S02.E04: Demethrius

[AnimeMania]

While Keyshawn’s glow-up continues, Big Teak struggles with life on the outside. Back in Chucalissa, The Pynk is visited by a surprise guest.

Air Date: June 26, 2022

[Dream Boy]

So now we know what Autumn Night is giving. Traitor. lol I was never sure whether to trust her or not but it all came out this episode. I’m not sure what the crew are going to do.

The show did it again. I thought Andre's wife was going to be upstairs choking from COVID like symptoms lol I was as surprised as he was to catch her in the act but he could have kept the outrage given what he's been up to.

Oh, Lil Murder, you are in it now. I had a feeling we were heading in this direction. Now, I’m ready for the inevitable Teak/Clifford meeting.

Baby, Farrah is sprung lol That scene with her and Mercedes was hot as Hell. Coach who?

I don’t remember Gidget being this annoying before.

Keyshawn is so heading for danger and I’m not sure I’m ready for it.

After her antics, Pastor Woodbine just might be a contender. Heaven help us all lol

Love how the show is showing the after-effects of trauma from the recently released Teak and Roulette to even Autumn, Mercedes, and Diamond with Murder Night. Makes you root for them to win even more. Also love seeing the characters come together to support Uncle Clifford and the Pynk.

[Scarlett45]

Andre can’t be mad about the cheating (given his own history)- but bringing the side piece into the marital home is ALWAYS rude. 

Corbin just isn’t bright. For real. I want him to be quiet. 

1 hour ago, Dream Boy said:

Baby, Farrah is sprung lol That scene with her and Mercedes was hot as Hell. Coach who?

I know- I think a love story between those two would be far more interesting. 

1 hour ago, Dream Boy said:

Oh, Lil Murder, you are in it now. I had a feeling we were heading in this direction. Now, I’m ready for the inevitable Teak/Clifford meeting.

Teak reminds me of Diamond a little bit in that he’s unstable but very emotionally aware. 
 

I don’t know where this is going, but are we going to have a legit love triangle in the works? I don’t don’t think Teak is going to take kindly to Lil Murda wanting Uncle Clifford for real (which I think he does). 

And I SCREAMED when he put the condom in his TEETH. No don’t do that man. Yes to condom use, no to putting a condom in your TEETH!!!!

[luckyroll3]

19 hours ago, Dream Boy said:

The show did it again. I thought Andre's wife was going to be upstairs choking from COVID like symptoms

She was choking on something alright! And then the nerve of this woman to ask her husband where his mask at!

17 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

And I SCREAMED when he put the condom in his TEETH. No don’t do that man. Yes to condom use, no to putting a condom in your TEETH!!!!

Lol! I did the same thing!

That being said, I loved that entire scene. It was vulnerable, intimate, and beautiful.

This entire episode was gold for me. I laughed, I cried, I clutched my chest and everything in between. 

I'm still chuckling at how the health inspector was mesmerized and in a trance by the White Walker up until she got sneezed on (sooooooo gross!). She should have kept her damn mask on! Lol!

[TiffanyNichelle]

Well there goes me wondering if I should be on Autumn's side or not. The crew was right to mistrust her. She never cared about saving the Pynk, she was just looking for something she could sell later for more money and dip. I wonder if this would have been the same story if it wasn't for the pandemic?

I can't be mad at Andre's wife for cheating because he cheated on her already and would have done so again if Autumn gave him the go ahead. But yelling at him to put on a mask after she was caught? Girl...

[Sheenieb]

12 hours ago, TiffanyNichelle said:

I can't be mad at Andre's wife for cheating because he cheated on her already and would have done so again if Autumn gave him the go ahead. But yelling at him to put on a mask after she was caught? Girl...

Right? LOL, that line added levity to the scene. 

However, I don't like that Britney cheated. We knew the marriage was crumbling, but it's the lazy way out to give Andre the go ahead to really be with Hailey without guilt. He was emotionally cheating on Britney for months, and he couldn't even restock her fridge before she came home from her shift. I get that the show had to have Andre back in Chucalissa and reintegrate him into the main cast, but I would've preferred if he came home to Britney's bags being packed and her asking for a divorce. It still would've had the same outcome, but making her a cheater and then sprinkling Andre's feelings of being emasculated by her family on top of it, didn't sit well with me.

Did Brandee Evans get veneers? Mercedes' teeth were looking kinda chiclet-y to me this episode. 

I'm unfamiliar with the actor who plays Big Teak, but I hope to see him in other projects in the future. The rage, vulnerability, and hurt he showed in this episode blew me away. 

That's what I enjoy most about the show. Besides the pole acrobatics, every character seems like a real person. This is a slice of Americana we don't see represented on TV often. 

Edited June 28, 2022 by Sheenieb

[AuntieMame]

On 6/26/2022 at 6:38 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Andre can’t be mad about the cheating (given his own history)- but bringing the side piece into the marital home is always RUDE. 

Teak reminds me of Diamond a little bit in that he’s unstable but very emotionally aware. 
 

I don’t know where this is going, but are we going to have a legit love triangle in the works? I don’t don’t think Teak is going to take kindly to Lil Murda wanting Uncle Clifford for real (which I think he does). 

Andre’s wife is the only character that I’m not sure I like the way she’s written. Even during Covid “where is your mask?” isn’t the line you use when you’ve been caught with your pants down, so to speak. I’m with you on the rudeness but during high quarantine I’m not sure where people would have been conducting an affair other than their car or home. I’m kind of back to written as a crazy bitch and this writer is too good for laziness like that. 

Katori doesn’t seem to like wives as a general rule. Coach’s wife is improving but again, she was first introduced as the boring wife that Coach is justified in being tired of f**king. It was very male gazey, even the threesome was telegraphed. 

I’m hoping that we will get some subtlety in her motives, that she both genuinely likes Mercedes and is trying to ruin her husband’s affair. If treating Mercedes like a courtesan is in fact an affair the way we see it. I’m not sure how I feel about the affair between Mercedes and the wife. I want to know Mercedes motives too.

Does she really like the wife or was she taken off guard? Was Mercedes sincere or flattering her when she analyzed her photography? Or was she purposefully showing herself as something more than just a stripper on a pole? I liked the classism of the wife’s surprise at Mercedes analysis. See, this multi-layered writing is what made me love PValley in the first place.

I’m not certain Mercedes is fully on board emotionally; she’s looked so surprised each time wifey has been sexual with her, first the threesome and then the ambush. It seems that at least part of what Mercedes is feeling is that she is paid for and has to make her choices and please people very carefully because of that. It makes my heart hurt for her. She’s never had to do this before and she’s jumped in at the very highest level that has a huge emotional and psychological component. Mercedes really is a courtesan in this situation. But it’s still working the high wire without a net. 

Mercedes looked absolutely beautiful in that entire scene. One thing I’ve loved is even though they make “falling on the sky look easy” PValley shows us the strength and skill involved with the elite pole dancers. 

7 hours ago, Sheenieb said:

Right? LOL, that line added levity to the scene. 

However, I don't like that Britney cheated. We knew the marriage was crumbling, but it's the lazy way out to give Andre the go ahead to really be with Hailey without guilt. He was emotionally cheating on Britney for months, and he couldn't even restock her fridge before she came home from her shift. I get that the show had to have Andre back in Chucalissa and reintegrate him into the main cast, but I would've preferred if he came home to Britney's bags being packed and her asking for a divorce. It still would've had the same outcome, but making her a cheater and then sprinkling Andre's feelings of being emasculated by her family on top of it, didn't sit well with me. 

I'm unfamiliar with the actor who plays Big Teak, but I hope to see him in other projects in the future. The rage, vulnerability, and hurt he showed in this episode blew me away. 

That's what I enjoy most about the show. Besides the pole acrobatics, every character seems like a real person. This is a slice of Americana we don't see represented on TV often. 

These characters and their multiple motivations and reactions to events do seem like real people, at least most of them do. This is incredible American realism.

I love Teak too and the portrayal of trauma in him and Diamond and even Keyshawn. Not to mention the realism of everyone still functioning as best they can because what choice do they have? I hope we don’t get a standard love triangle but doubt we will. With a couple tiny exceptions the writing is incredible. We’re setting up for an amazing season. 

One of my writing exceptions is Autumn. I’m worried that she’s getting too villainous but then again she is a traumatized loaner and outsider who had an agenda when she arrived and no ties to Chucalissa. The fact that the Pynk stood by her up to and including murder and body disposal doesn’t seem to have changed her ultimate goal and that surprised the loyal members of the Pynk. 

Edited June 28, 2022 by AuntieMame
Just tidying up.

[Scarlett45]

5 hours ago, AuntieMame said:

I’m not certain Mercedes is fully on board emotionally; she’s looked so surprised each time wifey has been sexual with her, first the threesome and then the ambush. It seems that at least part of what Mercedes is feeling is that she is paid for and has to make her choices and please people very carefully because of that. It makes my heart hurt for her. She’s never had to do this before and she’s jumped in at the very highest level that has a huge emotional and psychological component. Mercedes really is a courtesan in this situation. But it’s still working the high wire without a net. 

Mercedes looked absolutely beautiful in that entire scene. One thing I’ve loved is even though they make “falling on the sky look easy” PValley shows us the strength and skill involved with the elite pole dancers. 

I like your analysis. Based on what we have seen, I think Mercedes does think Wife (I cannot remember her name) is attractive and talented as a photographer (because she is), but Mercedes is a sex worker. She’s there to be paid, not fall in love or form emotional attachments. She knows she’s being paid well, so if the “situation” with the wife is serving her, she’s game, but I don’t think she’s into the wife any more than she’s into Coach. This is a business arrangement. Not an unpleasant one, because the woman isn’t vile, but this is BUSINESS. 
 

Brandee Evans (Mercedes) is gorgeous, but I don’t like her breast augmentation. Who did that on hiatus? There is an odd POCKET underneath, and given she’s an actress I’d think they would do a better job. Likely they used too many CCs for the natural breast tissue she had to cover the implant. She’s got a full buttocks and shoulders, so I understand why they may have thought that size was suitable (she looks fine in a full top) but it looks ODD. 

[AuntieMame]

37 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I like your analysis. Based on what we have seen, I think Mercedes does think Wife (I cannot remember her name) is attractive and talented as a photographer (because she is), but Mercedes is a sex worker. She’s there to be paid, not fall in love or form emotional attachments. She knows she’s being paid well, so if the “situation” with the wife is serving her, she’s game, but I don’t think she’s into the wife any more than she’s into Coach. This is a business arrangement. Not an unpleasant one, because the woman isn’t vile, but this is BUSINESS. 
 

Brandee Evans (Mercedes) is gorgeous, but I don’t like her breast augmentation. Who did that on hiatus? There is an odd POCKET underneath, and given she’s an actress I’d think they would do a better job. Likely they used too many CCs for the natural breast tissue she had to cover the implant. She’s got a full buttocks and shoulders, so I understand why they may have thought that size was suitable (she looks fine in a full top) but it looks ODD. 

I’m not a fan of cosmetic surgery in general. Brandee was beautiful and this didn’t make her more so. I was stunned by the perpendicular slow spins. Or was that the body double/real dancer? Are they using professional dancers? I don’t see how they couldn’t be for the more difficult stuff.

I like your analysis too. It is business, but this is the kind of situation where lines get blurred. Because the client is supposed to think there is emotion involved. That’s the thing about being a courtesan; it isn’t just the sex, though that is important. It’s the whole package: Mercedes as an artist, as a smart woman, her personality and sharing it as a companion on every level. Let’s hope she doesn’t fall off the pole.  

I think Coach’s wife (I can’t remember her name either) may use this situation as a catalyst to address a lot of dissatisfactions in her life. i think wifey has the potential to become obsessed. I just hope Mercedes doesn’t get caught in the fallout. 

[Scarlett45]

8 hours ago, AuntieMame said:

I’m not a fan of cosmetic surgery in general. Brandee was beautiful and this didn’t make her more so. I was stunned by the perpendicular slow spins. Or was that the body double/real dancer? Are they using professional dancers? I don’t see how they couldn’t be for the more difficult stuff.

I like your analysis too. It is business, but this is the kind of situation where lines get blurred. Because the client is supposed to think there is emotion involved. That’s the thing about being a courtesan; it isn’t just the sex, though that is important. It’s the whole package: Mercedes as an artist, as a smart woman, her personality and sharing it as a companion on every level. Let’s hope she doesn’t fall off the pole.  

I think Coach’s wife (I can’t remember her name either) may use this situation as a catalyst to address a lot of dissatisfactions in her life. i think wifey has the potential to become obsessed. I just hope Mercedes doesn’t get caught in the fallout. 

Brandee Evans is a former choreographer, so it’s likely she has the skills do do all the pole work herself. 

[AuntieMame]

1 hour ago, Scarlett45 said:

Brandee Evans is a former choreographer, so it’s likely she has the skills do do all the pole work herself. 

Well that is pretty amazing. I love how the show both gives us the makes it look easy performance and shows just how difficult it is. 

ETA: It seems there is a mix between actresses and body doubles and professional dancers doing the more difficult stunts and choreography. Either way the actresses do months of dance before the season starts to shoot and have to keep themselves not only in great physical shape but keep the dancing skills in their kinesthtic memory.

Brandee Evans was told not to lose weight for the role of Mercedes so that she would be beautiful and realistic. I loved that because even though I have as many body image issues as the next woman, I know it isn’t right. I wonder if being athletic and dancy enough to even begin to learn the routines was part of the casting call and audition process. 

Edited June 29, 2022 by AuntieMame
Because I googled about the dancing doubles.

[Scarlett45]

27 minutes ago, AuntieMame said:

Brandee Evans was told not to lose weight for the role of Mercedes so that she would be beautiful and realistic. I loved that because even though I have as many body image issues as the next woman, I know it isn’t right. I wonder if being athletic and dancy enough to even begin to learn the routines was part of the casting call and audition process. 

I’m sure it was, from what I remember of the casting calls I saw, they wanted actors who could dance, as well as dancers. 
 

The woman who was hired but couldn’t dance, Big Bone- who was flirting with Diamond, she’s beautiful but not an ounce of athletic skill. They may have liked the actress and modified that role for her. 

10 hours ago, AuntieMame said:

I think Coach’s wife (I can’t remember her name either) may use this situation as a catalyst to address a lot of dissatisfactions in her life.

Her name is Farrah. (I looked it up)

[Blakeston]

20 hours ago, Sheenieb said:

However, I don't like that Britney cheated. We knew the marriage was crumbling, but it's the lazy way out to give Andre the go ahead to really be with Hailey without guilt. He was emotionally cheating on Britney for months, and he couldn't even restock her fridge before she came home from her shift. I get that the show had to have Andre back in Chucalissa and reintegrate him into the main cast, but I would've preferred if he came home to Britney's bags being packed and her asking for a divorce. It still would've had the same outcome, but making her a cheater and then sprinkling Andre's feelings of being emasculated by her family on top of it, didn't sit well with me.

I feel the same way about Shelle (the woman who's raising Terricka) falling off the wagon, and putting Terricka in danger - and then revealing that she has no maternal feelings for Terricka, and is only raising her to honor her husband's wishes.

It makes it so very convenient that Mercedes can now take Terricka away from Shelle with a perfectly clear conscience. As much as I despise Patrice, she had a point last season when she said that Shelle was Terricka's mother, and that Mercedes had no business trying to get custody. But now there's no moral ambiguity to the situation - Mercedes can be the hero and take her daughter away from the woman who doesn't even want her.

[Scarlett45]

22 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I feel the same way about Shelle (the woman who's raising Terricka) falling off the wagon, and putting Terricka in danger - and then revealing that she has no maternal feelings for Terricka, and is only raising her to honor her husband's wishes.

It makes it so very convenient that Mercedes can now take Terricka away from Shelle with a perfectly clear conscience. As much as I despise Patrice, she had a point last season when she said that Shelle was Terricka's mother, and that Mercedes had no business trying to get custody. But now there's no moral ambiguity to the situation - Mercedes can be the hero and take her daughter away from the woman who doesn't even want her.

I didn’t take it that Shelle had no maternal feelings for Terricka. I took it that Shelle has an addiction problem and needs help, and of course she was WRONG for putting Terricka in danger- but I don’t think that negates 15years of mothering her. And it should be noted she didn’t say all of those things TO Terricka (even in her drunken state, I don’t think she would do that), she said those things to MERCEDES who she resents. Terricka was ease dropping.
 

By everything we have shown she’s done a good job with her, and tried to nurture some type of relationship between Mercedes and Terricka because it was in Terricka’s best interest. She could’ve been a petty mofo and not let Mercedes see her at all. 

It’s not popular but many women resent their role as a mother/caregiver sometimes. It doesn’t mean they don’t love or would ever neglect their kids (but again, Shelle was wrong for putting Terricka in danger and needs to go to rehab and get herself together), but I’m sure there are women who would make different choices if they could go back. Or women that become mothers through assault or rape- they may love their kids but wish they didn’t have to go to that very real trauma. The child doesn’t make the trauma “worth it”. Or Grandparents that raise their grandchildren because their child is a fuck up. 
 

I can see Shelle loving Terricka but wishing she had made different choices (married a better man for example) and maybe she would have a different life. She’s obviously got to deal with her shit, and again, none of this is Terricka’s fault and it’s too much to put on the girl’s shoulders, but I don’t think her staying with Mercedes for a spell while Terricka went to rehab means Shelle isn’t her Mom any more. 

[Scarlett45]

On 6/27/2022 at 9:07 PM, TiffanyNichelle said:

Well there goes me wondering if I should be on Autumn's side or not. The crew was right to mistrust her. She never cared about saving the Pynk, she was just looking for something she could sell later for more money and dip. I wonder if this would have been the same story if it wasn't for the pandemic?

If the Pynk sells, I’m with Autumn- you can take that money (which was more than Uncle Clifford ever had before) and MOVE IT to a new building. They are selling the building/land, not the right to have a strip club in Chuckillissa!

Im not okay with her being sneaky after all they’ve done for her, but her reasoning makes sense. 

[marceline]

On 6/26/2022 at 8:38 PM, Scarlett45 said:

And I SCREAMED when he put the condom in his TEETH. No don’t do that man. Yes to condom use, no to putting a condom in your TEETH!!!!

That was a kind of whiplash wasn't it? "YAY for safer sex!! NOOOO not your teeth!"

[Blakeston]

On 6/30/2022 at 10:05 PM, Scarlett45 said:

I didn’t take it that Shelle had no maternal feelings for Terricka. I took it that Shelle has an addiction problem and needs help, and of course she was WRONG for putting Terricka in danger- but I don’t think that negates 15years of mothering her. And it should be noted she didn’t say all of those things TO Terricka (even in her drunken state, I don’t think she would do that), she said those things to MERCEDES who she resents. Terricka was ease dropping.
 

By everything we have shown she’s done a good job with her, and tried to nurture some type of relationship between Mercedes and Terricka because it was in Terricka’s best interest. She could’ve been a petty mofo and not let Mercedes see her at all. 

It’s not popular but many women resent their role as a mother/caregiver sometimes. It doesn’t mean they don’t love or would ever neglect their kids (but again, Shelle was wrong for putting Terricka in danger and needs to go to rehab and get herself together), but I’m sure there are women who would make different choices if they could go back. Or women that become mothers through assault or rape- they may love their kids but wish they didn’t have to go to that very real trauma. The child doesn’t make the trauma “worth it”. Or Grandparents that raise their grandchildren because their child is a fuck up. 
 

I can see Shelle loving Terricka but wishing she had made different choices (married a better man for example) and maybe she would have a different life. She’s obviously got to deal with her shit, and again, none of this is Terricka’s fault and it’s too much to put on the girl’s shoulders, but I don’t think her staying with Mercedes for a spell while Terricka went to rehab means Shelle isn’t her Mom any more. 

If the writers wanted us to believe that Shelle loves and wants Terricka, and is raising her for the right reasons, they didn't put anything in the dialogue to convey it.

It may be that when Shelle sobers up she'll realize that she misspoke, and her loyalty to her ex isn't her only reason for keeping Terricka in her life. (I certainly hope so.) But that was the impression she gave.