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Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
* BrokenPedestal: Charley and Micah both feel way this toward Davis after his sexual assault of an escort is uncovered.
to:
* BrokenPedestal: BrokenPedestal:
** Charley and Micah both feel way this toward Davis after his sexual assault of an escort isuncovered.uncovered.
** Micah toward Nova after learning that she [[spoiler: is dating a white cop]].
** Romero toward Charley after [[spoiler: he learns that she forced migrant workers to work through a hurricane, ultimately leading to two deaths]].
** Charley and Micah both feel way this toward Davis after his sexual assault of an escort is
** Micah toward Nova after learning that she [[spoiler: is dating a white cop]].
** Romero toward Charley after [[spoiler: he learns that she forced migrant workers to work through a hurricane, ultimately leading to two deaths]].
* MoreDeadlyThanTheMale: Among the Landry family, Sam and Jacob may be slimeballs, but Frances far more cold and calculating.
* NotMeThisTime: Sam and Frances both deny responsibility for [[spoiler: the arson attack against Queen Sugar, though they aren't exactly torn up about it]].
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: The Landrys are racists who never stop trying to make a buck off the suffering of black people. Especially Frances, who is against interracial relationships and calls Charley a "mulatta" who's trying to be white and needs to be "put in her place".
* ThousandYardStare: Charley while [[spoiler: watching Queen Sugar burn]].
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** Subverted with Charley and Remy. Despite their mutual attraction, they don't get together [[spoiler:until after she files for divorce from her husband]].
to:
** Subverted with Charley and Remy. Despite their mutual attraction, they don't get together [[spoiler:until after she files for divorce from her husband]].husband]].
* WhamLine: At the end of season 4, episode 7: [[spoiler: "The mill's on fire."]]
* WhamLine: At the end of season 4, episode 7: [[spoiler: "The mill's on fire."]]
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* In season 4, Charley discovers that an energy company, Old World Energy, has been trying to buy up land in St Josephine's Parish to start fracking in the area. [[spoiler: When the Landry's surveyed the land for the private prison, they found natural gas and teamed with the Old World Energy to take advantage]].
to:
Changed line(s) 115 (click to see context) from:
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. There are multiple instances of characters seeking help from mental health professionals, such as [[spoiler: Ralph Angel and Darla taking Blue to a child psychologist after he learns that Ralph Angel isn't his biological father and Violet getting diagnoses with PTSD from the abuse she endured at the hands of her ex-husband]].
to:
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. There are multiple instances of characters seeking help from mental health professionals, such as [[spoiler: Ralph Angel and Darla taking Blue to a child psychologist after he learns that Ralph Angel isn't his biological father and Violet getting diagnoses diagnosed with PTSD from the abuse she endured at the hands of her ex-husband]].
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* AmicableExes: Nova and Chantal by season 4, though its hinted that Chantal wants them to get back together.
to:
* AmicableExes: AmicableExes:
** Nova and Chantal by season 4, though its hinted that Chantal wants them to get backtogether.together.
** Nova and Calvin. Despite the messy end of their relationship and the fact that Calvin got divorced because of their affair, they're still on good terms. [[spoiler: In season 4, they get back together]].
** Nova and Chantal by season 4, though its hinted that Chantal wants them to get back
** Nova and Calvin. Despite the messy end of their relationship and the fact that Calvin got divorced because of their affair, they're still on good terms. [[spoiler: In season 4, they get back together]].
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* ClosetKey: It's heavily implied that Octavia was this for Nova.
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* In season 4, Charley discovers that an energy company, Old World Energy, has been trying to buy up land in St Josephine's Parish to start fracking in the area. [[spoiler: When the Landry's surveyed the land for the private prison, they found natural gas and teamed with the Old World Energy to take advantage]].
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* DecemberDecemberRomance: Prosper and Genevieve, who've known each other for decades, start a relationship in season 4.
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* FalseFriend: Octavia tries to steal a writing opportunity from Nova and then pretends otherwise. Nova sees through through it immediately.
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* HourglassPlot: Charley and Nova, by season 4. Charley starts out more concerned about maintain her celebrity lifestyles while Nova is a dedicated activist. In season 4 Nova gets caught up in fame after publishing a best-selling book while Charley is focused on fighting to protect the local farmers from white corporate executives.
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* LongLostRelative: In season 4, Nova learns that her mother had an estranged cousin that she never knew about.
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* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. There are multiple instances of characters seeking help from mental health professionals, such as [[spoiler: Ralph Angel and Darla taking Blue to a child psychologist after he learns that Ralph Angel isn't his biological father and Violet getting diagnoses with PTSD from the abuse she endured at the hands of her ex-husband]].
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** Charley and Romero start a clinic for undocumented migrants, but it gets raided by ICE. They're forced to watch helplessly as their patients are taken into custody, including a father who ripped away from two of his children.
to:
** Charley and Romero start a clinic for undocumented migrants, but it gets raided by ICE. They're forced to watch helplessly as their patients are taken into custody, including a father who was ripped away from two of his children.
Changed line(s) 110 (click to see context) from:
* UnbalancedByRivalsKid: [[spoiler: Charley is devastated when she learns that Davis fathered a daughter with another woman while they were married. Charley has no interest in helping Davis raise her, but she's still kind and sympathetic to Tia]].
to:
* UnbalancedByRivalsKid: [[spoiler: Charley is devastated when she learns that Davis fathered a daughter daughter, Tia, with another woman while they were married. Charley has no interest in helping Davis raise her, but she's still kind and sympathetic to Tia]].
Changed line(s) 115 (click to see context) from:
** Defied by [[spoiler: Charley. She doesn't want to be a maternal figure for Davis's illegitimate daughter Tia, but she doesn't have anything against Tia herself. She places full responsibly for the situation on Davis since he's the one who decided to cheat]].
to:
** Defied by [[spoiler: Charley. She doesn't want to be a maternal figure for Davis's illegitimate daughter Tia, but she doesn't have anything against Tia herself. She places full responsibly responsibility for the situation on Davis since he's the one who decided to cheat]].
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* ReasonYouSuckSpeech: Nova receives one from her former mentor (and lover), an academic named Octavia Laurent, who publicly criticizes her for not including any professional sources in her book and only mentioning her once in a single, vague line.
to:
* ReasonYouSuckSpeech: Nova receives one from her former mentor (and lover), an academic named Octavia Laurent, who publicly criticizes her for not including any professional sources in her book and privately called Nova out for only mentioning her once in a single, vague line.
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** Charley and Romero start a clinic for undocumented migrants, but it gets raided by ICE. They're forced to watch helplessly as their patients are taken into custody, including a father who ripped away from two of his children.
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* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: [[spoiler: Darla cheated on Ralph Angel while on a trip, shortly before she found out she was pregnant with Blue. It's later confirmed that Blue isn't his biological child, but everyone still considers him Ralph Angel's son. The reveal does end Ralph Angel's engagement to Darla, however]].
to:
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: [[spoiler: Darla cheated on Ralph Angel while on a trip, shortly before she found out she was pregnant with Blue. It's later confirmed that Blue isn't his biological child, but everyone still considers him Ralph Angel's son. The reveal does end Ralph Angel's engagement to Darla, however]].however. Later, Nova publishes the truth about Blue's parentage in her book, which causes one child to tell Blue he doesn't have a "real" daddy]].
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* ReasonYouSuckSpeech: Nova receives one from her former mentor (and lover), an academic named Octavia Laurent, who publicly criticizes her for not including any professional sources in her book and only mentioning her once in a single, vague line.
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* TeacherStudentRomance: Nova used to be in a relationship with her professor until she decided to quit academia.
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Changed line(s) 116 (click to see context) from:
** Charley's husband [[spoiler: had a mistress named Melina Galoudian. Just prior to the beginning of the season he let his teammates gangrape her and she threatens to go public about their whole affair. To make matters, Davis later confesses he's been cheating on Charley with various women for most of their marriage and has a secret illegitimate daughter]].
to:
** Charley's husband [[spoiler: had a mistress named Melina Galoudian. Just prior to the beginning of the season he let his teammates gangrape her and she threatens to go public about their whole affair. To make matters, matters worse, Davis later confesses he's been cheating on Charley with various women for most of their marriage and has a secret illegitimate daughter]].
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Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
* DealWithTheDevil: Charley [[spoiler: decides the best way to destroy the Landys and protect the farmers she works with is by selling her mill for a share of Landy Enterprises. Later she ends up allying with Sam Landry's nephew and sister, who also want to take him down. Her family and community are all furious when they find out and regard her plan as this]].
to:
* DealWithTheDevil: Charley [[spoiler: decides the best way to destroy the Landys and protect the farmers she works with is by selling her mill for a share of Landy Enterprises. Later she ends up allying with Sam Landry's nephew Jacob Boudreaux and sister, sister Frances Boudreaux, who also want to take him down. Her family and community are all furious when they find out and regard her plan as this]].
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* HonoraryUncle: The Bordelon siblings consider their aunt's boyfriend Hollywood to be part of the family, [[spoiler: even during their temporary break-up]].
to:
* HonoraryUncle: The Bordelon siblings consider their aunt's boyfriend Hollywood to be part of the family, [[spoiler: even during their temporary break-up]].break-up. In season 3 he legally becomes their uncle after marrying Vi]].
Changed line(s) 110 (click to see context) from:
** After Nova [[spoiler: publishes a book containing all her family's darkest secrets]]], the rest of the family (and Darla) becomes extremely angry at her. Violet even refuses to see or speak to her again.
to:
** After Nova [[spoiler: publishes a book containing all her family's darkest secrets]]], secrets]], the rest of the family (and Darla) becomes extremely angry at her. Violet even refuses to see or speak to her again.
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** Defied by [[spoiler: Charley. She doesn't want to be a maternal figure for Davis's illegitimate daughter Tia, but she doesn't have anything against Tia herself. She places full responsibly for the situation on Davis since he's the one who decided to cheat]].
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* AmicableExes: Nova and Chantal by season 4, though its hinted that Chantal wants them to get back together.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: Despite being furious and heartbroken that [[spoiler: Davis cheated on her]], Charley is nothing but nice to his young daughter Tia.
* ChristmasCake: Discussed. While attending a baby shower for one of her friends, Nova and the other ladies talk about being single in middle age and their plans for starting families.
* ChristmasCake: Discussed. While attending a baby shower for one of her friends, Nova and the other ladies talk about being single in middle age and their plans for starting families.
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* ChristmasCake: Discussed. While attending a baby shower for one of her friends, Nova and the other ladies talk about being single in middle age and their plans for starting families.
** Defied with [[spoiler: Charley]]. She points blank tells [[spoiler: Davis]] that she refuses to be a surrogate mother to his daughter.
Changed line(s) 96 (click to see context) from:
** This is heavily deconstructed in season 4. Nova writes a book about her family's experiences through the lens of social justice, using their personal shortcomings to make a larger point about various social and political issues. Naturally, they're all horrified by what she wrote and take it as a huge betrayal. Ralph Angel accuses her of exploiting them and Charley berates her for making them look like monsters to the whole world.
to:
** This is heavily deconstructed in season 4. Nova writes a book about her family's experiences through the lens of social justice, using their personal shortcomings to make a larger point about various social and political issues. Naturally, they're all horrified by what she wrote and take it as a huge betrayal. Ralph Angel accuses her of exploiting them and Charley berates her for making them look like monsters to the whole world. Nova tries to defend her actions by saying their stories are inspirational and will help others, but they all remind her that the book still has negative consequences for them.
Changed line(s) 104 (click to see context) from:
* UnbalancedByRivalsKid: [[spoiler: Charley is devastated when she learns that Davis fathered a daughter with another woman while they were married]].
to:
* UnbalancedByRivalsKid: [[spoiler: Charley is devastated when she learns that Davis fathered a daughter with another woman while they were married]].married. Charley has no interest in helping Davis raise her, but she's still kind and sympathetic to Tia]].
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** After Nova [[spoiler: publishes a book containing all her family's darkest secrets]]], the rest of the family (and Darla) becomes extremely angry at her. Violet even refuses to see or speak to her again.
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* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Charley becomes [[TranquilFury enraged]] when Frances Boudreaux tells her they're NotSoDifferent.
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** Micah receives a death threat after becoming an activist and protesting police violence against black people. When he takes it to his mother, Charley confesses that there were actually a lot more death threats that she had been hiding from him. She admits that's why she sent him on vacation in Paris, to get him out of town for his own safety.
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* IHaveNoSon: In season 4, [[spoiler: Nova includes details of Violet being abused by her ex-husband, Jimmy Dale, in her book without telling Violet. In addition, she went to Jimmy herself to get his side of the story, which resulted in him returning to town to see Violet. After a fight ensued between Jimmy and Hollywood, Violet kicked Nova out of her house, saying she never wants to see her again]].
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* SoapboxSadie: Nova is vocal activist who trying to change the systematic racism in the local police department. This puts her at odds with her police officer boyfriend, Calvin.
to:
* SoapboxSadie: Nova is vocal activist who trying to change the systematic racism in the local police department. This puts her at odds with her police officer boyfriend, Calvin. Her nephew Micah takes after her in that regard.
** This is heavily deconstructed in season 4. Nova writes a book about her family's experiences through the lens of social justice, using their personal shortcomings to make a larger point about various social and political issues. Naturally, they're all horrified by what she wrote and take it as a huge betrayal. Ralph Angel accuses her of exploiting them and Charley berates her for making them look like monsters to the whole world.
** This is heavily deconstructed in season 4. Nova writes a book about her family's experiences through the lens of social justice, using their personal shortcomings to make a larger point about various social and political issues. Naturally, they're all horrified by what she wrote and take it as a huge betrayal. Ralph Angel accuses her of exploiting them and Charley berates her for making them look like monsters to the whole world.
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* SiblingTriangle: There's tension between [[spoiler: Nova and Charley]] in season 3 after [[spoiler:Nova]] starts seeing [[spoiler: Charley's ex-boyfriend, Remy]].
Changed line(s) 106 (click to see context) from:
** Charley's husband [[spoiler: had a mistress named Melina Galoudian. Just prior to the beginning of the season he let his teammates gangrape her and she threatens to go public about their whole affair]].
to:
** Charley's husband [[spoiler: had a mistress named Melina Galoudian. Just prior to the beginning of the season he let his teammates gangrape her and she threatens to go public about their whole affair]].affair. To make matters, Davis later confesses he's been cheating on Charley with various women for most of their marriage and has a secret illegitimate daughter]].
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Changed line(s) 16 (click to see context) from:
* Ralph Angel learns that [[spoiler: Blue is not his biological son and his ex-girlfriend wants full custody. His anxiety and agitation when he gets a visit from social services is understandable]].
to:
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* Ralph Angel learns that [[spoiler: Blue is not his biological son and his ex-girlfriend wants full custody. His anxiety and agitation when he gets a visit from social services is understandable]].
Changed line(s) 37 (click to see context) from:
* ChristmasCake: Discussed. While attending a baby shower for one of her friends, Nova and the other ladies talk over being single in middle age and their plans for starting families.
to:
* ChristmasCake: Discussed. While attending a baby shower for one of her friends, Nova and the other ladies talk over about being single in middle age and their plans for starting families.
* DealWithTheDevil: Charley [[spoiler: decides the best way to destroy the Landys and protect the farmers she works with is by selling her mill for a share of Landy Enterprises. Later she ends up allying with Sam Landry's nephew and sister, who also want to take him down. Her family and community are all furious when they find out and regard her plan as this]].
Changed line(s) 68 (click to see context) from:
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: [[spoiler: Darla cheated on Ralph Angel while on a trip and Blue might not be his biological son. It's later confirmed that Blue isn't biological his, but everything still considers him Ralph Angel's son. The reveal does end Ralph Angel's engagement to Darla, however]].
to:
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: [[spoiler: Darla cheated on Ralph Angel while on a trip and Blue might not be his biological son. trip, shortly before she found out she was pregnant with Blue. It's later confirmed that Blue isn't his biological his, child, but everything everyone still considers him Ralph Angel's son. The reveal does end Ralph Angel's engagement to Darla, however]].
* TheMole: [[spoiler: Charley becomes this for Landry Enterprises, using her newfound access to the company's records and her fellow board members' secrets in an attempt to destroy it from the inside]].
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* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: [[spoiler: Charley didn't make it to the hospital until just after her father passed away]].
to:
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: [[spoiler: Charley and Micah didn't make it to the hospital until just after her father Ernest passed away]].
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Changed line(s) 22 (click to see context) from:
* BettyAndVeronica: Nova's Betty is a vivacious black woman named Chantel who shares many of her ideals. Her Veronica is Calvin, her white cop boyfriend who opposes some of her activist work.
to:
* BettyAndVeronica: Nova's Betty is a vivacious black woman named Chantel Chantal who shares many of her ideals. Her Veronica is Calvin, her white cop boyfriend who opposes some of her activist work.
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* BiTheWay: Nova is openly bisexual. She has dated a man named Calvin and a woman named Chantel.
to:
* BiTheWay: Nova is openly bisexual. She has dated a man named Calvin and a woman named Chantel.Chantal.
** In season 3, Charley finds out that [[spoiler: they've been forcing farmers off their land as part of a plan to lease that land to the government for a private prison]].
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* DeepSouth: The Bordelons are from in the New Orleans, Louisiana. Charley lived in Los Angeles in the beginning of the series, but moves to help run the farm.
to:
* DeepSouth: The Bordelons are from in the fictional St. Josephine's Parish, Louisiana and Nova lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. Charley lived in Los Angeles in the beginning of the series, but moves to help run the farm.
** [[spoiler: Violet and Hollywood get married in season 3]].
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** Nova has a boyfriend named Calvin, but falls for a woman named Chantel.
to:
** Nova has a boyfriend named Calvin, but falls for a woman named Chantel.Chantal.
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* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: [[spoiler: Darla cheated on Ralph Angel while on a trip and Blue might not be his biological son]].
to:
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: [[spoiler: Darla cheated on Ralph Angel while on a trip and Blue might not be his biological son]].son. It's later confirmed that Blue isn't biological his, but everything still considers him Ralph Angel's son. The reveal does end Ralph Angel's engagement to Darla, however]].
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* UnbalancedByRivalsKid: [[spoiler: Charley is devastated when she learns that Davis fathered a daughter with another woman while they were married]].
* VillainousCrush: Jacob Boudreaux, a Landry despite not having the last name, is romantically interested in Charley.
* VillainousCrush: Jacob Boudreaux, a Landry despite not having the last name, is romantically interested in Charley.
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** Nova and Ralph Angel's mother died before the start of the series. It's not known why Charley's mother is no longer part of her life.
* MixedAncestry: Charley is the product of Ernest's affair with a white woman.
* MixedAncestry: Charley is the product of Ernest's affair with a white woman.
to:
** Nova and Ralph Angel's mother died before the start of the series. It's not known why Charley's mother is no longer part often absent because of her life.
busy schedule.
* MixedAncestry: Charley is the product of Ernest'saffair relationship with a white woman.
* MixedAncestry: Charley is the product of Ernest's
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** At the start of season 2, [[spoiler: Charley and Remy, since she hasn't finalized her divorce from Davis yet]].
to:
** At the start of season 2, [[spoiler: Charley and Remy, since she hasn't finalized her divorce from Davis yet]].yet. Once she does, they're much more open about it]].
Changed line(s) 98 (click to see context) from:
** Nova is seeing married man at the start of the series, though they break up halfway through the first season. [[spoiler: Toward the end of the season, though, he leaves his family for her and they get back together]].
to:
** Nova is seeing married man at the start of the series, though they break up halfway through the first season. [[spoiler: Toward the end of the season, though, he leaves his family for her and they get back together]].together, only to break up ''again'' in season 2]].
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trope was renamed
Changed line(s) 94 (click to see context) from:
* {{Transsexual}}: One of Ralph Angel's childhood friends, Toine, is a transgender man who now works as a police officer. When Ralph Angel was first arrested, they saw each other at the station. Toine feared that Ralph Angel would out him and felt grateful that he didn't.
to:
* {{Transsexual}}: {{Transgender}}: One of Ralph Angel's childhood friends, Toine, is a transgender man who now works as a police officer. When Ralph Angel was first arrested, they saw each other at the station. Toine feared that Ralph Angel would out him and felt grateful that he didn't.
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Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
''Queen Sugar'' is an America family drama airing on OWN. It was created, directed, and produced by Ava [=DuVernay=]. [[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow Oprah Winfrey]] is also a producer. The series is based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. It tells the story of three siblings who are forced to work together to run the family sugarcane farm after the unexpected death of their beloved father. The series premiered on September 6, 2016. On August 1, 2016, the series was renewed for a second season.
to:
''Queen Sugar'' is an America family drama airing on OWN. It was created, directed, and produced by Ava [=DuVernay=].Creator/AvaDuVernay. [[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow Oprah Winfrey]] is also a producer. The series is based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. It tells the story of three siblings who are forced to work together to run the family sugarcane farm after the unexpected death of their beloved father. The series premiered on September 6, 2016. On August 1, 2016, the series was renewed for a second season.
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** Darla's mother details how difficult and terrifying it was to try to help her while she was addicted.
-->'''Darlene''': Do you know how it felt for us? Our daughter calling us, high, asking for money? Or high, screaming in pain? Or high, threatening to harm herself? And we are all the way across the country scared out of our minds?
-->'''Darlene''': Do you know how it felt for us? Our daughter calling us, high, asking for money? Or high, screaming in pain? Or high, threatening to harm herself? And we are all the way across the country scared out of our minds?
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* BigBad: The Landrys, with their constant attempts to sabotage the Bordelons' farm.
Added DiffLines:
* DrowningMySorrows: Ralph Angel drives off and gets wasted after [[spoiler:Darla confesses that Blue might not be his biological child]].
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* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: [[spoiler: Darla cheated on Ralph Angel while on a trip and Blue might not be his biological son]].
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* ShippingTorpedo: Vi was really unhappy about Ernest's relationship with Charley's mother, Lorna, because [[spoiler:she thought Lorna was [[ShipperOnDeck in the way of Ernest and True getting back together]]. Vi passed this attitude onto Nova, but after Lorna tells Nova the truth about the whole thing, Nova decides to try to stop judging her]].
* WickedStepmother: Averted. [[spoiler: Lorna, Charley's mother, tries her best to civil to Nova and wants Nova to know how much she admired her (Nova's) mother]].
Changed line(s) 93 (click to see context) from:
** Ernest, the Bordelon patriarch, cheated on Nova and Ralph Angel's mother to conceived Charley. She grew up primarily with her mother.
to:
** Ernest, the Bordelon patriarch, cheated on Nova and Ralph Angel's mother to conceived Charley. She grew up primarily with her mother. [[spoiler: Subverted when it's revealed that he and True had actually broken up before he got together with Lorna]].
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* HeirClubForMen: [[spoiler:Ernest left the farm to Ralph Angel, but not the girls]].
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* InternalReveal: In "Line of Our Elders", [[spoiler:Ralph Angel confesses to the rest of the family that he was the only child named in Ernest's will]].
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* WhatTheHellHero: Charley and Nova are furious after [[spoiler: Ralph Angel confesses to hiding the fact that they weren't included in their father's will, letting them believe for months that they had an equal claim to the land and rearrange their lives around it]].
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Changed line(s) 50 (click to see context) from:
* JustifiedCriminal: Discussed. When a man named Henry Lee is hired by the Landrys to steal for the Bordelon, he's quickly caught by Ralph Angel. Lee claims he only agreed to the theft because he needs to take care of his family and Ralph Angel, having been in a similar position, sympathizes with him. Charley, on the other hand, wants him sent to jail so the Landrys will be exposed and scolds Ralph Angel for being to soft on him.
to:
* JustifiedCriminal: Discussed. When a man named Henry Lee is hired by the Landrys to steal for from the Bordelon, Bordelons, he's quickly caught by Ralph Angel. Lee claims he only agreed to the theft because he needs to take care of his family and Ralph Angel, having been in a similar position, sympathizes with him. Charley, on the other hand, wants him sent to jail so the Landrys will be exposed and scolds Ralph Angel for being to too soft on him.
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* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Robert [=DuBois=], Nova's love interest in season 2, once played against Davis in college.
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* {{Transsexual}}: One of Ralph Angel's childhood friends, Toine, is a transgender man who now works as a police officer. When Ralph Angel was first arrested, they saw each other at the station. Toine feared that Ralph Angel would out him and felt grateful that he didn't.
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Changed line(s) 12 (click to see context) from:
** In the season 2 premier, [[spoiler: Micah is pulled over by a police officer, who aims a gun in his face and takes him into custody]]. The rest of the family gets worried when he doesn't return home after several hours. Charley and Nova's fear when they find his abandoned car is palpable.
to:
** In the season 2 premier, [[spoiler: Micah is pulled over by a police officer, who aims a gun in his face and takes him into custody]]. The rest of the family gets worried when he doesn't return home after several hours. Charley and Nova's fear when they find his abandoned car is palpable. After this incident, [[spoiler: Micah]] is left traumatized and his family isn't sure how to help him cope.
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* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: The Bordelon siblings argue ''a lot'', but at the end of the day they've always got each other's backs.
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* {{Blackmail}}: Davis threatens to reveal [[spoiler: that Charley forged his signature to get a loan for the mill if she doesn't agree to give him shared custody of Micah]]. Though later he claims it was just a bluff.
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** In season 2, they [[spoiler: spy on the Bordelons using a drone, make threats against Blue, and hired desperate locals to steal from the farm]].
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* JustifiedCriminal: Discussed. When a man named Henry Lee is hired by the Landrys to steal for the Bordelon, he's quickly caught by Ralph Angel. Lee claims he only agreed to the theft because he needs to take care of his family and Ralph Angel, having been in a similar position, sympathizes with him. Charley, on the other hand, wants him sent to jail so the Landrys will be exposed and scolds Ralph Angel for being to soft on him.
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* AdultFear: In the season 2 premier, [[spoiler: Micah is pulled over by a police officer, who aims a gun in his face and takes him into custody]]. The rest of the family gets worried when he doesn't return home after several hours. Charley and Nova's fear when they find his abandoned car is palpable.
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* AdultFear: AdultFear:
** In the season 2 premier, [[spoiler: Micah is pulled over by a police officer, who aims a gun in his face and takes him into custody]]. The rest of the family gets worried when he doesn't return home after several hours. Charley and Nova's fear when they find his abandoned car ispalpable.palpable.
** Violet gets the news that the oil rig Hollywood works on had an explosion and when he doesn't pick up, she fears he was hurt. Fortunately, she later finds him alive and well.
** In the season 2 premier, [[spoiler: Micah is pulled over by a police officer, who aims a gun in his face and takes him into custody]]. The rest of the family gets worried when he doesn't return home after several hours. Charley and Nova's fear when they find his abandoned car is
** Violet gets the news that the oil rig Hollywood works on had an explosion and when he doesn't pick up, she fears he was hurt. Fortunately, she later finds him alive and well.
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* AdultFear: In the season 2 premier, [[spoiler: Micah is pulled over by a police officer, who aims a gun in his face and takes him into custody]]. The rest of the family gets worried when he doesn't return home after several hours. Charley and Nova's fear when they find his abandoned car is palpable.
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* BringMyBrownPants: [[spoiler:Micah]] is so scared after getting threatened by a cop and arrested that he pees his pants. The moment is ''far'' from comedic.
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* ChristmasCake: Discussed. While attending a baby shower for one of her friends, Nova and the other ladies talk over being single in middle age and their plans for starting families.
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** At the start of season 2, [[spoiler: Charley and Remy, since she hasn't finalized her divorce from Davis yet]].
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* SceneryPorn: Louisiana's lush sugar country is practically an additional character, and absolutely beautiful.
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* SceneryPorn: Louisiana's lush sugar country is practically an additional character, and absolutely beautiful.
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* SceneryPorn: Louisiana's lush sugar country is practically an additional character, and absolutely beautiful.
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** Melina Gold is a Latina sex worker, but the show focuses more on the danger and disrespect her job comes with.
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** Melina Gold Galoudian is a Latina sex worker, but the show focuses more on the danger and disrespect her job comes with.
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** Charley's husband [[spoiler: had a mistress named Melina Gold. Just prior to the beginning of the season he let his teammates gangrape her and she threatens to go public about their whole affair]].
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** Charley's husband [[spoiler: had a mistress named Melina Gold.Galoudian. Just prior to the beginning of the season he let his teammates gangrape her and she threatens to go public about their whole affair]].
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/queen_sugar.jpg]] [[caption-width-right:350:The Bordelon Siblings: Ralph Angel (left), Nova (center), and Charley (right)]]
''Queen Sugar'' is an America family drama airing on OWN. It was created, directed, and produced by Ava [=DuVernay=]. [[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow Oprah Winfrey]] is also a producer. The series is based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. It tells the story of three siblings who are forced to work together to run the family sugarcane farm after the unexpected death of their beloved father. The series premiered on September 6, 2016. On August 1, 2016, the series was renewed for a second season.
Nova, the eldest, is a determined journalist and activist trying to changed the corrupt New Orleans police department. Charley, the middle child, lives a charmed life in Los Angeles until a scandal threatens to tear her family apart. Ralph Angel, the youngest, struggles with getting his life back together after being released from prison.
It stars Rutina Wesley as Nova Bordelon, Dawn-Lyen Gardner as Charley Bordelon West, and Kofi Siriboe as Ralph Angel Bordelon. Also featured are Tina Lifford as Violet "Vi" Bordelon, Omar Dorsey as Hollingsworth "Hollywood" Desonier, Dondre Whitfield as Remy Newell, Bianca Lawson as Darla, Timon Kyle Durret as Davis West, and Nicholas L. Ashe as Micah West.
----
!!Tropes
* BerserkButton:
** Nova screams at Charley for trying to make the post-funeral repast too much like a upscale banquet rather than a gathering of loved ones.
-->'''Nova''': We don't honor our father by sitting friends and family outside in fancy tables. We don't honor our father by having strangers serve those grieving. We serve comfort food to those who need comfort ''and we do it with our own hands!''
** Charley walks onto the basketball court as Davis is playing and demands to know if he really did [[spoiler:rape an escort, as a video uploaded to the internet implies]].
** Ralph Angel pulls a gun on a man for [[DisproportionateRetribution trying to reposes his father truck]]. It's not the repossession itself that angers him, but the feeling that his life is changing too much and there's nothing he can do to stop it.
* BettyAndVeronica: Nova's Betty is a vivacious black woman named Chantel who shares many of her ideals. Her Veronica is Calvin, her white cop boyfriend who opposes some of her activist work.
* BigSisterInstinct: While a guest on a radio show, Nova defends Charley when the hosts start gossiping about the scandal surrounding her husband.
* BigStormEpisode: A hurricane rips through Louisiana in 1.08 and afterwards [[spoiler: the bodies of two migrant workers are found on the Bordelon property. It's later revealed that they weren't caught in the storm, but murdered for the money they were carrying]].
* BiTheWay: Nova is openly bisexual. She has dated a man named Calvin and a woman named Chantel.
* BlackGalOnWhiteGuyDrama: Nova's boyfriend, Calvin, is not only white, but a white police officer working for the department she antagonized. To make matters worse, [[YourCheatingHeart he's married with kids]].
* BrokenPedestal: Charley and Micah both feel way this toward Davis after his sexual assault of an escort is uncovered.
* ButNotTooBlack: Averted. The black characters come in all shades. Charley is fair-skinned, but both her siblings are very dark.
* CanonForeigner: Nova didn't exist in the novel.
* CheerfulChild: Blue, Ralph Angel and Darla's six year old son.
* [[CoolUncle Cool Aunt]]:
** Vi is the voice of reason for the Bordelon clan and a maternal figure to the siblings.
** Nova is this to both her nephews, but she's especially close to Micah. She even invites him to live with her during the week since [[spoiler: his new school in Louisiana is much closer to her home than Vi's, where he and his mother live following her separation from his father. Charley forbids it because she doesn't like Nova's neighborhood]].
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The Landry family. Between owning most of the land in the parish and running its only operational mill, they've got a complete stranglehold on the local sugar industry. [[spoiler: This quality must have passed through the generations, since the Landrys used to own slaves, including ancestors of the Bordelons. Charley stands up to them, buys a rundown mill that she plans to restore, and gets the small farmers of the parish to side with her]].
* DarkSecret: [[spoiler: Prior to UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar, the Bordelons used to be owned as slaves by the Landry family]].
* TheDeadHaveNames: [[spoiler: The Bordelon siblings are shaken after realizing they don't know the names of the two migrant workers who were killed on their property. Charley is hit hardest, since she believes they would have lived if she'd let them go home earlier]].
* DeepSouth: The Bordelons are from in the New Orleans, Louisiana. Charley lived in Los Angeles in the beginning of the series, but moves to help run the farm.
* DreadlockRasta: Nova wears her hair in long dreadlocks and is a down-to-earth spiritualist and herbal healer. This contrasts her with Charley, who straightens her hair and lived a glamorous, fast-paced lifestyle in L.A.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Ralph Angel, an ex-con who still engages in illegal activity and needs to find a job, is the foolish sibling. Charley, the wealthy sports manager, and Nova, the truth-seeking journalist, are the responsible siblings. Deconstructed because Ralph Angel is fully aware of this dynamic and finds it chafing. He considers his sisters' attempts to help him patronizing and doesn't think they have much faith in him.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Nova sarcastically calls the Landry estate the "museum of [[spoiler:our enslaved ancestors". It turns out the Landry family did once own the Bordelon family as slaves]].
* GenderFlip: Charley's son Micah was a daughter in the novel.
* HappilyMarried: Charley and her husband Davis are a wealthy, famous, and successful couple with a wonderful teenage son who adores them. However things between them become strained when Davis's sex scandal break out and [[spoiler:Charley eventually files for divorce after learning about the plight of his mistress]].
* HonoraryUncle: The Bordelon siblings consider their aunt's boyfriend Hollywood to be part of the family, [[spoiler: even during their temporary break-up]].
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Ernest Bordelon and Remy Newell, who are appropriately aged to be father and son. Charley is initially surprised when she meets Remy because she expected him to be much older.
* InTouchWithHisFeminineSide: Blue, Ralph Angel's son, plays with a doll named Kenya that he takes everywhere.
* IntrepidReporter: Nova is tired of writing shallow reports at her boss's behest and instead launches her own investigation into the racism, inefficiency, and corruption in the NOPD.
* ItsAllMyFault: Charley blames herself for [[spoiler: the deaths of two migrant workers in her employ. The workers had all wanted to go home, but she told them to work later than planned. The following morning, she found two of them lying dead in the fields and couldn't even identify them]].
* LikesOlderWomen: Hollywood is much younger than Vi, but he's completely devoted to her.
* LoveTriangle: All three siblings find themselves in one.
** Nova has a boyfriend named Calvin, but falls for a woman named Chantel.
** Charley's having a rough patch with her husband Davis and develops feelings for Remy.
** Ralph Angel has a complicated relationship with Darla, the mother of his son, but has tender moments with Reyna, his son's teacher.
* MamaBear:
** Nova's crusade against the NOPD revolves mainly around the case of a teenager called Too Sweet whom Nova is desperately trying to get released from prison so he can start his life over.
** Vi doesn't want Darla anywhere near Ralph Angel or Blue after the state she left them in due to her drug addiction.
** Charley does everything in her power to keep the scandal from touching her son Micah. She also doesn't appreciate Nova interfering in his life without her permission.
* TheMentor: Remy, one of Ernest's old friends, helps the Bordelon siblings learns to run a farm. Interestingly, he's around the same age as them due to his and Ernest's IntergenerationalFriendship.
* MissingMom:
** Blue's mother Darla lost custody of him because of her drug abuse, though she's making effort to stay clean and be part of his life.
** Nova and Ralph Angel's mother died before the start of the series. It's not known why Charley's mother is no longer part of her life.
* MixedAncestry: Charley is the product of Ernest's affair with a white woman.
* MommasBoy: Charley's son Micah is closer to her than to his father, though he does still care about his dad.
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: [[spoiler: Charley didn't make it to the hospital until just after her father passed away]].
* ParentalNeglect: Darla had custody of Blue for a time while Ralph Angel was imprisoned and she was too busy getting high to properly take care of him. The reason Vi didn't want to [[spoiler:give legal guardianship of Blue back to Ralph Angel was to make sure Darla would never get her hands on Blue again. Vi does eventually relent]].
* ParentalSubstitute: Vi helps guide her nieces and nephew after her brother's death. She was also Blue's legal guardian for a while during Ralph Angel's incarceration.
* ThePatriarch: Ernest Bordelon was the glue that held to whole family together. His death leaves a huge hole in his children's and sister's lives.
* RaceAgainstTheClock: The main problem facing the farm in the first season is that the siblings need to get a harvest ready before its too late for anything to grow and the farm loses too much money.
* RichBitch:
** Charley to an extent. She rarely goes out of her way to be malicious, but she looks down on sex workers and the poor, can be highly self-centered, and is willing to [[spoiler: threaten her best friend to get a deal that'll save the farm]].
** The Landrys are a straight example. See CorruptCorporateExecutive.
* SecretRelationship: Nova and Calvin, due to the fact that he's married to another woman. [[spoiler: Becomes less secret after he leaves her for Nova]].
* SlutShaming: Melina, the woman who accused Davis West and his teammates of raping her, is subjected to this, particularly from Charley. [[spoiler: Charley apologizes when she learns that the players ''did'' rape her and Davis covered it up]].
* SoapboxSadie: Nova is vocal activist who trying to change the systematic racism in the local police department. This puts her at odds with her police officer boyfriend, Calvin.
* SpicyLatina: Averted twice.
** Reyna Velez is a ShrinkingViolet schoolteacher who is too shy to let Ralph Angel know she has a crush on him. Especially after [[spoiler: he gets back together with Darla]].
** Melina Gold is a Latina sex worker, but the show focuses more on the danger and disrespect her job comes with.
* SpitefulSpit: Nova bumps into a man who recognizes her for her exposé on the criminal justice system in New Orleans. He tries to assault her, prompting Calvin to step in, and then spits in Nova's face.
* TitleDrop: [[spoiler: In the season 1 finale, Charley buys a sugar mill so the farm won't be dependent on the Landry mill and she names it "Queen Sugar"]].
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Nova and Charley, respectively. Nova is surprised when Charley decides to get her hands dirty while taking care of the harvest.
* YourCheatingHeart:
** Nova is seeing married man at the start of the series, though they break up halfway through the first season. [[spoiler: Toward the end of the season, though, he leaves his family for her and they get back together]].
** Charley's husband [[spoiler: had a mistress named Melina Gold. Just prior to the beginning of the season he let his teammates gangrape her and she threatens to go public about their whole affair]].
** Ernest, the Bordelon patriarch, cheated on Nova and Ralph Angel's mother to conceived Charley. She grew up primarily with her mother.
** [[spoiler: Hollywood had a wife the whole time he was with Vi. They had been separated for years, ever since her mental breakdown, but were still technically married]].
** Micah learns that his girlfriend Stella had been cheating on him after nude pictures of another boy were found on her phone.
** Subverted with Charley and Remy. Despite their mutual attraction, they don't get together [[spoiler:until after she files for divorce from her husband]].
''Queen Sugar'' is an America family drama airing on OWN. It was created, directed, and produced by Ava [=DuVernay=]. [[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow Oprah Winfrey]] is also a producer. The series is based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. It tells the story of three siblings who are forced to work together to run the family sugarcane farm after the unexpected death of their beloved father. The series premiered on September 6, 2016. On August 1, 2016, the series was renewed for a second season.
Nova, the eldest, is a determined journalist and activist trying to changed the corrupt New Orleans police department. Charley, the middle child, lives a charmed life in Los Angeles until a scandal threatens to tear her family apart. Ralph Angel, the youngest, struggles with getting his life back together after being released from prison.
It stars Rutina Wesley as Nova Bordelon, Dawn-Lyen Gardner as Charley Bordelon West, and Kofi Siriboe as Ralph Angel Bordelon. Also featured are Tina Lifford as Violet "Vi" Bordelon, Omar Dorsey as Hollingsworth "Hollywood" Desonier, Dondre Whitfield as Remy Newell, Bianca Lawson as Darla, Timon Kyle Durret as Davis West, and Nicholas L. Ashe as Micah West.
----
!!Tropes
* BerserkButton:
** Nova screams at Charley for trying to make the post-funeral repast too much like a upscale banquet rather than a gathering of loved ones.
-->'''Nova''': We don't honor our father by sitting friends and family outside in fancy tables. We don't honor our father by having strangers serve those grieving. We serve comfort food to those who need comfort ''and we do it with our own hands!''
** Charley walks onto the basketball court as Davis is playing and demands to know if he really did [[spoiler:rape an escort, as a video uploaded to the internet implies]].
** Ralph Angel pulls a gun on a man for [[DisproportionateRetribution trying to reposes his father truck]]. It's not the repossession itself that angers him, but the feeling that his life is changing too much and there's nothing he can do to stop it.
* BettyAndVeronica: Nova's Betty is a vivacious black woman named Chantel who shares many of her ideals. Her Veronica is Calvin, her white cop boyfriend who opposes some of her activist work.
* BigSisterInstinct: While a guest on a radio show, Nova defends Charley when the hosts start gossiping about the scandal surrounding her husband.
* BigStormEpisode: A hurricane rips through Louisiana in 1.08 and afterwards [[spoiler: the bodies of two migrant workers are found on the Bordelon property. It's later revealed that they weren't caught in the storm, but murdered for the money they were carrying]].
* BiTheWay: Nova is openly bisexual. She has dated a man named Calvin and a woman named Chantel.
* BlackGalOnWhiteGuyDrama: Nova's boyfriend, Calvin, is not only white, but a white police officer working for the department she antagonized. To make matters worse, [[YourCheatingHeart he's married with kids]].
* BrokenPedestal: Charley and Micah both feel way this toward Davis after his sexual assault of an escort is uncovered.
* ButNotTooBlack: Averted. The black characters come in all shades. Charley is fair-skinned, but both her siblings are very dark.
* CanonForeigner: Nova didn't exist in the novel.
* CheerfulChild: Blue, Ralph Angel and Darla's six year old son.
* [[CoolUncle Cool Aunt]]:
** Vi is the voice of reason for the Bordelon clan and a maternal figure to the siblings.
** Nova is this to both her nephews, but she's especially close to Micah. She even invites him to live with her during the week since [[spoiler: his new school in Louisiana is much closer to her home than Vi's, where he and his mother live following her separation from his father. Charley forbids it because she doesn't like Nova's neighborhood]].
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The Landry family. Between owning most of the land in the parish and running its only operational mill, they've got a complete stranglehold on the local sugar industry. [[spoiler: This quality must have passed through the generations, since the Landrys used to own slaves, including ancestors of the Bordelons. Charley stands up to them, buys a rundown mill that she plans to restore, and gets the small farmers of the parish to side with her]].
* DarkSecret: [[spoiler: Prior to UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar, the Bordelons used to be owned as slaves by the Landry family]].
* TheDeadHaveNames: [[spoiler: The Bordelon siblings are shaken after realizing they don't know the names of the two migrant workers who were killed on their property. Charley is hit hardest, since she believes they would have lived if she'd let them go home earlier]].
* DeepSouth: The Bordelons are from in the New Orleans, Louisiana. Charley lived in Los Angeles in the beginning of the series, but moves to help run the farm.
* DreadlockRasta: Nova wears her hair in long dreadlocks and is a down-to-earth spiritualist and herbal healer. This contrasts her with Charley, who straightens her hair and lived a glamorous, fast-paced lifestyle in L.A.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Ralph Angel, an ex-con who still engages in illegal activity and needs to find a job, is the foolish sibling. Charley, the wealthy sports manager, and Nova, the truth-seeking journalist, are the responsible siblings. Deconstructed because Ralph Angel is fully aware of this dynamic and finds it chafing. He considers his sisters' attempts to help him patronizing and doesn't think they have much faith in him.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Nova sarcastically calls the Landry estate the "museum of [[spoiler:our enslaved ancestors". It turns out the Landry family did once own the Bordelon family as slaves]].
* GenderFlip: Charley's son Micah was a daughter in the novel.
* HappilyMarried: Charley and her husband Davis are a wealthy, famous, and successful couple with a wonderful teenage son who adores them. However things between them become strained when Davis's sex scandal break out and [[spoiler:Charley eventually files for divorce after learning about the plight of his mistress]].
* HonoraryUncle: The Bordelon siblings consider their aunt's boyfriend Hollywood to be part of the family, [[spoiler: even during their temporary break-up]].
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Ernest Bordelon and Remy Newell, who are appropriately aged to be father and son. Charley is initially surprised when she meets Remy because she expected him to be much older.
* InTouchWithHisFeminineSide: Blue, Ralph Angel's son, plays with a doll named Kenya that he takes everywhere.
* IntrepidReporter: Nova is tired of writing shallow reports at her boss's behest and instead launches her own investigation into the racism, inefficiency, and corruption in the NOPD.
* ItsAllMyFault: Charley blames herself for [[spoiler: the deaths of two migrant workers in her employ. The workers had all wanted to go home, but she told them to work later than planned. The following morning, she found two of them lying dead in the fields and couldn't even identify them]].
* LikesOlderWomen: Hollywood is much younger than Vi, but he's completely devoted to her.
* LoveTriangle: All three siblings find themselves in one.
** Nova has a boyfriend named Calvin, but falls for a woman named Chantel.
** Charley's having a rough patch with her husband Davis and develops feelings for Remy.
** Ralph Angel has a complicated relationship with Darla, the mother of his son, but has tender moments with Reyna, his son's teacher.
* MamaBear:
** Nova's crusade against the NOPD revolves mainly around the case of a teenager called Too Sweet whom Nova is desperately trying to get released from prison so he can start his life over.
** Vi doesn't want Darla anywhere near Ralph Angel or Blue after the state she left them in due to her drug addiction.
** Charley does everything in her power to keep the scandal from touching her son Micah. She also doesn't appreciate Nova interfering in his life without her permission.
* TheMentor: Remy, one of Ernest's old friends, helps the Bordelon siblings learns to run a farm. Interestingly, he's around the same age as them due to his and Ernest's IntergenerationalFriendship.
* MissingMom:
** Blue's mother Darla lost custody of him because of her drug abuse, though she's making effort to stay clean and be part of his life.
** Nova and Ralph Angel's mother died before the start of the series. It's not known why Charley's mother is no longer part of her life.
* MixedAncestry: Charley is the product of Ernest's affair with a white woman.
* MommasBoy: Charley's son Micah is closer to her than to his father, though he does still care about his dad.
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: [[spoiler: Charley didn't make it to the hospital until just after her father passed away]].
* ParentalNeglect: Darla had custody of Blue for a time while Ralph Angel was imprisoned and she was too busy getting high to properly take care of him. The reason Vi didn't want to [[spoiler:give legal guardianship of Blue back to Ralph Angel was to make sure Darla would never get her hands on Blue again. Vi does eventually relent]].
* ParentalSubstitute: Vi helps guide her nieces and nephew after her brother's death. She was also Blue's legal guardian for a while during Ralph Angel's incarceration.
* ThePatriarch: Ernest Bordelon was the glue that held to whole family together. His death leaves a huge hole in his children's and sister's lives.
* RaceAgainstTheClock: The main problem facing the farm in the first season is that the siblings need to get a harvest ready before its too late for anything to grow and the farm loses too much money.
* RichBitch:
** Charley to an extent. She rarely goes out of her way to be malicious, but she looks down on sex workers and the poor, can be highly self-centered, and is willing to [[spoiler: threaten her best friend to get a deal that'll save the farm]].
** The Landrys are a straight example. See CorruptCorporateExecutive.
* SecretRelationship: Nova and Calvin, due to the fact that he's married to another woman. [[spoiler: Becomes less secret after he leaves her for Nova]].
* SlutShaming: Melina, the woman who accused Davis West and his teammates of raping her, is subjected to this, particularly from Charley. [[spoiler: Charley apologizes when she learns that the players ''did'' rape her and Davis covered it up]].
* SoapboxSadie: Nova is vocal activist who trying to change the systematic racism in the local police department. This puts her at odds with her police officer boyfriend, Calvin.
* SpicyLatina: Averted twice.
** Reyna Velez is a ShrinkingViolet schoolteacher who is too shy to let Ralph Angel know she has a crush on him. Especially after [[spoiler: he gets back together with Darla]].
** Melina Gold is a Latina sex worker, but the show focuses more on the danger and disrespect her job comes with.
* SpitefulSpit: Nova bumps into a man who recognizes her for her exposé on the criminal justice system in New Orleans. He tries to assault her, prompting Calvin to step in, and then spits in Nova's face.
* TitleDrop: [[spoiler: In the season 1 finale, Charley buys a sugar mill so the farm won't be dependent on the Landry mill and she names it "Queen Sugar"]].
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Nova and Charley, respectively. Nova is surprised when Charley decides to get her hands dirty while taking care of the harvest.
* YourCheatingHeart:
** Nova is seeing married man at the start of the series, though they break up halfway through the first season. [[spoiler: Toward the end of the season, though, he leaves his family for her and they get back together]].
** Charley's husband [[spoiler: had a mistress named Melina Gold. Just prior to the beginning of the season he let his teammates gangrape her and she threatens to go public about their whole affair]].
** Ernest, the Bordelon patriarch, cheated on Nova and Ralph Angel's mother to conceived Charley. She grew up primarily with her mother.
** [[spoiler: Hollywood had a wife the whole time he was with Vi. They had been separated for years, ever since her mental breakdown, but were still technically married]].
** Micah learns that his girlfriend Stella had been cheating on him after nude pictures of another boy were found on her phone.
** Subverted with Charley and Remy. Despite their mutual attraction, they don't get together [[spoiler:until after she files for divorce from her husband]].
