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Greenleaf Recap Season 1 Episode 11: Men Like Trees Walking…

Only Two More 'Greenleaf' Episodes Left!!!

bishop

Hello World,

So I’ve missed two weeks of recaps as two weeks ago, I interviewed Deborah Joy Winans who plays Charity on OWN’s”Greenleaf” in place of my weekly recap (if you haven’t checked out “‘Greenleaf’ Star Deborah Joy Winans Shares About New Greenleaf Gospel Album, Her TV Husband & Her Aunt CeCe: My Interview (With Audio, please do so!) and last Wednesday was my wedding anniversary, but babay, I’m back!

I swear (and I don’t LOL) “Greenleaf ” never fails to disappoint! This show just works! I’m not even sure why yet, but I every week, they serve up the drama and I just eat it up!

So on to the recap…

Pain in the Pews…

There’s nothing sadder than a preacher preaching to empty pews, and that is where Bishop Greenleaf is headed if he doesn’t get right with God or somebody…The episode starts with him in an empty sanctuary recalling how he had just preached…He was sweating and shaking and saaanging “my living shall not be in vain” but the congregation was not moved…Correction, some were moving but in the opposite direction….Someone got up and left right in the middle of Bishop’s sermon and the sanctuary wasn’t even full to begin with…

The head deacon or deaconess (which I prefer to call her because how many times do you get to say deaconess) confirms what you can already tell: Attendance and tithes are down at Greenleaf and have been for four weeks! She pleads with the Bishop get a “fresh face” in the pulpit….someone who is “unsullied.” She suggests Jacob or even Grace to which Bishop responds, “She’s the one that got us into this mess.” Yes, Grace, the Bishop’s favorite child, is now on the Bishop’s hit list! He assures the deaconess that Greenleaf will survive it all. But the deaconess replies, “The Lord doesn’t want His church to survive, He wants us to thrive.” Amen and pass the offering plate LOL!

Orange is the New Black…

Mac is finally wearing an orange jumpsuit in prison as he should be after the family secret that he sexually molested his niece is out in the open. But Lady Mae knows that another secret is being kept but this time by the Bishop. Apparently, Mac has something on the Bishop and is using that secret to blackmail him. She tries to get him to share the secret but he remains silent to her anger.

The fallout from the shoot out at church continues to reverberate as $4500 is needed to secure Lady’s Mae’s annual Women’s Day event at the Peabody Hotel, but the money hasn’t been approved by the powers that be at the church although the expenditure is usually approved without issue. Lady Mae decides to take out her own checkbook and write the check for the amount. Let the church say, “Ouch.” How many tithes went into that $4500?!

He’s a Healer…

One of the reasons that I love Grace’s daughter is her inquisitiveness particularly as it relates to Scripture…As the daughter of a pastor, I’m so used to hearing Scripture that I don’t necessarily see the word of God with fresh eyes. But I imagine that if I was introduced to Scriptures a bit later in life, I would have just as many questions (although I still have questions…don’t get me wrong…) Sophia asks her mother Grace, who can still quote Scriptures by heart although she had been away from the church for many years, why did Jesus have to heal the blind man in Mark 8:23-26 twice? You know I’ve never gave it much thought, but why would Jesus, who is the Healer of all healers, have to heal twice to get it right…Obviously, there was a deeper meaning as the blind man says at first, “ I see men as trees, walking.” So this verse is where the title of this show comes from…More to be revealed later in the recap…read on church!

That’s Just My Baby Daddy…

For all of this time, it has been a mystery regarding the identity of Sofia’s father. At one point, I thought her father may been Noah, but we learned in last week’s episode that Ray, a white man that Grace met in Phoenix after she fled from the Greenleaf estate, is Sofia’s father. And despite the fact that Sofia is about that Greenleaf estate life, Ray wants full custody of her as Grace left Phoenix without properly informing him of her plans. She gets served the papers at church…

Speaking of Lawsuits…

Grace is not the only one who is heading to court and finds this out at church…Bishop Greenleaf meets with Alexa’s attorney as the attorney alleges her client was fired without cause. Remember Jacob’s side piece? (Kerissa makes a joke about side pieces as Kerissa and Jacob attempt to help their young son put puzzle pieces together. When the boy picks up a small piece that goes one side of the puzzle, she says Jacob should help as he is good with side pieces…funny…) Alexa’s attorney (and Alexa is in the meeting too by the way) says a lawsuit won’t be filed if the Bishop compensates for her loss. Now with the tithes going down and Lady Mae writing a check for $4500, where is the Bishop supposed to get some cash pray tell?

In a moment of synchronicity, Jacob comes to see his father just as Alexa and her attorney are finishing their meeting with the Bishop…And this isn’t the only time that Alexa is mentioned in the episode…So obviously Alexa will continue to be a temptation for Jacob…

But for the moment, Jacob is not thinking about Alexa and pleads with his father to reinstate him at Greenleaf. Instead of reinstating Jacob, the Bishop attempts to redirect him by reminding him that being a pastor was never his dream and that he only became involved in the church after Grace left. Jacob finally gives up trying to convince his father that he is ready to return to Greenleaf and instead apologizes for getting involved with Alexa. The Bishop says, “Pray for her. She’s chosen a painful path.” What does that mean, saints?!!

Ever Seeing but Never Perceiving…

For all of Sofia’s inquisitiveness with her mother, Sofia is totally quiet in youth Bible study so much so that the leader asks her what she thinks of Mark 8. Although she didn’t know what to think when she asked her mother, she has obviously continued to think about the passage and she has an answer for the leader. She says that every person is rooted in something although we cannot necessarily see it with our natural eyes…I like that…

Gaming the System…

Although Jacob doesn’t necessarily perceive it, his actions are rooted in pleasing his father although he has a funny way of showing it. Since his father won’t reinstate him at Greenleaf, Jacob decides to go to the other megachurch in town – Triumph (where Alexa is a member) – and convince Pastor Skanks to hire him there…Jacob approaches the pastor while he is playing basketball at a gym…The pastor lets out an expletive when he realizes that Jacob, the crown prince of Calvary, is coming to him for a job…Okay, I need at least one pastor, other than Grace, that I can admire on this show…

Instead of simply hiring Jacob, Pastor Skanks (as his name suggests, he really ain’t ’bout nohin’) shows that he is really playing chess rather than basketball and tells Jacob that he must set up a meeting with the Bishop so that Pastor Skanks knows that he didn’t hire the Bishop’s son behind his back…

Almost a Golden Wedding Anniversary…

In the midst of all this, Bishop and Lady Mae are celebrating 45 years together! (Ironically, my parents celebrated 45 years of marriage on Sunday!) Well, let me correct what I noted. Bishop celebrated their wedding anniversary by sending her flowers but he later sees the flowers nearly dead on the floor of her office. If Bishop wants them to make it to their golden wedding anniversary, he better tell Lady Mae everything…

Just Call Me Nicety…

I think my favorite character next to Grace is Lady Mae because she is the champion of being nicety…She can be so nasty but because she says and does almost everything with a smile on her face. You think she is being nice when she is really being nicety…nice plus nasty equals nicety…After she discovers that Melisse,  chief housekeeper at the Greenleaf estate and better known as Lovita Alizé Jenkins-Robinson LOL, is the one who confirmed there was shooting at the church to the media, she turns around and gives her one of those scholarships (you know the ones that are used to keep people quiet). In other words, she has paid for to go to nursing school simultaneously releasing from her job at the Greenleaf estate…

My Secret

So actually Bishop isn’t the only one in the family who is holding on to a secret in the wake of the Mac revelation…Kevin, Charity’s husband, has a secret too…but it’s the worst kept secret on the show…The leader of a local charity Adrian becomes particularly friendly with Kevin and he reveals to him that he doesn’t want to be like his father who left his family when he was a little boy…Adrian assures him he is not like his father…Hmmm…whatever…It’s obvious that that this man has feelings for Kevin and Kevin might be feeling him too…Although Kevin has twins on the way, even his desire to be a good father won’t be enough to squelch his other desires…

Below is a video from Jacob’s b-ball game with Pastor Skanks….

Y’all I’m tired…but those are my thoughts…What y’all think of my recap of episode 11?

TWO MORE EPISODES LEFT!!!

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‘Greenleaf’ Star Deborah Joy Winans Shares About New ‘Greenleaf’ Gospel Album, Her TV Husband & Her Aunt CeCe: My Interview (With Audio)

Charity Greenleaf

Hello World,

So my favorite new show is OWN’s Greenleaf which I’ve been faithfully recapping each week! I’m especially excited about tonight’s episode because it looks like Charity is finally going to confront Kevin about why he is on that dang phone so much! But I’m even more excited that I recently had the opportunity to interview Deborah Joy Winans (yes, of the dynamic Winans family) about release of Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 in conjunction with Lionsgate (the full 14-track album will be released on CD and digital on August 26), having a TV husband and a real life husband, controversy in the church, playing her Aunt CeCe in the stage play Born for This: The BeBe Winans Story and more! Read and or take a listen below!

greenleaf soundtrack

1. I know that you are primarily an actress, but I wanted to find out with this new gospel album coming out, is this your first album?

Absolutely. It is absolutely my first album. I’ve never even recorded a song before I did Greenleaf.

So what was it like to make this album considering that you’ve never sung on an album before and yet you have this powerhouse musical family?

It was very daunting. It was very challenging. It was exciting. It was definitely fun to find another way to give Charity a voice as a character, you know, not just in different scenes speaking, but she could actually show you who she was through her music. So that was fun to kind of uncover that and see where that could lead. So it’s been a lot of things – challenging but amazing.

Did you get any advice for your family members about singing?

Oh absolutely! BeBe actually Uncle BeBe was executive music producer on the show so the first time I had to record it was with him. And he gave me quite a few pointers and was just really helpful and really boosted my confidence and taught me how to work the studio so it was really great.

Did you get a chance to meet anyone else on the album?

No, I did not. I know Melinda Doolittle, and we are pretty cool. And Desiree Ross who sings one song that’s on the record she sings it in the show. I think it was last week’s episode where she sang. You know we’re cast mates and so I know her very well. But nobody else I think that worked on the record.

2. What is it like to play Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee, a minister of music?

It’s very exciting! It’s not extremely far from my own life where I was surrounded by music. I grew up in church. I love the Lord. My dad was an elder in the church so it’s not too, too far from my own life but with Charity, it’s been fun to not just watch other people sing but for that to be more of the core of who she is. I’ve been able to learn a lot about that. Praise and worship is my favorite part of service anyway. And so being able to be the leader of our worship was really, really cool. And just bringing her to life in all aspects. She’s married on the show. I’m married in real life. So it was really exciting to see the similarities and also the differences and how to make it work. It’s been incredible.

Did you even have to audition considering you come from such a powerhouse musical family?

Oh, absolutely because it wasn’t necessarily about the singing, and I think that’s just been a really, really cool by-product of working on the show and being able to sing. I’ve been able to sing a lot of things through the course of the show so it’s been really cool. But I definitely had to audition you know because Charity is more than singing.

3. Obviously, Kevin, your TV husband, has a big secret that has yet to be revealed. What can we expect from Kevin and Charity in future episodes? I know you probably don’t want to give everything away but just kind of give us a little teaser.

I can’t give everything away, but I think through all of the little things that are kind of being shown to the audience, I think the bigger picture is that he really loves her. And she really loves him. So I think you will continue to see their love story but also the trying…He’s complicated. He’s very complicated and so you’ll see that unfold but you’ll also see the love they share unfold and how that’s going to work. Will it work? Will it not work? We’ll see.

4. You mentioned that you are you married in real life. What is it like to have a TV husband and a real husband?

(Laughter) Well, you know the real husband always wins! My husband is amazing. He’s so supportive and just incredible. He’s smart. I definitely feel I have the best husband in the world. But it’s been fun because we talk about being married for three years on the show, and I’ve actually been married for just a little over three years in real life and so I’ve learned quite a bit. I’m sure that there is quite a bit more to learn but being able to have that background and bring it into the show where I’m working with Tye who plays Kevin was just really fun. When we did our research and our homework, I was able to tell him some things about how married life works. It’s really a great parallel to have for working on this specific character.

And now you’re pregnant on the show, do you have any children in real life?

I do not. I’ve got two nieces and three nephews so that’s about all of the kids I have right now. I spoil them rotten and send them back home. Hopefully, in the future if the Lord blesses us to have kids of our own, that would be awesome.

5. Considering all of the drama on the show, do you think the show is casting a negative light on megachurches, the church in general or even faith and Christianity? I’ve heard some feedback regarding those issues so what do you think about it?

I don’t think so. First, I think we have to recognize is that it is a show written for TV. So it’s drama. And it’s not based on any real life scenario. It’s a show about family, but church is really the backdrop. It’s a show about a family and all of their flaws. I think that people relate to the show. And I think that they like it because they see real people and they see real people dealing with real problems. And they see how they deal with it. Sometimes, they deal with it the right way and sometimes they deal with it the wrong way. But that’s life. And I think that’s the attraction to the show. It’s real life. You see this beautiful family and all of their flaws and how they handle it. It’s about them. It’s about their family. They just happen to run a church.

6. And you mentioned that it’s entertainment and so with all of the issues the show has already addressed from greed, child molestation, the Black Lives Matter movement, what do you feel or what has been communicated to you is the intent of the show beyond entertainment? Is it supposed to be an exposé type of thing or what do you think?

I don’t think so. I just think that it hits on certain things that touch people whether it be bad or good. If we were all in a room and we had to show every flaw that we had, who would want to do that? What human would want to do that? I think it sheds a light on human life whether that is the good stuff that we go through or the bad stuff because we go through it all. And we have to figure it all out. And sometimes we don’t always make the right choice. And sometimes we don’t have the right motivation. And then sometimes we do. And I think that ultimately, it shows you that love wins. It doesn’t promote anything crazy. It’s just a show. It’s a well-written show. And I think it’s a show that shows people that you can make a mistake and get back up.

7. I know you’re currently starring in Born For This: The Bebe Winans Story.What is like to play your Aunt CeCe in the stage play? And you do look a lot like her.

I know. It’s crazy. It’s been such a wonderful and humbling experience. I think she’s incredible. Clearly nobody can be her but her, but it’s been really beautiful to try to fill those shoes every night and give people this person that they’ve loved for so long. Just touch a little bit on some of the music and a little bit of who she is. I think she is one of the most incredible people in the world. I call her Mama C because she’s been like a mother to me. And it’s a real honor. And for her to tell me that if anyone was going to play her, she hoped that it would be me. That just made it all the more exciting to do.

 

 

For more information about Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1, see below…

Malaco Records, the legendary Jackson, Mississippi-based soul/blues/gospel label, has announced the release of Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 in conjunction with Lionsgate, a premier next generation global content leader. The album is a musical reflection of the hit OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network original drama series Greenleaf.  Malaco’s dominant role in the gospel music field led the series’ producers to join forces for the creation and release of this very special album. The album’s tracks, produced by Tim Lauer, Russell Ziecker and BeBe Winans, are rolling out digitally on a track-by-track basis. 

Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Vol. 1 track listing is as follows:

1)    The Root (feat. Mavis Staples) (Greenleaf Main title)

2)    Ring Them Bells (feat. McCrary Sisters)

3)    (God Bless the) Broken Road (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

4)    Testimony (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

5)    Say Something (feat. Melinda Doolittle)

6)    Satan, We’re Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down (feat. Shirley Caesar)

7)    Let Love Find a Way (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

8)    The Master’s Calling (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

9)    Battle Hymn of the Republic (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

10) Get Your House In Order (feat. Dottie Peoples & The Peoples

 Choice Chorale)

11) Take Me To the Water (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

12) Blessed (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

13) River (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

14) (We’ll Understand It Better) By and By (feat. Desiree Ross)

Click HERE to hear The Master’s Calling (which is beautiful) featuring the voice of Deborah Joy Winans who portrays Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee in the series.

Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Craig Wright and Russell Ziecker. Ziecker and Tim Lauer are soundtrack producers.

Any thoughts?

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Greenleaf Recap Season 1 Episode 8: The Whole Book…

lady mae

Hello World,

So, this Greenleaf episode was sooo explosive, I’m tempted to start this Greenleaf recap from the end of the episode and write back to the beginning….but that would ultimately spoil everything so here I go from the beginning…

Wedded Bliss?

In the opening scene, Isabel is nearly drowning in the minutia that is wedding planning. She asks her fiancé Noah to decide whether he wants napkins with the words “Noah & Isabel” or the words “Mr. & Mrs.” on them? (Aside: As a kinda newlywed since I was married three years ago next month, I know the game she was playing. The truth is a typical bride pretty much wants to plan everything and just have the groom show up and say, “I do.” But to demonstrate egalitarianism since marriages are supposed to be about two equals coming together, a bride occasionally asks for the input from the groom although she really doesn’t want it…Marriage is about  egalitarianism. Weddings are not…LOL…)So Noah picks the first option while Isabel was hoping for the second. And before they can get into why they haven’t really agreed on very much when it comes to wedding planning, in walks Grace. I see why Isabel is pushing for “Mr. & Mrs.” because when Grace is around, Noah isn’t really thinking about Isabel. Isabel knows that too which is why she asks Grace who will be her plus one at the wedding. When Grace replies her daughter Sophia will be her date, she offers to pray for her in a condescending but yet not entirely confident tone…

Security Breach

With every episode, we’re getting closer to knowing why Grace really came to town. I think her main goal is to bring Uncle Mac down and prove that his actions led to Faith’s death and if things fall apart in the process so be it. In this episode, Grace approaches Noah about hacking into her uncle’s computer. Noah says it’s no problem as the security team had to do something similar when a church employee was thought to be downloading porn onto a computer…smh…Noah has a revelation for Grace as well. He tells her that after the wedding, he and Isabel are moving to Denver, Colorado.

Pre-Wedding Jitters

While Noah and Grace are getting their digital I SPY on, Lady Mae and Isabel walk the grounds of the Greenleaf estate. As the First Lady is paying for the wedding, she explains how lavish it will be. She says the cherry trees will be like a white tunnel of love. That sounds divine, doesn’t it? Despite the fact that Lady Mae is paying for the wedding, Isabel isn’t entirely sure that her wedding day will go as planned. She confesses to Lady Mae that she is worried that Noah “is still holding a torch for Grace,” particularly since they nearly married 20 years ago. Lady Mae, however, assures her that Noah and Grace are in the past and says that all men seem to be indecisive as the wedding day gets closer. She says, “All men, Bishop included, think as their wedding approaches, is she the one?” She concludes with, “You mark my words. Noah loves you.” Hmmm….Noah may love Isabel, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love Grace more…As they say, you never forget your first love…

Black Lives Matter

Just when I thought this episode would focus on Noah, Isabel & Grace with a side of Mac (which is already a full course meal), the town of Memphis becomes incensed when it is announced on television that David Nelson, the police officer who shot an unarmed, 16-year-old boy Kenneth Collins, will not face criminal charges. Calvary is blamed for having influence in the city as Nelson is a member of the megachurch. Of course the Bishop is none too happy about being brought into the controversy.

Televangelism

Still trying to convince his father that he is a worthy partner in ministry, Jacob convinces his father to take a meeting with the Christian television network executive. Rather than to convince the Bishop that more people need to hear of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the reach of television, he emphasizes the material wealth that can be gained. He says, “I never thought I would own a Jaguar, and now I have three.” That is such a despicable reason to get on television if you are supposed to be a true preacher of the gospel. To me, there is nothing wrong with wanting to have nice things, but things should not be the aim of a ministry on television or otherwise…Okay, off the soapbox and back to the Greenleaf recap…Curiously, the Bishop shuts down the executive with the words, “I will not the hawk the gospel like a ginsu knife” and then tells him to “Get out!” If only I believed the Bishop because I do believe that he has no problem hawking the gospel…Jacob is understandably puzzled about his father’s strong reaction…

Black Lives Matter v. Blue Lives Matter

After the city erupts following the announcement that no charges will be filed against David Nelson, Grace is concerned about his safety and goes to see him in his hotel room. He tells her that he plans to move far, far away to escape it all, but she tries to convince him that he needs to stay and be a part of healing that needs to happen in the city. He listens but tells her he will send her a postcard from Delaware. I know that’s right!

Pastor to Pastor

The Bishop ventures off of the gilded campus of Calvary and into the city to see a more humble pastor who has been publicly calling out the Bishop for his support of David Nelson. This pastor is involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and is showing hanging protest signs. But instead of squashing the situation, the pastor tells the Bishop that he will “long for the days when all I did was call you out.” Okay…what does that mean?

What Happens in Nashville

As Grace requested, Noah delivers the contents of Mac’s computer to her on a hard drive. She discovers that he had appointment in Nashville presumably at an abortion clinic. With this knowledge, Grace tries to get Danielle to tell the truth about what happened with her and Mac. Danielle still denies that anything happened until Grace tells she knows what happened in Nashville. Danielle then reveals how Mac came seduced her. He took her to school when her mother wasn’t available, brought them dinner, etc. Finally, Mac took to the church camp to teach her how to “fish” and then she comes up pregnant. They go to Nashville where the abortion is performed. She ask Grace, “Am I going to hell for killing my baby?” Danielle is also concerned that her revelation would put her mom’s scholarship that she is receiving from Calvary in jeopardy. She also tells Grace that she will come forward if she is not the only one. It seems that Mac targets the daughters of single parents…Faith wasn’t the daughter of a single parent, but her parents are obviously distracted by Calvary business…just sayin’…

After doing more digging, Grace realizes that many women/girls have received scholarships over the years courtesy of Mac. They are given out at an scholarship reception that Lady Mae holds each year. Grace confronts her assistant about a scholarship that her daughter received without having to go through the usual application process. The assistant realizes then Grace knows her daughter’s secret and when Grace asks her why she didn’t go after Mac, she says that Calvary is her church and, “the Bible says don’t look back.” Grace also realizes that is if she reveals the scholarship payoffs she will end up wrongly implicating the church when Mac is the sole culprit.

The Secret

So the Bishop and Lady Mae have an intimate discussion in their bathroom. I would guess that all discussions in the bathroom are intimate…LOL…Anywho, as the Bishop is brushing his teeth or dentures (I’m not sure), they fall out or something like that…Obviously, he is sick….Lady Mae asks him when he is going to tell the children what is going on him…Apparently, the real reason he doesn’t want to be on television has to do with some sort of illness…That’s all I’ve got at this point….

First Love

When Grace goes to Noah’s home to tell him what she found out after speaking with Danielle, she expresses remorse that Mac is the reason why they broke up all of those years ago. Noah tells Grace that he always thought she would end up with someone more exciting than him anyway, but Grace says that when she was with Noah, she always felt like “you were home to me.” So that line got to me. Very good one OWN! And just like that, their clothes fall off. LOL

Grace does the walk of shame the next day back up to the Greenleaf mansion as Noah lives on the property and hope that no one notices. Unfortunately, her archenemy Lady Mae is up and confronts her with the words, “You look like you’ve been rolled hard and put away wet.” And that’s a GREAT line OWN! I will have to remember that line…She also says, “You won’t be satisfied until you’ve burned this place to the ground.”

Sunday Mourning

So Noah and Grace sneak looks at each other as they travel through the parking lot to get to the church building. Noah is walking with Isabel while Grace is with Sofia. In the midst of that, David Nelson shows up, walks up to Grace and tells her that he decided to stay in town after all. Right then, the brother of Kenneth Collins approaches Officer Nelson and shoots him in front of everybody!!!

And that was THE END…

Yeah, that was A LOT for one episode…So I’m thinking that the title of this Greenleaf episode comes the gruesome story that Sophia is telling her mother about throughout the episode. Sophia tells her about a Levite in the book of Judges who cut his concubine into 12 pieces. Sophia was puzzled by such a story being in the Bible and I think Grace told her to read the whole book….I think….Also, I think the fact this story came from Judges is about Calvary being judged….

We will see…We will see…We will see…

Any thoughts?

Check out the confrontation between Grace and Lady Mae below…