Tag Archives: Rochelle Cross

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Greenleaf Season Premiere Recap, Season 3 Episode 2: The Space Between…

Hello World,

Here we are again…Greenleaf Season Premiere Recap, Season 3 Episode 2: The Space Between…

Ahhh….What can be said about “The Space Between,” the title of tonight’s episode? I guess that all depends on your view of space. If you see space as a positive thing, space can provide room for people to grow. But if you see space negatively, space enables people to grow apart. Based on what I saw tonight, space is both a positive and a negative for the Greenleafs. When the Greenleafs make it through this season, they will have grown and grown apart. But before I get too philosophical, let’s get into the particulars of tonight’s episode!

Trading Spaces…

Although Bishop has traded his bed at the Biltmore Hotel for a bed at the Greenleaf estate, he is still in the guestroom bed! Although sleeping in the guestroom bed feels like “sleeping on coconuts,” Lady Mae doesn’t care and offers him the couch if that doesn’t work. She explains to him they may be trying to fool Ms. Clara but they can’t fool themselves nor their children.

The next morning, Lady Mae and Bishop are dressed in matching royal blue although they did not sleep in the same bed. Apparently, they plan to resume their duties as heads of the church and will conduct some sort of marriage seminar! When Grace questions their authority to be an authority on this topic, he tells her that though they may be sinful what they will say about marriage is still true. But Lady Mae doesn’t leave it at that. She uses the opportunity to pick a fight with her. (Maybe Grace isn’t her daughter because she stays fighting with her for some reason.) Lady Mae chides Grace for scampering across Memphis like a rabbit. In other words, she is aware that Grace is having relations with Darius while being on staff at the church.

Speaking of Grace, while her inclination is to see Rochelle Cross as foe, she attempts to make her a friend by calling her to ask her for her help in starting a legal fund for victims of domestic violence. But Sofia knows something is off and asks her mother why uses that the same “fake cheerful voice” that she uses with Sofia’s father. But hey, keeping your friends close and your enemies closer is a top tool of the trade!

Space Cowboy…

I’m not old enough to have watched black and white westerns but I would guess that Lady Mae and Rochelle Cross would have made excellent dueling cowboys on a western although they are women. They are cut from the same impenetrable cloth and are willing to bust a cap if the occasion calls for it. When Rochelle demonstrates that she knows some of the personal Greenleaf business by asking  Lady Mae how Zora is doing following her cotillion caper and subsequent return, Lady Mae looks ready to shoot her. Rochelle knows right then and there she is dealing with a real one although their ultimate showdown is yet to come.

Tasha is not as devious as Rochelle, but she is trying to take back Triumph’s territory by taking down Jacob. Using her feminine wiles, she wants to close the space between her and Jacob and cozies up to him in their conversation about hard-to-pronounce names on new member cards. Men can be so clueless sometimes. Conveniently for Tasha, Kerissa’s school administrative duties are keeping her away from Triumph as she has to meet with irate parents. When she is able to break away and join Tasha and Jacob during the new member meeting at the church, one of the new members mistakes Tasha for the First Lady! “That was awkward,” Kerissa says. As smart as she is and as much as she admires Lady Mae, I don’t know why she doesn’t realize that Tasha is planning her work and working her plan! But I guess there are book smarts and street smarts…Like my mama says, there can only be one woman (First Lady) in a house and that includes of house of God!

Jacob realizes that Kerissa, with her other responsibilities, is feeling distant from the business of the church, particularly after what happened at the new member meeting. Since Tasha’s plot to ingratiate herself with him is working, he allows Tasha to convince him to buy jewelry for his wife. They go shopping together at Tasha’s favorite jewelry store and she picks out this gaudy faux gold and pearl concoction that is not Kerissa’s style at all. How much you want to bet that when Kerissa rocks that necklace the following Sunday at church, Tasha will have on the same necklace?

Space Age Pimpin’…

Now that Bishop and Lady Mae are under one roof again (at least for now), the dynamic duo team up to pimp Ms. Clara out of her Powerball money. They invite her over to the estate for dinner. She senses that something is off, but Lady Mae just tells her she has changed the art in her home. If only the aesthetics of the Greenleaf home was the problem! Apparently, Clara is a widow and reminisces about her marriage as she asks the Greenleafs what they have planned for their soon-to-be 45th wedding anniversary. The question seems to take the couple by surprise and it becomes clear that they have just about forgotten that their anniversary is coming up!

Nevertheless, the two are successful in coercing Clara to come off of her cash! “Nice work First Lady,” Bishop says. But Lady Mae aine tryin’ to hear all of that. She confronts him about telling Rochelle their family business regarding Zora. She asks him if he told her while they were at the Biltmore Hotel together! Bishop says, “Are you willing this non-existent affair into being a real one?” It’s true. I think a person’s insecurities can cause what they fear the most to happen. But he follows up with this great line – “I’ve never seen a woman so fragile that she cannot consider her own sinfulness.” Wow. That packed a wallop. And at the same time, Bishop betta be careful who he is calling a sinner. When you start calling out people for their sins, don’t be mad when they turn the tables on you. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Speaking of the family’s wild child, Zora thinks she’s as sly as a pimp when she tries to get her cousin to buy a prepaid phone (presumably to talk to her boo Christian Breezy) with the money that she was swindled from Triumph’s offering. But Sofia is not stupid and for the umpteenth time attempts to talk some sense into her cousin. “He hits you and he treats you like crap.”

Since Zora has loving parents, I really don’t get why Zora is attracted to this boy. Anywho, Sofia does convince Jacob, at the very least, to return Zora’s TV to her, but certain channels have been restricted! LOL.

Lost in Space…

Kevin is trying to bridge the space between him and his son but Charity is standing in his way. Just when she is about to hand over their son to him in his new place, Aaron walks in with groceries! He claims he doesn’t live there, but he used a key to get in. As a result, Charity cancels her appearance on the tour so that she can stay with her son. Not only is she losing out on performing on the tour, her budding relationship with Jabari seems to be a lost cause as well. He hangs up on her when she tells him that she won’t be returning! That was sooo rude, particularly because she is only trying to be a good mother. Jabari may need to be kicked to the curb for that!

Grace’s relationship with the lost soul that is Darius is not gonna last. I hope y’all know that. First of all, they are fornicating. And secondly, he has nothing but contempt for the Greenleaf clan. He actually tells her to not be hypocrite when she wants to return home after doing the do.

But she does return home. Maybe it’s her own guilt that drives her to take this drastic action or maybe she just really dislikes her mama, but she confronts Lady Mae about having an affair with Lionel! (Bishop reveals Lady Mae’s affair after Grace asks his father why he won’t allay Lady Mae’s fears about his friendship with Rochelle Cross.) You already know this causes Lady Mae to lose her mind although she does not deny it. Grace then tells her mother that she is done feeling bad, wrong and dirty for what she is doing…So I understand her not feeling guilty anymore when it comes to her mama but what about when it comes to her relationship with God?!

But Grace is not content to stop there. Maybe she is a bull in china shop! She confronts Rochelle about her relationship with her father the next time they see each other. “Is there anything. Is something going on between you and my father?” Rochelle pretends that she is upset and walks off in a huff but later a sly smile is seen on her face. She returns to Grace and says, “We can’t let anything stop us from reaching our goal. This is the work of the Lord. You’re stuck with me now.” I bet…

Continuing in the theme of lost relationships, Lady Mae and Bishop reach an impasse. Lady Mae is so thoroughly incensed about Bishop telling Grace about her affair with Lionel, she, wearing all black attire, confronts him in his office. She tells him as soon as the check from Ms. Clara has cleared and the IRS has been paid, she is divorcing Bishop!!!

Check out some of the highlights of tonight’s episode below…

Thank you sooo much for reading my Greenleaf Season Premiere Recap, Season 3 Episode 2: The Space Between and my other recaps so far. If you would like to keep up with OWN’s “Greenleaf,” and my recaps, please click on this link to subscribe to my blog 🙂!

Any thoughts?

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OWN Releases Extended Trailer For ‘Greenleaf’ Ahead of Two-Night Premiere One Month Away!

Hello World,

As of today and yesterday, the debut of the third season of OWN’s “Greenleaf,” what will surely be drama of Biblical proportions, is one month away! Yes, chile, on Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29( a two-night premiere) it’s going down and up! The drama will be getting down (and dirty I suspect) and I will have to go up to the Father to understand and recap it all. LOL. Well, in anticipation of the season opener, Oprah and her team at OWN have released an extended “Greenleaf” trailer for us to snack on while we wait on the sumptuous feast of faith folded into folly that will be served up in a month!

See it below:

So here are 7 things (although there are many more) we can expect from Season 3 as demonstrated by this trailer:

  1. Rochelle Cross is still coming for the First Lady spot and she.won’t.. stop…
  2. Lady Mae is showing up for the battle for Bishop and more with her “dear friend” Pastor Maxine Patterson aka Patti Labelle…
  3. Ms. Patti “On-My-OWN” Labelle (Move over Le’Andria) will be blowing up Season 3’s soundtrack…
  4. Grace, however, may be taking over as head pastor of Calvary World Ministries or maybe it’s Lady Mae…
  5. Grace & Lady Mae duel in the ultimate showdown…
  6. True to her name Tasha Skanks, who is likely conspiring with Rochelle, sets her sights on Jacob, the “reformed” cheating husband and Charity comes apart per usual but this time because Kevin has come back…
  7. Tax evasion may be the tool to take down all the Greenleafs when it’s all said and done…

I’m not in full recap mode yet because I’m still resting up till then, but trust I will be on Aug. 28 and 29. It’s going down…and up….

Any thoughts?

 

 

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Greenleaf Finale Recap, Season 2 Episode 16: The Pearl…

Hello World,

You better lick your fingers and affix them to your edges cuz  OWN’s “Greenleaf”  was snatchin’ edges like a hot pressing comb to trembling flesh! Yaaas, it was a sizzling Season 2 Finale to say the least! So let’s get into this Greenleaf Finale Recap, Season 2 Episode 16: The Pearl…

Mother of Pearl…

My favorite “bad girl” of gospel Le’Andria Johnson starts the episode off crooning “Better days are coming.”…”Sometimes it feels cold and you feel all alone, but better days are coming.” Lady Mae is obviously reminiscing as she pulls out a newspaper clipping from when her deceased brother Uncle Mac won the Man of the Year Award earlier this year. (So I saw Uncle Mac aka GregAlan Williams at the Atlanta premiere of “A Question of Faith” on Monday night. He actually stars in the movie which comes out on Friday!”)

She also takes a look at a mysterious deed and a double strand of pearls. Meanwhile, Bishop is having Maricel move all of his suits from their bedroom to Jacob’s old suite! When Grace asks Maricel why is she moving his suits, she replies “Bishop told me to!”Also, behind Le’Andria is Charity singing background while Jabari watches.

Since it is finally time for the St. Josephine Society Debutante Cotillion that evening, Lady Mae gives the pearls to her granddaughters Zora and Sophia. “They were a double strand, but I had them separated so the two of you can share.” She then explains that a pearl is created when a parasite creeps into oyster. “Something painful and out of place turns into something beautiful.” She further explains how the kingdom of God is like a “pearl of great price.” (I loved the parable about the “Pearl of Great Price” as a child. I guess the precious jewelry motif communicated how precious it is to have a personal relationship with God.) I wonder if she thinks some precious healing can come from the death of her brother. After all, he was a parasite who crept into the Greenleaf gravy train where he found his victims.

The bonding moment is short-lived though as Isaiah’s car horn beeps from outside and Zora rushes out the door. Lady Mae correctly surmises that Isaiah isn’t the best of boyfriends, but that doesn’t matter to Zora, she tells Sophia. “The heart wants what it wants. Or else it does not care.” “Selena Gomez?” asks Sophia the millennial. “Emily Dickinson,” Lady Mae answers.

Lady Mae then calls her sister Mavis (Yes, Oprah finally shows up again!) and tells her she found their mother’s pearls and that she has the deed for Mavis’ club. “I think you still own it.” Remember Mac supposedly took her club from her to punish her for trying to out him as a child molester! Wearing a regal blue taffeta gown that cinches at the waist and flairs out and her hair swept up in a bun high atop her head, Lady Mae is ready for the cotillion!

But that doesn’t stop her from shutting down Kevin, yes, Kevin who has finally returned to the Greenleaf estate! “I came to apologize,” he says. “I was wrong to leave like that. I was having difficulty accepting who I am, and what I’ve done. But I’m ready to be a father again.” He asks her to tell Charity what he said, but she is not trying to hear his excuses. Still Kevin persists. “He’s my son, and I have rights.” Chile, Lady Mae asks Maricel to have Kevin’s car brought to the front of the estate so that he can leave. Kevin calls Aaron. “I’m going to need your help,” he tells him. I guess it’s official now. Kevin and Aaron are a thing…

Lucy Pearl…

It’s cotillion time! Time to get their dance on! But not before all of the preliminaries. The Greenleafs, all adorned in their finery, take family pictures and even Darius is included! And then Sofia and Zora, who are dressed in cotillion white and are escorted by Bishop and Jacob, respectively, are presented to society. Both girls boast grade point averages over 4.0! Then Bishop and Sofia and Zora and her father Jacob dance! Lady Mae, while standing next to Tasha Skanks, says, “Like a page in ‘Southern Decor.'” Remember that Tasha saw Lady Mae’s home in “Southern Decor” magazine and purchased artwork by the same artist whose artwork was also featured in Lady Mae’s home? Then Lady Mae says, “I’m so glad it worked out. It always does.” And then we see Tasha and Rochelle Cross exchange a look. Something is up between them for sure. Also, am I the only one who is wondering what happened to Bishop’s Parkinson’s Disease? He was moving with ease!

Speaking of Bishop, Rochelle slithers up to him and says, “Come dance with me. I was hoping for some quality time.” What woman says that to a married man whose wife is nearby?! When Bishop offers to spend time with her at Calvary i.e. in a professional setting, she makes her intentions crystal clear.  “I’m interested in a more personal connection. I have been since day one. Even a man of God is still a man.” Bishop wants her attention, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to draw attention to them in a public setting so he kind of thwarts her advances.

Rochelle goes back to Tasha and reveals the secret I’ve been wondering about since she showed up. “I told that brother of mine there is more than one way to skin a Greenleaf. I don’t care how we do it as long as it hurts bad.” And there you have it. Remember I said in a previous recap that the caretaker who died in that church fire started by Bishop was supposed to have a daughter not a son. Could it be that Rochelle is that daughter and Basie was the younger brother? Obviously, they are siblings…I know this is TV, but they don’t look alike at all, right?

Pearl Jam…

Once the presentations are done, Zora and Sophia are free to have fun or jam with their boyfriends on the dance floor. Jacob cannot help but smile as he watches his baby dance. He tells Kerissa that she should be able to hang out late for the evening, but he changes his tune once she tells him that she found a condom in their daughter’s room. Actually, Jacob’s mouth drops open. Although it may look like Zora and Isaiah better known to me as Gospel Chris Brown or Christian Breezy (what someone called him on Twitter LOL) are having a great time, they are actually bickering on the dance floor. Per usual, he storms off and Zora chases behind him. But this time, Sophia follows the two. She witnesses Isaiah hitting Zora and runs back to tell Jacob what happened! Jacob then runs up on Zora and Isaiah. After Jacob hits Isaiah, he says, “You better be happy I didn’t kill you boy.” Obviously, this is a spectacle in the middle of the cotillion. Then Zora runs off again and locks herself in the bathroom. Isaiah calls on her cell phone, apologizes yet again, promises never to hit her again and says, “Come away with me. I love you.”

The only family member who didn’t see the drama unfold at the cotillion is Charity who is on tour with Jabari and  Le’Andria, who replaced Tamela Mann for some reason. Anywho, after having an intimate dinner, Jabari and Charity are ready for more intimacy! The biblical kind. Yes, chile. With Alicia Keys and Maxwell singing “Fire We Make,” Jabari and Charity are in bed about to kindle a fire of their own. But she is stalls. First, she tells him, she has only been with Kevin. And then she tells him she had an emergency Caesarian section which left a scar. She hesitantly shows him the scar. He kisses the scar and says, “Charity, you’re beautiful.” What a hottie he is!

Pearlie Mae…

Now that the cotillion is over, Lady Mae has other business she wants to address that evening. Since she’s not coming home to Bishop, she probably has more free time. She goes to see her sister Mavis, who is packing. “You’re moving?” “I’ve got an offer from an investor to open a club in Stockholm. You know white folk love their blues,” Mavis replies.

Lady Mae wastes no time in telling her that she still owns the club, but Mavis tells her she doesn’t want the club anymore. Lady Mae says, “I want my sister back.” Mavis replies, “You can’t have me.” After telling her that she is her sister, Mavis says, “Sister. You don’t know what that word means.” She then tells Lady Mae to give the deed to Gigi. Honey, then Lady Male pulls out all of the stops. “I forgive you for James.” She explains to her sister that she knows about the one time that James and Mavis got together. “Is that what he told you? I can’t even count the times I threw your husband out of here.” Wow. “He never loved you. He just thought you was pretty.” Again, wow. Mavis says that James only wanted Lady Mae to build his church business. (Sadly, many churches are primarily businesses but that is not the case for all churches, thankfully. Just sayin’.) But you know my Lady Mae has the one-liners for eternity and back. ” I think what he chose is a wife so what does that make you.” Take that, take that!

Across town in the parsonage, Jacob and Kerissa have the blues too. “How do you want to handle this?” Kerissa asks Jacob the morning after the cotillion. Kerissa cannot understand why Zora, who was raised to have self-esteem, is accepting abuse from her boyfriend. “There is something inside of her that is broken or unfinished.” But Jacob tells her that his sister Faith had a boyfriend who treated her in a similar fashion and she accepted it too. Sooo…We know that Mac had a penchant for light-skinned young girls, but then again, Faith wasn’t very light-skinned. Could he have abused Zora in her formative years too?!!!

Jacob goes to Zora’s room to check on her, but quickly discovers the teenager is gone! They later discover that Isaiah is gone too!

Also the morning after, Lady Mae shows up at the Greenleaf estate. Grace comes down the stairs and asks, “Have you been out all night?” Apparently, she drove around all night long after her meeting with Mavis. Bishop also appears and Lady Mae says, “I want you out of this house. You told me it only happened one time!”

Bishop doesn’t even put up a fuss. “So be it,” he says. Lady Mae asks Maricel to bring her breakfast to the sunroom. Bishop leaves and goes to the Biltmore Hotel, the site of the cotillion, where he is welcomed into the open arms of Rochelle!

What a season! What a season finale! Are your edges intact?!! Check out a snippet of the fiery finale below!

Thank you sooo much for reading my Greenleaf Finale Recap, Season 2 Episode 16: The Pearl and my other recaps so far. If you would like to keep up with OWN’s “Greenleaf,” and my recaps, please click on this link to subscribe to my blog 🙂!

Any thoughts?