great television

“The Book of Negroes”

Unfortunately, BET’s miniseries “The Book of Negroes” did not get as much fanfare as say the “Love and Hip Hop”, “Real Housewives”, or “Bad Girls Club” franchises. I have to admit the only reason I heard about it was because I watch “Being Mary Jane” and “The Game”.

For those of you who have never heard of it, “The Book of Negroes” is a 3 part miniseries based on the true life of Aminata Diallo, an African woman who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery.  What is unique about Aminata is that she wrote The Book of Negroes, a ledger of free Blacks that lived in New York, most of which sailed to Nova Scotia to escape the injustices of America.  Aminata was an educated woman who was not afraid to back down from anyone.  In a time when slaves were to “know their place”, she demanded respect.

This miniseries is one of the best things I have seen on television.  It was well written, included amazing acting, and was well produced.  For me, it made me think about the Black community as a whole and how we are looked at by other cultures.  Of course, the first thing that came to mind was the separation of the Black family.  Chikura, a young African boy that Aminata met right before she was kidnapped, found Aminata once they were adults on plantations in South Carolina.  They ended becoming husband and wife, only to be torn apart NUMEROUS times.  And both times Aminata gave birth to their children, they were not together.  The great thing is that Chikura ALWAYS found her, which to me shows that even though their family was not always together and was broken many times, Chikura never gave up on her.  Not to mention Aminata never had eyes for any other man.  Something else I noticed were the enslaved Blacks.  It’s no secret, if you know the history of the US, that whites commonly referred to slaves and Blacks as “animals”.  Watching slaves in chains, practically dying from thirst and starvation, I couldn’t help but think that there was something animalistic about them.  When given water and/or food, with no utensils but their fingers…how else is one to act?  I wonder how non-Blacks would think if they saw (or knew) that their ancestors were placed in chains, having to use the bathroom on themselves, using their fingers to eat.  It’s a super disheartening and disturbing sight.

There are some of you, a friend of mine and Southern Dad included, who believe that “I’m tired of slave movies” or “I don’t want to see anything like that”, and you have no interest to watch “The Book of Negroes”.  The thing that I will say to you (and the same thing I said to them) is that this miniseries is SO much more than a slave movie.  It’s an opportunity to learn about our history and heritage and a story that is not widely known and that was not shared in any history class you had in school.  So, if you’re snowed in (like I am today), you should definitely start watching it. Or look up the actual book.  You will learn so much.

Until next time, I’m just a Southern girl…in the city.

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“Scandal” Re-Cap: YOLO

So, it has been a good little minute since I’ve written about “Scandal”.  The episode from 2 weeks ago was great.  Last night’s episode had a lot of nail-biting, bug-eyed, pass out moments.

First, can we just acknowledge the fact that I was right and called it WEEKS ago that Maya Lewis aka Marie Wallace is a terrorist?!?! I almost lightweight believed Eli/Rowan/Byron Douglas when he told Charlie he doesn’t enjoy killing people.  Because he could have EASILY let Maya stay on that plane and get blown up…because I think there was a bomb on that plane, and Maya put it there.  But I am also slightly annoyed and find it highly unbelievable that after ALL this thinking back Olivia did that she remembered in the 11th hour that someone called the house asking for her mother by a different name… That’s whack.

Also, some people keep talking about how Liv was sitting like a bump on a log for a few minutes during the beginning of the episode.  Well how would you feel if your mother, a woman that you believed died in a plane crash over 20 years ago, just magically showed up at your home talking about, “Hey, Livvie!”  O_o Say what now???  So I can expect her to be a little shell shocked.

And I knew Huck was going to torture Quinn.  I was kinda anxious to see exactly what he was going to do, because I knew that he wasn’t going to kill her.  But to extract a tooth, leave for a little bit, and come back and do it AGAIN!!!  That’s just cruel.  But well deserved, because she should have never gotten caught up with the likes of Charlie.  And their love scene??? YUCK!!!  But she is not going to kill Eli/Rowan/Byron Douglas.  Liv needs him to get her momma back and to find out exactly why she’s been locked up for 22 years…besides the fact she’s someone that can eat her own flesh, kill a doctor, and escape from a maximum security prison.

I am REALLY surprised about James.  I thought he was smarter than that.  He figured out that Cyrus set him up; so why didn’t he also figure out that Cyrus had a way to get proof of Daniel-Douglas’ double life???  And to answer your question (and James’) on why Cyrus didn’t hire someone?  Too risky.  He knew from Mellie’s cocktail party that DD had an attraction to James.  Or they were at least connecting.  Even though I would NEVER condone setting your spouse up to cheat on you, James knows the type of man he married.

But the BIGGEST shocker of the night was Sally calling Cyrus saying, “I have committed a sin.”  Ma’am, is this the same man you just read and told him that he and his husband would spend the rest of their lives in purgatory because of their relationship???  And he is the FIRST person you think to call???  I can’t wait to see the flashback of this argument (because you know there will be one) and to see how Cyrus cleans this up and spins the story.  You know that he is going to make Sally agree to forget about running for President against Fitz and to get on the Grant bandwagon.  I’m sure he’ll make her sign an agreement, too.

Some other mentionables: Cyrus breaking down in the Oval Office.  Mellie totally looked like she wanted to say, “Awk-ward….”  I DIED when she turned and gave Cyrus a minute to compose himself!  Jake and Fitz will ALWAYS fight over Olivia.  Point blank and the period. They should just mud wrestle!  (Kidding! But isn’t that what dudes say about girls??? Anywho…)  Fitz let Jake know he can try to be her hero, but it’s not going to work.  Oh, another thing that I think is major-Olivia has not and does not tell ANYONE that she loves them.  At first, I just thought it was Fitz.  But in the flashback, Maya tells young Olivia, “I love you”, and Olivia does not respond… My co-worker said that she told Edison she loved him, but I don’t think that’s accurate?  (So who’s right???)

Some of my co-workers wanted me to share a few things on my blog, so here goes: One, was Maya trying to insult Olivia when she told her she didnt’ see any laughter in her life and that she was more like her father than her?  I just thought it was an innocent comment and Maya meant that in terms of who Olivia THINKS her mother is.  What say you?  And my other c0-worker thinks Olivia is in a particular sorority.  What do you guys think-IF Olivia was Greek, what would be her organization??? Just a thought and hopefully we can share some laughs, because last night’s episode was intense.

I am anxiously awaiting next week’s winter finale.  What did you think of the episode?  Who’s really the bad guy?  Who can be trusted?  Is Cyrus going to help Sally?  And will James leave or stay?  Until next time, I’m just a Southern girl…in the city!

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“Scandal” Re-Cap

You know, for someone that was almost bored with Thursday’s episode, I found some amazing moments!  My favorite, though, was watching the preview for next week and seeing what Liv is wearing to this gala!  Her look was so fabulous that I had my tight girl/sister-friend at Hell in a Handbag rewind the tv so she could see it. 

During my weekly work discussion regarding “Scandal”, one of my co-workers, we’ll call him Adam, told me that my expectations were too high when I said that the last two episodes haven’t been that great.  However, Kathy, my other co-worker, agrees with me-Shonda set it that way.  She should not have been so great in the beginning, then start to fall off.

One theme that was PAINFULLY clear was that there were too many “ripped from the headlines” stories in Episode 4.  Adam pointed out “Law & Order: SVU” does the same.  My argument was that may be true, but they max out at two stories.  Shonda put in like 4 or 5 stories in one hour.  On to the re-cap…

First, I knew in less than 5 minutes that the wife killed that girl.  And Senator Myers needs to see somebody about his nasty little habit.  Second, I really need Quinn to SIT DOWN somewhere!!!  She keeps messing with Huck, he’s going to “whiskey” her.  She’s always into something.  Just fall back, and play your role. Third, I thought it was SO sweet that Fitz FINALLY stood up for Mellie.  He even held her hand. (All together now, “Awwwwwww…”) But that moment was short lived.  And speaking of Fitz, how careless could he be to attend Peter Foster’s funeral all willy-nilly with no type of discretion???  And social media is can be the complete death of  privacy.  Jake is like a bad body rash that you can’t get rid of, no matter what you do.  Liv told him to go away at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the episode…but he just wouldn’t!!!  And the nerve of him to think he could chill, hang out, and drink amazing red wine with Olivia while he tries to convince her that they need to kill her daddy.  Naw, son, that ain’t happening.  And he had the NERVE, the GALL, the AUDACITY to bring Huck into it, knowing good and well he and Liv are in a rocky place right now.  But most important, Jake is a bonafied H.A.T.E.R.  How is he going to blurt out, “Want more wine?” knowing good and well the POTUS is on the phone??? But, the ultimate player move was at the very end, when Fitz, with his Secret Service wingmen in tow, march into Byron/Eli/Rowan’s office!!!!

Now, I have SO many questions-Does Fitz know that Byron/Eli/Rowan is Liv’s dad?  Was (Is) Fitz a part of B613?  If Fitz really flew that plane in Operation Remington, did he kill Liv’s mom, thus prompting Byron/Eli/Rowan to send her away so he could become a member of B613?  Does Cyrus know that Byron/Eli/Rowan is Liv’s daddy??? (I seriously doubt it, because his picture was missing from Liv’s “Kill” File in Episode 2.) Does Jake REALLY think Byron/Eli/Rowan doesn’t know he was eavesdropping on his conversation with Cyrus??? I think that’s going to come back to bite Jake in the behind. 

Some of my “Scandal” co-horts think Byron/Eli/Rowan is going to die this season, even if it’s not at the hands of Jake or Huck.  Could it possibly be Charlie???

Anywho, that’s all I’ve got.  Feel free to share your thoughts on Thursday’s episode or what you think will take place in the rest of the season!  Until next time, I’m just a Southern girl…in the city!

P.S.  Can we talk about Harrison and his cute little dance??? Lawd, I heart Columbus Short!

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“Scandal” Catch Up

So, we are a day away from the 4th new episode of Season 3 of “Scandal”… and I have yet to write a post about any of them.  See, what had happened was…

On the evening of October 3, I was minding my business, watching “Grey’s Anatomy” in the comfort of my own home, when I decided that the episode wasn’t that exciting.  So I was going to take a quick nap and be up in time for “Scandal”.  The next thing I know, I wake up, see what doesn’t appear to be “Scandal” on television, grab my phone and see that it’s 11:19, and fearfully realize that I have slept through the season premiere. To say I was pissed, shocked, and amazed at myself is an understatement.  I can go to sleep at 9 o’clock any night of the week except Thursday.  It’s like my body subconciously KNOWS what night it is and realizes it’s vitally important that I stay awake and not be tired.  But on October 3, my body worked against me.  And so was Comcast.  I’m not happy to admit this, but I have woken up at 5 am on a Friday morning in the past to re-watch an episode of “Scandal”. (Don’t judge me.)  So I wasn’t worried.  I just figured I would go to bed, wake up at the crack of dawn, and watch the episode so that I could contribute to the conversation that was sure to take place at work.  Because I had gotten so much rest, I woke up on my own at 4 am…checked On Demand…and did not see “Scandal”.  I didn’t panic.  I went to sleep on the couch, woke up around 5, and looked at On Demand again.  Nothing.  There was nothing new at 6, either.  So, against my better judgement, I looked at stories that discussed the premiere, but not anything that would totally give the main stuff away.  By the time I made it home Friday night with Chinese take-out, the new episode was up, and I was good to go.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t that impressed.  It possibly could have something to do with the fact that I kinda knew what to expect, like Byron Douglas aka Eli/Rowan giving an EPIC speech to Olivia during the first scene, Olivia standing up to her daddy, Mellie name-calling Olivia to her face (that was good), Fitz telling Tom to let it slip that Olivia was his mistress, and some other non-notable things that happened, except for Jeannine being set up to have been with Fitz; that was kinda genius.  Because I do not know in WHAT realistic world Fitz would think that the world would be cool with him marrying his mistress and making her First Lady.  Well, unless your Mark Sanford-then it’s possible. Oh, and Byron really did give a good speech.

But that second episode…What a wonderfully glorious episode!  We all know I am not a fan of Edison, but I was excited to see him!  (Do NOT ask me why, because two weeks later I still don’t know.)  And you all know I love a good flashback, so I was happy to see the evolution of Byron/Eli/Rowan and Olivia’s relationship.  Suffice it to say, there were definitely some moments in the first two episodes that reminded me of Southern Dad and myself.  Anywho, it was just great television.  I am super super weirded out that Huck let it out about B613.  And I was even more super weirded out when Byron/Eli/Rowan came face-to-face with Huck.  The “arguing” scene with Olivia and Daddy was priceless.  That was excellent acting.  Oh, can I also say that I am so mad that Huck choked Liv…but she kinda had it coming. She should not have lied.  BUT, I was SO pissed at Quinn!  I just want her to sit DOWN somewhere!  UGH!!! She’s always into something!  If she had just minded her own business, Huck never would have found out.  Now Huck and Olivia have to re-build their trust in each other again.

Episode 3 was boring…except the end when Huck was following Byron/Eli/Rowan and threatened him.  I knew he wasn’t going to shoot him, though.  And it’s amazing that Byron/Eli/Rowan still has that kind of control over Huck!  I just want to find out about Operation Remington…

So, that’s my re-cap over the last 3 weeks.  I tried to not have it be that long and focus on the episode I really liked.  Feel free to share your thoughts or anything I missed, because I know it’s alot!  Until next time, I’m just a Southern girl…in the city!

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This is Not Real Life

Just so we’re clear, “Scandal” is a fictional television show. And the events of last night’s episode made it painfully obvious that it is a fictional show. There is no way in sam hill that anyone can walk into the Oval Office and have an arguement with the President, especially his mistress. No matter how well she is known and respected by the staff, it’s not gonna happen. And said person will not go into the Oval Office and have a yelling match with the President. But, let’s back up a step. The President will not threaten his mistress with appearing at her job. Or having Secret Service come kidnap her and bring her to him. Actually, let’s back it up even further. The President would not sit at the bedside of his mistress when she is “attacked” and has to stay in the hospital overnight. Ain’t.gonna.happen.

I know you all have probably been wondering why I haven’t blogged about “Scandal” in a while. Well, besides the fact it was off for three weeks, I didn’t feel like last week’s episode really needed my commentary. But, since we’re discussing it, I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes version of my take aways/questions: A. I totally understand why Huck is the way he is. B. Does Byron Douglas know Huck is still alive since Charlie did not complete his mission? C. Is Charlie still working for those secret operatives? D. I was right, Cyrus is Albatross.

Now, with this craziness that was on my tv last night. While I LOVE Olivia Pope the Fixer, I can’t stand Olivia Pope the Woman. And I’m over her and Fitz. Glad to see Mellie make good on her threat. Maybe the 3rd season will be how Olivia handles her own scandal…

To the title of this post-that was my theme last night. Olivia marching into Fitz’s office and having a screaming match-not real life. Fitz showing up at Olivia’s apartment and sitting with her waiting on the demise of his marriage-not real life. So to all the “other women”, don’t get your hopes up.

On the flip side, people that get all bent out of shape about this show, read the first sentence of this post. And I guess the same can be said for people like me to who are glued to their couch every Thursday night at 10 pm EST. But I love this show for what it is-entertainment. Hate it or love it, Shonda and Co. are doing a bang-up job. Maybe the lesson in all of this is to treat the people in your life with respect, dignity, honor, and trust. Maybe that’s the take-away. Because THAT is real life. Until next time, I’m just a Southern girl…in the city!

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