Update: An all new episode of Queens airs tonight! Be sure to tune in and stream on HULU the next day! Check out the recap of the last episode below!

Since this week was Fall Break, I watched the new episode of Queens live! I also got the opportunity to live-tweet during the show, which I forgot how much fun it was to do so. As always, Queens gives us laughs and drama, and last night’s episode was no different. There’s a lot to unpack and discuss, so let’s start breaking it down! 

This week’s episode was called Behind the Throne. However, an even better title would have been: All Rise: Queens Court is Now Is Session. Everyone’s life, lifestyle, and motives were placed before us to judge this week. After a successful mainstage comeback at the AMA’s, the Queens are now in high demand. And with newfound demand comes more attention. Since the women were at the top of the throne in the late ’90s, understandably, they are learning the hard way about social media and viral life. So in courtroom fashion, let’s bring each lady to this week’s public stand. 

The first witness to the stand is Jill. 

I don’t think I quite have enough emojis to express the disgust I have for her at the moment. Last night’s episode proved that Jill is not authentic. Despite the kind words that people shared about her, Jill’s thrill for fame again is causing her to go downhill. Between her involvement with the “assistant,” legally finalizing the divorce, and being utterly lame for playing Tina again, she’s the most guilty of them all this week. 

During the episode, several vital plot points stuck out to me with each storyline. First was her ex-husband Darren’s plea not to change too much. Everyone knows that she is transforming into something she’s genuinely not. Jill is only thinking about herself despite her multiple attempts to woo her fans and supporters back from the brink of cancelation. I thought she couldn’t sink any lower than turning the assault situation around in a staged morning interview, but she proved me wrong. My heart broke when she played Tina off as a pawn in the club. 

The second was Valeria’s moment telling Jill about not engaging with the Twitter trolls. (Sidenote: When V told Jill to “lay down and get dragged,” I hollered! The relatability of this line was too much! ) Although this moment seems insignificant, I believe it will come back to bite Jill and the group. She was very Twitter finger happy, and I feel like Jill is engaging in her next romantic entanglement via social media. 

Jill is not loyal to anyone, so I hope Alicia is ready to be next in line for Love Dump Lane. Given Jill’s quick descent from collected to arrogant, I’m wondering if she’s on the edge of relapsing. Jill hasn’t dealt with anything so far. Her method of coping is escapism by any means necessary. I believe she’s about to escape back into her old habits, but this time with all the world watching. But, with cameras this time, it’s going to be more damaging than before. Well, I guess I’ve presented her enough this time. Let’s call the next witness to the stand. 

Next up, Valeria. 

Each week Valeria is growing more enduring and what’s so sad is her character keeps getting her heart mishandled. Last week, she discovered that the alleged stalker was her “mother.” In the words of Queen Tyra: I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU! WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU! I honestly wanted this to be truthful, heartfelt, and loving. 

But, if you haven’t figured it out by now, Queens is the hip-hop equivalent to the board game CLUE, where everyone is a suspect, and no one is safe from being guilty of the crime. (Sidenote: Nadine is bringing it with this role this week! She indeed expressed Valeria’s vulnerability effortlessly.) 

Valeria instantly wanted to recapture what was missing in her life, so she welcomed this woman with open arms. Without question, she accepted her story (which seemed highly believable), and she even expressed that she loved her. However, it did seem too quick. From the diamond necklace to poppin’ bottles in the club with her, Valeria was overly hopeful that she could now close a long-written chapter in her life. Her girls and Eric warned her of the motives behind this sudden reappearance. Still, she was adamant that she wanted to move forward. And this brings me to my third point. 

In a clever play on the well-known tv series, Behind the Music, the ladies filmed a documentary special for Behind the Scenes. During the special, each queen was asked about their lives and where they stand now during the comeback season. The reporter attempted to question Valeria about her “mother’s” sudden appearance back into her life. Yet, V remained hopeful about not judging the past but cherishing the moments from now on. 

At the end of the show, the interviewer/producer of the documentary shared some secret footage of what appeared to be Valeria’s mother snapping pictures of her credit cards. Now, I see this going two ways: 1.) She isn’t her mother but some scam artist that’s trying to come up off her. 2.) She is her mother, and the show’s producer was trying to dredge up drama for the documentary. We know all too well how scripted reality television shows and specials are. And since Valeria longs for a family, she’s emotionally being preyed on. What’s sad is that every time Valeria shares that she loves someone, they mistreat her. I don’t want the emotionally stoic V back. I was getting used to the warm and caring V. (sad face) Well, that’s all for Valeria this week. 

I now call Naomi forward. 

The family unit plotline took a backseat for Naomi and Eric this week. Miss Naomi was lowkey getting her groove back. (Sidenote: I ship it! Whatever comes of this potential boo thang, I’m here for it! In fact, let me start brainstorming their ship name. How about #NaRod?)  Digressing, out of all of the women this week, Naomi proved she was the most loyal. She begged the group not to replace Lil’ Muffin on their newest single, and she stood firm on her role as the glue holding the group together. 

But I think she needs to go back and check the seal. Besides the apparent chemistry between Naomi and Rodrigo and Eric’s jealousy, Naomi’s most notable plot point was her nervousness throughout the video production and before the interview. I’m going to play devil’s advocate for a moment. Her being nervous is essential to the storyline as point four. 

Rodrigo appears to be a big fan of her specifically, but I think he’s around her for more than having a mere crush. (Sidenote: That aggressive nothing during her interview when asked about him made me go, okay! I see you, mama!) Although they make an attractive couple, I feel like he’s trying to get some dirt on her. I mean, let’s keep it real. Now that the ladies are back and buzzing, all of the piranhas are out for them. Naomi has fought hard to keep her personal life out of the media gaze, and I suspect this gentleman will stir up more than Eric’s jealousy. I was highly amused, though, that Eric was feeling a way about her receiving another man’s attention. (Sidenote: Sir, who told you that yall was getting back together? You’re cute or whatever, but… lol) I usually don’t side with Eric since he’s been doing shady side deals, but I’m hawk-eye watching this interaction as well. 

And now, this week’s last witness to the stand is Brianna. 

First, kudos to Brianna for holding it down for the single working mothers this week! Secondly, my girl was going through it! It takes a village to be a single mom, raise children and have a career, and Brianna doesn’t have a stable enough village. Although it was hilarious that her five children had to go everywhere with her, it’s not practical in the long run. (Sidenote: The scene with the children in the club was too much! They were dancing on the floor. And let’s not even talk about the hilarity of them all being in the VIP section with the crew. *screams*) 

Aside from her mothering struggles on set, her biggest challenge came with her oldest son, James. At first, my eyes went up with the rebelling and backtalk he was giving this week. However, on the other hand, losing a parent suddenly is a lot to process, especially as a teen. The most conflicting moment between her and James was her request for him to be the man of the house. As a parent, I don’t care how rough it gets; I want my child to remain a child as long as she’s chronologically able to. I get Brianna’s side for expecting more help, but the support should be assisting more with tasks he was already partaking in. 

Requiring your oldest child to be a pseudo parent not only stifles them emotionally but also creates unwarranted stress for their progress and lives. With each passing week, it’s becoming more evident that Brianna will have to call out on moving forward with the group if she’s going to really be there for her family. Perhaps, she could go back to the world of higher ed for a minute? The hours being a professor would be much more compatible with her children’s needs. Besides, with talent, it doesn’t matter when you come around; you naturally remain the moment. *snaps fingers*

Lastly, let’s discuss the main reason for the court theme this week! Queens released their latest single called All Rise. It tackles many issues present within our country, politically affecting women’s rights and personal freedoms. The video was beautifully filmed, and each queen looked terrific! At the top of the show, the socially conscious song was played alongside two featured guest rap appearances.

The first featured Eric’s artist Lil’ Muffin, and it wasn’t in line with the song’s theme. Once the second option by Lady London (which was fire) played, the group voted 3-2 to remove the bubblegum-like verse with Lil’ Muffin. But as Jill became a trending topic of the week, Lady London pulled out, and they had to resort to getting Lil’ Muffin back. Which I was happy about! Lil’ Muffin is really trying to get her life back on track, but she’s got so many distractions around her.

After attempting to go as just Lauren for her musical career, she quickly learned that the music industry pushes back against what they don’t think is profitable. When Eric called her to inform her about being dropped and needing the label payment, I felt bad for her. Like Valeria, she has a layered past. Lauren briefly talked about how she was bullied in school, which inspired the persona Lil’ Muffin. And given the crew of leeches that are always hanging around her, it makes it seem like she doesn’t really have a caring family around. This crew appears to be the only family she associates with, and that’s highly problematic. 

I hope she gets the courage to kick them to the curb because they are anchors pulling her down. But before I wrap up the recap for this week, the final point of discussion for the week is the anchor plot point of who’s the shooter. My opinion has tossed between who it could be each week, and I think I’ve narrowed down my last predictions. Based on the previews and angles of the shooting, it appears to be someone tall. The only tall characters to me on the show are Darren, Eric, and Tina. 

• We can scratch off Eric because he’s seen standing with the girls. But I am not ruling out that this shooting could be related to him. After all, how did he get $750K for Lil Muffin debts with ease?
• I’m still eyeing Darren because something about him just seems a little off. His emotions have been all over the place, but it seemed like he’d gone through all the stages of grief at the divorce paper signing. Plus, the show has hinted that it could be him based on the shooter’s breathing pattern. So he’s still a strong contender.
• However, I am adding the possibility of it being Tina this week! What Jill did was LOW. I’m talking bottom-of-the-barrel scum. And Tina didn’t appear to take this treatment well. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in a heated moment, her rational emotions escaped her.

Well, that’s the end of my musings about Queens for the week! Since October 19th, Queens has been on our necks, but they are taking a hiatus next week and are set to return on December 7th with the episode called “Who Shot Ya?” I’m not going to cap and say I won’t miss them next week, but it’s probably for the best since I have finals and presentations to work on! #CollegeLife Until the 7th, stay up with the show daily on social media by following the show’s official social media handles on Twitter and Instagram! #QueensABC