.
Enabled by her bestie, Angie often talks about relaunching her singing career, but never makes any moves. She turns down a job singing in a lounge because it’s beneath her—broke people have the most audacity. Quinn tells Angie to get her shit together, so Angie finds herself a gig at an open mic night.
The open mic event pays off, when a producer in the crowd offers her a role in Get Out, The Musical. Angie lands a starring role in the musical but is almost fired when she confronts a white castmate about making lowkey racist comments. When confronted, the actress cried Karen tears and Angie was forced to apologize or lose her job. Many of us could relate to her angry tears in that moment.
Angie invites the girls out to watch the dress rehearsal, and they’re excited to see their talented friend in her element. Much to their dismay, the play is horrible. The friends grapple over whether they should be honest or supportive. Before opening night, the play is abruptly shut down with no explanation. Angie finds herself jobless again.
Will Camille get her man back, or will Ian go through with marrying his fiancée?
Will Tye have a smooth divorce? (We’re not banking on it.)
Will Quinn take a dip in the lady pond in Season 2? Or will she become Mrs. Stripper Bae?
And will Angie finally get her act together and land more singing gigs?
We shall soon find out.
Source: Courtesy / Prime Video
Get your snacks ready, the wait is almost over. Season 2 of Harlem drops on Prime Video February 3rd, 2023.
