Queen Sugar is an American drama television series created and executive produced by Ava DuVernay, with Oprah Winfrey serving as an executive producer. DuVernay also directed the first two episodes. The series is based on the 2014 novel of the same name by American writer Natalie Baszile.[1] Queen Sugar centers on the lives of three siblings in rural Louisiana (Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, and Kofi Siriboe) who must deal with the aftermath of their father's sudden death and decide the fate of his 800-acre sugarcane farm. The mainstream themes in the series often accompany episodes centered on racial profiling, the long reach of chattel slavery in American history and the inequities in the criminal justice system, and other issues related to African Americans.[2]
| Queen Sugar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Ava DuVernay |
| Based on | Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Meshell Ndegeocello |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 89 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 37–65 minutes |
| Production companies | Warner Horizon Television Harpo Films Forward Movement Array Filmworks (Season 4) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Oprah Winfrey Network |
| Release | September 6, 2016 – November 29, 2022 |
The show holds a 93% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and has won two NAACP Image Awards and 12 total nominations.[3][4] Critics have praised the racially progressive show for storylines that tackle universal issues such as culture, class, and gender, while highlighting elements that address specific concerns of African-American society as expressed by the show's predominantly black cast.[5]
Queen Sugar airs on Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and premiered on September 6, 2016.[1][6][7] In January 2021, ahead of the fifth season premiere, the series was renewed for a sixth season,[8] which premiered on September 7, 2021.[9] Ahead of the sixth season finale, it was announced that the series was renewed for a 13-episode seventh and final season, which premiered on September 6, 2022.[10][11]
Plot
editThe series follows the lives of three siblings in rural Louisiana: Nova Bordelon (played by Rutina Wesley), a formidable journalist and activist from New Orleans; Charley Bordelon (Dawn-Lyen Gardner), a working wife and mother in Los Angeles; and their brother, Ralph Angel Bordelon (Kofi Siriboe), a single parent struggling with unemployment and raising his son alone. Their father has recently died and unexpectedly bequeathed an 800-acre sugarcane farm in equal proportion to each of his three children in Louisiana. Recently divorced, Charley, whose husband is caught up in a scandalous affair, takes her teenage son Micah and moves to the heart of rural Louisiana to operate the farm.
Cast and characters
editMain cast
edit- Rutina Wesley as Nova Bordelon, the eldest Bordelon child. She is a journalist, activist and healer in New Orleans.
- Dawn-Lyen Gardner as Charlotte "Charley" Bordelon West, the second Bordelon child. She was conceived when their father Ernest moved west and married a white woman. She is the biracial half sibling to Nova and Ralph Angel, sports manager, mother of Micah and ex-wife of Davis West (seasons 1–6).
- Kofi Siriboe as Ralph Angel Bordelon, the youngest Bordelon sibling. He is looking to better himself after recently being released from prison. Tied strongly to his family land.
- Nicholas L. Ashe as Micah West, Charley's and Davis' teenage son.
- Omar Dorsey as Hollingsworth "Hollywood" Desonier, a much younger oil rig worker, husband to Violet, and friend of the Bordelon family.
- Dondre Whitfield as Remy Newell, an irrigation specialist who was a friend and confidante to Ernest. He soon tries to help Ernest's grown children and soon becomes Charley's love interest (seasons 1–3; guest seasons 4 and 7).
- Timon Kyle Durrett as Davis West, a charismatic star basketball player, ex-husband of Charley, and father of Micah. His involvement in a sex scandal resulted in the end of their marriage, though they eventually reconcile and remarry (seasons 1–2; recurring seasons 3–6).
- Greg Vaughan as Calvin Gaston, a married police officer and Nova Bordelon's longtime secret lover (season 1; guest season 2; recurring season 4–5, and 7)
- Ethan Hutchison as Blue Bordelon, Ralph Angel's and Darla's nine-year-old son. (seasons 1–5; guest season 6; recurring season 7)
- Marycarmen Lopez as Reyna Velez, Blue's elementary school teacher and Ralph Angel’s love interest (season 1)
- Tina Lifford as Violet Bordelon, the younger sister of Ernest Bordelon. She acts as the matriarch of the family and lives with her husband, Hollywood.
- Bianca Lawson as Darla Bordelon (née Sutton), Ralph Angel's wife and Blue and Tru's mother, seeking to reconnect with them both as she is in recovery from a drug addiction. (seasons 2–7; recurring season 1)
- Henry G. Sanders as Prosper Denton, a lifelong friend to Ernest and fellow farmer (seasons 3–7; recurring seasons 1–2).
- Walter Perez as Romero Rodriguez, a doctor and love interest to Charley (season 4; recurring season 3)
- Tammy Townsend as Billie, Prosper's estranged daughter (seasons 6–7) [12]
Recurring
edit- Glynn Turman as Ernest Bordelon, the late patriarch of the Bordelon family and older brother of Violet (season 1)
- True O'Brien as Stella, Micah's girlfriend in Los Angeles (season 1)[13]
- Reagan Gomez-Preston as Chantal Williams, Nova's friend and love interest
- Issac White as Devonte "Too Sweet" Bonclair, a teen who after being falsely imprisoned becomes the main focus of Nova's current crusade on how the parish DA has been railroading African-Americans (season 1; guest, season 3)
- Tanyell Waivers as Keke Raymond, a teenage friend of the family who becomes Micah's girlfriend and then a good friend (seasons 1-5, 7).
- Deja Dee as Sierra, Nova's college roommate
- Sharon Lawrence as Lorna Prescott, Charley's mother
- Michael Michele as Darlene, Darla's mother
- Roger Guenveur Smith as Quincy, Darla's father
- Alimi Ballard as Dr. Robert Dubois, an activist who is briefly Nova's love interest in the second season
- Lea Coco as Jacob Boudreaux, a member of the Landry family who takes a special interest in Charley
- Danielle Lyn as Lizy, Nova's fellow journalist and friend (season 2-3)
- David Jensen as Samuel Landry, the owner of the most popular mill, the Landry mills, in the parish, who Charley and Ralph-Angel go up against
- Brian Michael Smith as Toine Wilkins, Ralph Angel's childhood friend. He is transgender and influences Ralph's acceptance of his son Blue's differences (guest seasons 2–4, 7)[14]
- Nikko Austen Smith as Asha Green, the old soul. One of Micha's activist high school friends. A brilliant, passionate teenager wanting to make a difference (seasons 3-4)
- Vivien Ngô as Trinh Phan, a young woman who returns to help her parents with their seafood plant who becomes Ralph Angel's love interest (season 3) [15][16]
- Tony Aidan Vo as Khanh Phan, the younger brother to Trinh and son of Mrs. Phan (season 3) [15]
- Elyse Dinh McCrillis as Mrs. Phan, a Vietnamese American refugee and the mother to Khanh and Trinh; also Ralph Angel's boss at the seafood plant (season 3) [15]
- Erica Tazel as Deesha Brown-Sonnier, a public defender and Ralph Angel's love interest (season 4)[17]
- Paula Jai Parker as Celine (season 6)[12]
- Marquis Rodriguez as Isaiah (season 6)[12]
- McKinley Freeman as Dominic (season 6)[12]
- Erika Ashley as Liza (season 6)[12]
- Lamman Rucker as Vince (season 7), Billie's estranged husband
Guest roles
edit- David Alan Grier as Jimmy Dale, Violet's abusive ex-husband (season 4)[18]
- Cree Summer as Octavia Laurent (season 4)[19]
- Bryan Terrell Clark as Darla's love interest who is also in recovery (season 4)[19]
- Amirah Vann as Parker Campbell, corporate lobbyist and bi-racial daughter of Sam Landry (seasons 4-7).
- LaTonya Holmes as Realtor in "Pleasure Is Black" (season 4 episode 1, 2019).
Episodes
editSeries overview
edit| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 13 | September 6, 2016 | November 30, 2016 | |
| 2 | 16 | June 20, 2017 | November 15, 2017 | |
| 3 | 13 | May 29, 2018 | August 22, 2018 | |
| 4 | 13 | June 12, 2019 | September 11, 2019 | |
| Special | February 9, 2021 | |||
| 5 | 10 | February 16, 2021 | April 20, 2021 | |
| 6 | 10 | September 7, 2021 | November 16, 2021 | |
| 7 | 13 | September 6, 2022 | November 29, 2022 | |
Season 1 (2016)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "First Things First" | Ava DuVernay | Ava DuVernay | September 6, 2016 | 2.69[20] | |
|
In St Josephine Parish, Louisiana, Ernest Bordelon, patriarch of the Bordelon family, owns a large sugar cane farm. He is one of the few black farmers that owns his own land. He has 3 adult children Nova the oldest a newspaper reporter in New Orleans, that provides mairjuana for local dealers and medicinally to the elderly She is also involved in an affair with a married white police officer. Charlotte (Charley) lives in Los Angeles and is married to a famous basketball player, Davis West, and has a teenage son Micah. Ralph Angel the youngest, has a toddler son of his own, Blue. Ralph Angel has recently been released from prison and is currently on parole. Ralph Angel drops off Blue with his aunt Violet and her partner, Hollywood. In LA, Charley is having lunch with other basketball wives when news breaks of a sex scandal involving most members of the team but not Davis. At school, Blue is upset his classmates will not attend his birthday. Upon hearing this, his teacher told the class she will be attending the party. At Blue’s birthday party, Ernest has a stroke and has to be hospitalized. During Davis’s game, a video is released showing him being involved in the sex scandal, and Charley confronts him on the court mid-game. At the hospital Blue’s mother, a recovering addict, shows up asking for visitation as she has started to turn her life around. The family has not been able to contact Charley and tell her of her father’s condition, when they finally do she arrives too late as he has already passed away. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Evergreen" | Ava DuVernay | Tina Mabry | September 7, 2016 | 2.14[21] | |
| 3 | 3 | "Thy Will Be Done" | Neema Barnette | Jason Wilborn | September 14, 2016 | 2.00[22] | |
| 4 | 4 | "The Darker Sooner" | So Yong Kim | Kay Oyegun | September 21, 2016 | 1.52[23] | |
| 5 | 5 | "By Any Chance" | Victoria Mahoney | Anthony Sparks | September 28, 2016 | 1.59[24] | |
| 6 | 6 | "As Promised" | Tanya Hamilton | Melissa Carter | October 5, 2016 | 1.44[25] | |
| 7 | 7 | "In No Uncertain Terms" | Neema Barnette | Denise Harkavy | October 12, 2016 | 1.68[26] | |
| 8 | 8 | "Where With All" | Kat Candler | Tina Mabry | October 26, 2016 | 1.71[27] | |
| 9 | 9 | "Next to Nothing" | Kat Candler | Jason Wilborn | November 2, 2016 | 1.69[28] | |
| 10 | 10 | "So Far" | Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Anthony Sparks | November 9, 2016 | 1.50[29] | |
| 11 | 11 | "All Good" | Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Kay Oyegun | November 16, 2016 | 1.64[30] | |
| 12 | 12 | "Far Too Long" | Tina Mabry | Melissa Carter & Ali Gordon-Goldstein | November 23, 2016 | 1.50[31] | |
| 13 | 13 | "Give Us This Day" | Tina Mabry | Ava DuVernay | November 30, 2016 | 1.91[32] | |
Season 2 (2017)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "After the Winter" | Kat Candler | Monica Macer | June 20, 2017 | 2.31[33] | |
| 15 | 2 | "To Usward" | Cheryl Dunye | Jason Wilborn | June 21, 2017 | 1.69[34] | |
| 16 | 3 | "What Do I Care For Morning" | Aurora Guerrero | Anthony Sparks | June 28, 2017 | 1.55[35] | |
| 17 | 4 | "My Soul's High Song" | Maryam Keshavarz | Dana Greenblatt | July 5, 2017 | 1.46[36] | |
| 18 | 5 | "Caroling Dusk" | Amanda Marsalis | Davita Scarlett | July 12, 2017 | 1.52[37] | |
| 19 | 6 | "Line of Our Elders" | DeMane Davis | Mimi Won Techentin | July 19, 2017 | 1.56[38] | |
| 20 | 7 | "I Know My Soul" | Kat Candler | Maria Elena Rodriguez | July 26, 2017 | 1.57[39] | |
| 21 | 8 | "Freedom's Plow" | Amanda Marsalis | Anthony Sparks | August 2, 2017 | 1.59[40] | |
| 22 | 9 | "Yet Do I Marvel" | Julie Dash | Jason Wilborn | October 3, 2017 | 1.74[41] | |
| 23 | 10 | "Drums at Dusk" | Julie Dash | Valerie Chu | October 4, 2017 | 1.20[42] | |
| 24 | 11 | "Fruit of the Flower" | Cheryl Dunye | Dana Greenblatt | October 11, 2017 | 1.31[43] | |
| 25 | 12 | "Live in the All Along" | Garrett Bradley | Mimi Won Techentin | October 18, 2017 | 1.14[44] | |
| 26 | 13 | "Heritage" | Liesl Tommy | Monica Macer & Davita Scarlett | October 25, 2017 | 1.34[45] | |
| 27 | 14 | "On These I Stand" | Christina Voros | Jason Wilborn & Anthony Sparks | November 1, 2017 | 1.28[46] | |
| 28 | 15 | "Copper Sun" | DeMane Davis | Monica Macer & Dana Greenblatt | November 8, 2017 | 1.22[47] | |
| 29 | 16 | "Dream Variations" | Kat Candler | Ava DuVernay | November 15, 2017 | 1.33[48] | |
|
Note: This episode is 90 minutes. | |||||||
Season 3 (2018)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | "A Rock, a River, a Tree" | DeMane Davis | Kat Candler | May 29, 2018 | 1.48[49] | |
| 31 | 2 | "Of Their Sojourn Here" | Patricia Cardoso | Anthony Sparks | May 30, 2018 | 1.04[50] | |
| 32 | 3 | "Your Distant Destiny" | Lauren Wolkstein | Erika L. Johnson | June 6, 2018 | 0.92[51] | |
| 33 | 4 | "No Haven in My Shadow" | Maria Govan | Mike Flynn | June 13, 2018 | 1.13[52] | |
| 34 | 5 | "A Little Lower Than Angels" | Shaz Bennett | Chloé Hung | June 20, 2018 | 1.14[53] | |
| 35 | 6 | "Delicate and Strangely Made" | Christina Choe | Channing Godfrey Peoples | June 27, 2018 | 1.17[54] | |
| 36 | 7 | "Study War No More" | DeMane Davis | Anthony Sparks | July 11, 2018 | 1.20[55] | |
| 37 | 8 | "Come, Clad in Peace" | DeMane Davis | Erika L. Johnson | July 18, 2018 | 1.01[56] | |
| 38 | 9 | "The Tree and Stone Were One" | Nijla Mumin | Anthony Sparks | July 25, 2018 | 1.05[57] | |
| 39 | 10 | "Here Beside the River" | Ayoka Chenzira | Chloé Hung | August 1, 2018 | 1.02[58] | |
| 40 | 11 | "Your Passages Have Been Paid" | Rachel Raimist | Channing Godfrey Peoples | August 8, 2018 | 1.05[59] | |
| 41 | 12 | "The Horizon Leans Forward" | Kat Candler | Mike Flynn | August 15, 2018 | 1.05[60] | |
| 42 | 13 | "From on the Pulse of Morning" | Kat Candler | Anthony Sparks | August 22, 2018 | 1.01[61] | |
|
Note: This episode is 90 minutes. | |||||||
Season 4 (2019)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 1 | "Pleasure Is Black" | Cheryl Dunye | Anthony Sparks | June 12, 2019 | 1.02[62] |
| 44 | 2 | "I No Longer Imagine" | Carmen Marrón | Chloé Hung | June 19, 2019 | 0.97[63] |
| 45 | 3 | "Where My Body Stops or Begins" | Lacey Duke | Mike Flynn | June 26, 2019 | 1.08[64] |
| 46 | 4 | "Skin Transparent" | Numa Perrier | Valerie Woods | July 3, 2019 | 1.03[65] |
| 47 | 5 | "Face Speckled" | Heidi Saman | Lisa Morales | July 10, 2019 | 1.18[66] |
| 48 | 6 | "By The Spit" | Bola Ogun | Felicia Pride | July 24, 2019 | 0.95[67] |
| 49 | 7 | "Of Several Centuries" | Tchaiko Omawale | Anthony Sparks | July 31, 2019 | 0.95[68] |
| 50 | 8 | "All The Borders" | Deborah Kampmeier | Chloé Hung & Valerie Woods | August 7, 2019 | 1.07[69] |
| 51 | 9 | "Stare at the Same Fires" | C. Fitz | Lisa Morales | August 14, 2019 | 1.15[70] |
| 52 | 10 | "Oh Mamere" | Cheryl Dunye | Chloé Hung & Felicia Pride | August 21, 2019 | 1.02[71] |
| 53 | 11 | "I'm Sorry" | Stacey Muhammad | Mike Flynn & Valerie Woods | August 28, 2019 | 1.02[72] |
| 54 | 12 | "Here" | Pratibha Parmar | Anthony Sparks & Alison McKenzie | September 4, 2019 | 1.05[73] |
| 55 | 13 | "I Am" | Ayoka Chenzira | Anthony Sparks | September 11, 2019 | 1.10[74] |
Special (2021)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | - | "Never Let Go" | Unknown | Unknown | February 9, 2021 | 0.32[75] |
Season 5 (2021)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 1 | "Late-February 2020" | Lauren Wolkstein | Anthony Sparks | February 16, 2021 | 0.75[76] |
| 58 | 2 | "Mid-March 2020" | Lisa France | Lisa Morales | February 23, 2021 | 0.64[77] |
| 59 | 3 | "Late-April 2020" | Lauren Wolkstein | Norman Vance, Jr. | March 2, 2021 | 0.68[78] |
| 60 | 4 | "Early-May 2020" | Cierra Glaude | Ava DuVernay & Anthony Sparks | March 9, 2021 | 0.62[79] |
| 61 | 5 | "May 19, 2020" | Lauren Wolkstein | Norman Vance, Jr. & Ava DuVernay | March 16, 2021 | 0.56[80] |
| 62 | 6 | "May 27, 2020" | Cierra Glaude | Anthony Sparks | March 23, 2021 | 0.63[81] |
| 63 | 7 | "June 1, 2020" | Lisa France | Norman Vance Jr. & Ava DuVernay | March 30, 2021 | 0.60[82] |
| 64 | 8 | "June 3, 2020" | Cierra Glaude | Anthony Sparks & Autumn Joy Jimerson | April 6, 2021 | 0.59[83] |
| 65 | 9 | "In Summer Time To Simply Be" | Lauren Wolkstein | Ava DuVernay & Anthony Sparks | April 13, 2021 | 0.69[84] |
| 66 | 10 | "Onward" | Lauren Wolkstein | Ava DuVernay & Anthony Sparks | April 20, 2021 | 0.66[85] |
Season 6 (2021)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 1 | "If You Could Enter Their Dreaming" | Carmen Marron | Anthony Sparks | September 7, 2021 | 0.66[86] |
| 68 | 2 | "And Dream with Them Deeply" | Cierra Glaude | Alison McKenzie | September 14, 2021 | 0.56[87] |
| 69 | 3 | "You Would Come Back Different" | Marie Jamora | Shaz Bennett | September 21, 2021 | 0.58[88] |
| 70 | 4 | "To a Different Day" | Stephanie Turner | Sara Finney-Johnson | September 28, 2021 | 0.56[89] |
| 71 | 5 | "Moving So Easily Through That Common Depth" | Shari L. Carpenter | Wayne Conley | October 5, 2021 | 0.63[90] |
| 72 | 6 | "Or Maybe Just Stay There" | Bertha Bay-Sa Pan | Michelle Denise Jackson | October 12, 2021 | 0.66[91] |
| 73 | 7 | "They Would Bloom and Welcome You" | Keisha Rae Witherspoon | Alison McKenzie & Alex G. Berger | October 26, 2021 | 0.70[92] |
| 74 | 8 | "All Those Brothers and Sisters" | Lisa France | Sara Finney-Johnson & Yves Beneche | November 2, 2021 | 0.68[93] |
| 75 | 9 | "Tossing in the Meadows" | Shaz Bennett | Wayne Conley & Autumn Joy Jimerson & Ava DuVernay | November 9, 2021 | 0.69[94] |
| 76 | 10 | "And You Would Be One of Them" | Shaz Bennett | Anthony Sparks | November 16, 2021 | 0.65[95] |
Season 7 (2022)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 1 | "And When Great Souls Die" | Kat Candler | Shaz Bennett | September 6, 2022 | 0.44[96] |
| 78 | 2 | "After A Period, Peace Blooms" | Kat Candler | Sara Finney-Johnson | September 13, 2022 | 0.43[97] |
| 79 | 3 | "Slowly And Always Irregularly" | Stacey Muhammad | Francesca Butler | September 20, 2022 | 0.43[98] |
| 80 | 4 | "Spaces Fill" | Stacey Muhammad | Charles Ray Hamilton | September 27, 2022 | 0.51[99] |
| 81 | 5 | "With A Kind Of" | Shaz Bennett | Eddie Serrano | October 4, 2022 | 0.41[100] |
| 82 | 6 | "Soothing Electric Vibration" | Shaz Bennett | Karen Corneille | October 11, 2022 | 0.50[101] |
| 83 | 7 | "Our Senses Restored" | Patricia Cardoso | Alan Morgan and Ava DuVernay | October 18, 2022 | 0.45[102] |
| 84 | 8 | "Never to Be the Same" | Patricia Cardoso | Josslyn Luckett and Ava DuVernay | October 25, 2022 | 0.47[103] |
| 85 | 9 | "Whisper to Us" | Aurora Guerrero | Sara Finney-Johnson & Charles Ray Hamilton | November 1, 2022 | 0.49[104] |
| 86 | 10 | "They Existed" | Aurora Guerrero | Francesca Butler & Josslyn Luckett and Shaz Bennett | November 8, 2022 | 0.49[105] |
| 87 | 11 | "We Can Be" | DeMane Davis | Karen Corneille & Ava DuVernay | November 15, 2022 | 0.48[106] |
| 88 | 12 | "Be and Be Better" | DeMane Davis | Eddie Serrano & Alan Morgan | November 22, 2022 | 0.37[107] |
| 89 | 13 | "For They Existed" | Ava DuVernay | Ava DuVernay | November 29, 2022 | 0.51[108] |
Production
editDevelopment
editOn February 2, 2015, it was announced that Oprah Winfrey Network had ordered a straight-to-series TV drama based on Queen Sugar, the 2014 novel by Natalie Baszile.[1][6][109][110] Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey, who worked on the 2014 film Selma, co-created the series, with DuVernay was set to write and direct the initial episodes.
The first season began filming in February 2016[111] and contained 13 episodes. DuVernay announced on January 27, 2016, that the series would feature an all-women directorial team.[112] On February 15, 2016, Melissa Carter served as showrunner alongside Ava DuVernay. Neema Barnette joined the series as director and producer.[113] Award-winning director Tina Mabry is a producer and will also direct two episodes, and Anthony Sparks,[114] an award-winning TV writer and professor, began as a co-executive producer for the series in its first season and is the show’s longtime head writer, Executive Producer, and Showrunner.[115] It was later announced that singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello would provide the score for the series.[116] Queen Sugar is said to be the first television series in which female directors direct every episode of the series.[117]
Casting
editOn January 13, 2016, Rutina Wesley was announced to play the role of Nova Bordelon.[118][119][120] Further casting was announced January 27, 2016. Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Kofi Siriboe, and Omar Dorsey, who co-starred in Selma, were all announced in leading roles.[121][122] On February 1, 2016, it was announced that Emmy Award-winner Glynn Turman will guest-star as Ernest Bordelon, the patriarch of the family who dies in the first episode.[123] On February 16, 2016, it was announced that Tina Lifford, Dondre Whitfield, Timon Kyle Durrett and Nicholas L. Ashe were cast as series regulars.[124] On February 23, 2016, Bianca Lawson and Greg Vaughan joined the cast as regulars, while Henry G. Sanders joined in a recurring role. Oprah Winfrey Network said that Winfrey, who earlier was announced as a recurring character, would not have an onscreen role.[125] On March 11, 2016, it was announced that Marycarmen Lopez also was cast as regular.[126] On April 6, 2021, Tammy Townsend joined the cast as a new series regular while Paula Jai Parker, Marquis Rodriguez, and McKinley Freeman joined cast in recurring roles for the sixth season.[12]
After her absence from the season seven trailer started to get noticed on social media, Dawn-Lyen Gardner explained that she didn't participate on the final season of the show,[127] so the few moments in which the audience sees or listens to the character were done by mixing archive footage from previous seasons.
Release
editOn August 1, 2016, the series was renewed for a second season ahead of the series' television premiere, which aired in a two-night premiere on June 20 and 21, 2017.[128][129] The second season premiered on OWN in a two episode special on June 20 and 21, 2017.
The show was renewed for a third season on July 26, 2017.[130] The third season premiered in a two-night special on May 29 and 30, 2018.[131]
On August 8, 2018, the series was renewed for a fourth season. Following the renewal, co-executive producer Anthony Sparks was revealed to be the new showrunner, replacing Kat Candler.[132] The fourth season premiered on June 12, 2019.[133]
On September 12, 2019, OWN renewed the series for a fifth season which premiered on February 16, 2021.[134][135] On January 14, 2021, ahead of the fifth season premiere, OWN renewed the series for a sixth season,[8] which premiered on September 7, 2021.[9] In November 2021, shortly before the sixth season finale, the series was renewed for a seventh and final season.[10] The seventh season premiered on September 6, 2022.[11]
Reception
edit| Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 93% (41 reviews)[3] | 75 (25 reviews)[136] |
| 2 | 100% (10 reviews)[137] | — |
| 3 | 100% (7 reviews)[138] | — |
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating for the first season, with an average rating of 7.4/10 based on 41 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "With an authenticity of culture and place and strong performances throughout, Queen Sugar rises above melodrama in this alluring, unhurried and powerful portrait of a fractious black American family."[3] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 75 out of 100 based on 25 critics for the season, indicating what the website considers to be "generally favorable reviews".[136] A 100% approval rating for the second season was reported by Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.03/10 based on 7 reviews.[137]
Accolades
edit| Year | Association | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | AAFCA TV Awards | Best Drama | Queen Sugar | Won | [139] |
| Best TV Shows | Won | ||||
| 2017 | AAFCA TV Awards | Best Drama | Queen Sugar | Won | [140] |
| Best TV Shows | Won | ||||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Nominated | [141] | |
| Outstanding Actor, Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress, Drama Series | Rutina Wesley | Won | |||
| Dawn-Lyen Gardner | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Directing, Drama Series | Ava DuVernay (for "First Things First") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing, Drama Series | Nominated | ||||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Original Score – TV Show/Limited Series | Meshell Ndegeocello | Nominated | [142] | |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Won | [4] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Rutina Wesley | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series | Ava DuVernay (for "First Things First") | Won | |||
| Anthony Sparks (for "By Any Chance") | Nominated | ||||
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite Cable TV Drama | Queen Sugar | Nominated | [143] | |
| 2018 | AAFCA TV Awards | Best Drama | Queen Sugar | Won | [144] |
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Nominated | [141] | |
| Outstanding Actor, Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress, Drama Series | Rutina Wesley | Won | |||
| Dawn-Lyen Gardner | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series | Omar J. Dorsey | Won | |||
| Dondré T. Whitfield | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama Series | Bianca Lawson | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama Series | Alimi Ballard | Nominated | |||
| Roger Guenveur Smith | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Guest Actress, Drama Series | Michael Michele | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Directing, Drama Series | Cheryl Dunye (for "Fruit of the Flower") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing, Drama Series | Monica Macer, Davita Scarlett (for "Heritage") | Nominated | |||
| Ava DuVernay (for "Dream Variations") | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Music | Liza Richardson | Nominated | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Nominated | [145] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | |||
| Rutina Wesley | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Dondre Whitfield | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Tina Lifford | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Performance by a Youth | Ethan Hutchison | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series | Ava DuVernay (for "Dream Variations") | Nominated | |||
| Anthony Sparks (for "What Do I Care For Morning)" | Nominated | ||||
| 2019 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actor, Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | [141] |
| Outstanding Actress, Drama Series | Rutina Wesley | Won | |||
| Dawn-Lyen Gardner | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series | Nicholas L. Ashe | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama Series | Tina Lifford | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Directing, Drama Series | DeMane Davis (for "A Rock, A River, A Tree") | Nominated | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Nominated | [146] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Rutina Wesley | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actor, Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | [141] |
| Outstanding Actress, Drama Series | Rutina Wesley | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama Series | David Alan Grier | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Guest Actress, Drama Series | Cree Summer | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Directing, Drama Series | Ayoka Chenzira (for "I Am") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing, Drama Series | Mike Flynn (for "Where My Body Stops or Begins") | Nominated | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Nominated | [147] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Rutina Wesley | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Tina Lifford | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Television Series | David Alan Grier | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | AAFCA TV Awards | Best Drama | Queen Sugar | Won | [148] |
| Impact Award | Won | ||||
| Best Writing | Anthony Sparks | Won | |||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Nominated | [141] | |
| Outstanding Actress, Drama Series | Dawn-Lyen Gardner | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Won | [149] |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Dawn-Lyen Gardner | Nominated | |||
| Rutina Wesley | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Bianca Lawson | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Queen Sugar | Nominated | [150] |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Kofi Siriboe | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Rutina Wesley | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Bianca Lawson | Nominated | |||
| Tina Lifford | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Television Series | Glynn Turman | Won |
Novel
editUCLA graduate Natalie Baszile started writing Queen Sugar, the novel, in the early 1990s, but the text was only completed ten years later. She first presented the manuscript to publishers in 2009 but without any success. After revising the book for another two years, she resubmitted the text, with one agent agreeing to represent her.
Baszile took part in a women writer's retreat in Hedgebrook. A friend of hers who was also at the retreat, the novelist Sarah Manyika, suggested that she read part of Queen Sugar to fellow residents. Leigh Haber, O, The Oprah Magazine's book editor was attending and loved the novel and passed it to people at Oprah's Harpo Productions. A few months after that, Harpo called to say they wanted to option the book for a project.[151]
The book was published by Penguin in 2014 as Baszile's debut novel and, a few months later, OWN negotiated the deal to turn the book into a television series.
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