'AJ and the Queen' Episode 2: Breakfast, questions and lost phones; the duo makes it to Pittsburg
This article contains spoilers for 'AJ and the Queen'
In this episode, titled 'Pittsburg' drag queen Ruby Red (Robert) and foul-mouthed AJ (Amber Jasmine) make their way to Ruby's next gig. Before they could head out on the road, they stop for some pancakes and a little bit of an interrogation. This episode gets into the backstory of each of the characters as they bonded through the length of a drag show, a jasmine barbie doll and some old-fashioned hiding from criminals.
AJ uses a racist proposition to threaten Ruby, who now has no choice but to take the 10-year-old to Pittsburg. He finds out that AJ's mother is a drug addict and a hooker, and doesn't want to leave the little girl stranded. Two hours after they've left the restaurant and were on the road, AJ finds that her phone is missing. She becomes hysterical and Ruby arranges for it to be picked up after the gig, the day after.
Towards the end of the episode, the series focuses on a woman living on the street — she made a brief appearance in the first episode as a hooker. In the scene, cops end up arresting her and when her phone drops, she becomes as hysterical and screams, "Please get my phone, that's the only way I can talk to my daughter". Even though the show has not confirmed it in the second episode, it seems as though this young woman could be AJ's estranged mother.
When they make it to the gig, Ruby attempts to understand why AJ is the way she is — angry, rude, and pretending to be a boy. She tells him it's "because people leave boys alone," sparking up a conversation. AJ seems to not have a female idol to look up to and Ruby tries to name a few letting the munchkin know that no matter her past, she can always do and become better. AJ did not deter from her stubborn attitude and ends up cutting her hair short while Ruby was performing.
The morning after the drama, Ruby gets a call from Louis, his best friend, letting him know that Damien Sanchez (Ruby's ex) is trying to find him. When their location slipped out of Louis by mistake, AJ and Ruby hatch a plan to leave Pittsburg, but they stopped by the diner first. Guess who's at the diner Sanchez and Lady Danger, his sidekick! After getting AJ's phone back and taking the air out of the criminals' tires, the duo tries to flee, except they end up in a car accident at the parking lot.
A lot more information about the lives of the characters was presented in this episode, it's still funny and has a lot of sexual innuendos. Showing how a young mind responds to the harsh realities of ugly family life and even uglier streets, this episode adds opacity to the stubborn characters. Hopefully even a budding likely friendship? We'll find out!
All episodes of Season 1 of 'AJ and the Queen' are now streaming on Netflix.