'P-Valley' Episode 2 'Scars' tackles the subjects of colorism and queerness inside Pynk's club culture
All the people who frequent the Pynk club carry scars, be it within (like Corbin) or on the outside -- like Andre. Autumn has the distinction of carrying scars both within and without. But she does a very good job hiding it. In Episode 1, she made the girls jealous of her upscale accent and her ability to make customers bleed money for her lap dances. No one says it upfront, but it is obvious the girls think she has it easier because she has lighter skin.
In episode 2, Mercedes' resentment boils to the surface. Once Autumn makes a beeline towards Andre, Mercedes stalk over and lays claim instead, deliberately seeking out the competition. She asks Andre if he wants brown liquor or white -- making an obvious comparison between her darker skin tone and Autumn's lighter tone. When Andre picks Autumn, Mercedes stomps out, saying not all men can handle "Melanin Monroes". When Autumn later walks in with a cool grand, all the girls lose it collectively and Mercedes openly accuses her of doing more than just give lap dances in the private rooms.
Colorism doesn't come out only in reference to the strippers competing inside the club but also in regard to Corbin. Keyshawn says it's a pity that he is so sad, despite being "so White" before Uncle Clifford tells her to hush with her color talk. Corbin, with obvious movie star looks, is undoubtedly in a lot of pain despite inheriting a seemingly sizeable portion of his father's wealth. Being the illegitimate son that Sr. Kyle had with his maid is possibly something that the town never lets him forget.
So him being "so White" and yet not White enough is a cross he bears all the time. His openly racist White half-brothers are disdainful of him and resent having to share their inheritance with him. Katori Hall, screenwriter and showrunner, brings a pinch of reality about how internalized racism within the Black community works and how in settings like a strip club, colorism rears its nasty head pretty often.
A more pleasant aspect in the episode was the attempt to show that while the club is geared for the heterosexual male gaze, queerness is just a corner away from the stage. Things seem to be heating up between Lil' Murda and Uncle Clifford. Lord knows Uncle Clifford needs some distractions and Lil' Murdah hanging around like a puppy is just too precious. The scene where he teaches Uncle Clifford how to make winglets basted in cannabis and butter is a historic TV moment.
Later, we also see Autumn realize with a start that the stall next to hers is being used by the girls to make out -- it is a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but it underlines how the dancer's green room is a safe space and no one bats an eye about alternate sexualities. In fact, the only one getting verbal abuse is Autumn for going into the stalls to change. Her modesty after being naked for money makes the girls feel like Autumn is somehow setting herself apart as better than the rest of them despite doing what they do.
But will the girls become more sympathetic once they know that she is actually just drinking secretly in the stalls to steady her nerves or that she is a grieving mother with a history of being a domestic abuse victim? Let's see what episode 3 brings.
'P-Valley' aired at 8 PM ET on Starz.
