OPINION: It’s baby shower time for Camille and Ian, while the rest of the ladies are forced to think about what they want…and with who?
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
This episode recap also (of course) contains spoilers.
When we last left our Harlem ladies, Quinn was jolted awake by the sounds of Seth talking lovingly to another woman on the phone, a woman he was going to see soon. A woman with whom he ends conversations with, “I love you.” As you can imagine, Quinn was in her WTF bag. But that WTF bag got a little bit bigger once Seth answered her questions very openly and honestly.
It turns out that Seth is still operating under the auspices of his ethical non-monogamy lifestyle (it has been 5 months since they first started dating) and has a whole other boo — Sabrina — that tends to his needs while he’s on the road. To his credit, Seth didn’t lie or try to hide a single thing. He claims to love Quinn and wants a life with her; he wants Quinn to be his “primary partner.” Seth wants to give Quinn everything that she could ever want…except monogamy. I’m sure this chapter isn’t closed…yet.
Well, while Quinn is dealing with her perfect man troubles, we find out that it’s baby shower time for Camille (and Ian)! We also find out that Camille is going beast mode on writing her book; she needs to give me some tips and pointers because a brotha is STRUGGLING over here trying to get my proposal done. Camille? She’s on chapter 29…of her manuscript. Le sigh.
Anyway, interestingly, Camille doesn’t want a baby shower but everybody else is all about this baby shower (and baby) life. Even Ian, is stepping up majorly. I think now is a good time to point out, again, that Portia’s feelings and space in this whole situationship are still unknown. I can’t imagine she’s happy about it all but like, do Portia and Camille ever talk?
I mean, Portia is ABOUT to be stepmommy over here, you’d think that they’d try to develop a relationship of some sort. Maybe they have but it’s unclear and I feel like THAT is the storyline I want to see: what are Ian and Portia’s conversations like…at home — they live together and are considering starting their OWN family.
Tye and Eva seem to be going strong and all but a whole future fumble got telegraphed here. Eva’s mother is in town for one night only and asks Tye to come to dinner to meet her. Tye tries to say no because of Camille’s baby shower — I really should be calling it Camille and Ian’s baby shower — but Eva is insistent on meeting her mother (I really like Eva) and Tye folds. Tye says those famous last words that doom all relationships when pivotal moments are on the table: “but for you, I will work something out.”
We all know that never works out; also the non-committal nature of something as significant as meeting your boo’s mother? Come on, Tye…damn. Spoiler alert: she fumbles it, though in odd fashion. Tye SHOWS UP to the restaurant for dinner but…bails. Eva (and her mother) see her do this, of course, and well…Eva doesn’t seem like she suffers fools. More spoiler alert: Eva’s done with Tye.
Angie and Michael are at an inflection point. And frankly, it’s another relationship that’s kind of easy to see ain’t gonna make it. And honestly, I’m not quite sure who is to blame, if anybody. It’s easy to say Michael but, eh. Angie has to carry some responsibility too.
So, Angie got rave reviews for her preview performance of “Girls Trip: The Musical,” and apparently that’s all she’s been thinking about and focused on. She’s lost sight of what’s happening in Michael’s world and over the course of the season, we have seen him take stock of his and Angie’s…priorities, so to speak. He’s seemed a bit controlling (suggesting that she not do a part he doesn’t feel is worthy of her or that might derail her, without proof) but he’s also been vulnerable with her about why he operates how he does and hasn’t gotten in her way either.
Angie has a vision of what she wants, and it’s not quite gelling with Michael’s view of what he wants. As Angie’s star rises, she has less time for Michael and he’s selfishly (maybe?) taking stock of what that might mean for their marriage. Look, without seeing the final episode (egads!) yet, I feel pretty confident in saying that their relationship is about to sunset.
Back to our main characters. Ian and Camille are bopping around like…a couple. Ian wants to get a mini-van (I feel you, bro; I want one, too) and has his list of things to do to get Camille’s apartment in shape for the baby that is due soon. Their chemistry is undeniable. Well, Ian is in charge of the food and the cake…but forgot to get a cake. Do you know who is a master with the pastries? His girlfriend, Portia.
Ian asks her to repurpose one of her cakes which she ends up bringing to the baby shower. Ian was running super duper late so we get some entertaining banter from Quinn’s very Caribbean mother; she’s always fun. And when she and Ian’s aunt (thee Bevy Smith) get to talking about sidepieces and how men in the old days had enough decency to have baby mommas on the other side of town, well, I legit laughed out loud. Those two ladies need a podcast.
We find out that Ian’s girlfriend Portia and Camille don’t have a relationship because once Portia shows up with the cake, the claws come out from all the ladies. The immediate prospect of beating her down (which makes NO sense; Ian is the villain — such that there is one) is on the table. Portia is also AWARE that the ladies don’t want her there but is concerned with the cake being perfect so they don’t have room to talk trash about her.
It was in that moment I truly felt bad for Portia. Ian is clearly still in love with Camille and asks his girlfriend to help save a baby shower where she isn’t even remotely welcomed. I can see where that relationship is going, too. There’s no way it can survive if that’s the dynamic between the two women in his life. Ian is going to have to set some boundaries and, well, after the baby shower, we see that he is incapable of doing so.
He goes back to Camille’s place to bring stuff and while feeling for the baby to kick, he nearly risks it all for her. While Portia doesn’t know it, we do, and then we see bruh go back home, get in bed with his woman at 3 am, AND THEN text Camille that he’s home and had a great time and can’t wait to do it again.
Bruh.
Like, bruh. Come on, fam. Don’t do Portia like that. But we know how Ian handles things. I fully expect a conversational version of “my bad” to occur where the result is that she moves out and he and Camille can give their love a real shot. We shall see.
Up in Harlem.
Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio and host of the award-winning podcast, “Dear Culture” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).
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