'P-Valley' Episode 4 shows Lil' Murda have toe-curling sex with Uncle Clifford despite conflicted sexuality
Between all the familial drama and the town politics around the land deal, it is easy to lose sight of the burgeoning romance between Lil' Murda and Uncle Clifford that is making Lil' Murda confront his emerging sexuality.
Uncle Clifford has wrapped her head around who she is and comfortably parades around in glorious wigs, talons, and plunging necklines on display and identifies as a "she". But Lil' Murda, the 'street griot' has an image to uphold. In the first episode itself, he rolls into The Pynk with his entourage, portraying the 'thug' masculinity that is essential for success as a "trapper rapper".
He is ambitious, wanting Mercedes to "bless" his track by playing it in the club because he knows that this is the first step in getting his music noticed. But parallel to his desire for success is his desire for Uncle Clifford that he doesn't anticipate. He seems gobsmacked when he first sets his eyes on Uncle Clifford in a 'love at first sight' moment. The encounter turns into a heavy makeout session in The Pynk's Paradise room.
But at this point, you are unsure if Lil' Murda is actually attracted to Uncle Clifford or just seducing her to get his track played at the club. In the next few episodes we see them get closer -- with Uncle Clifford advising him on how to hone his music into something commercially successful while Lil' Murda teaches her how to make cannabis-spiced, buttered winglets. But even though they behave like they are in a cocoon of their own, the world is always watching.
Mirroring how he tries to get in 'first in line' at The Pynk as a "VIP" in Episode 1 but fails, Lil' Murda tries to cut the line in Episode 4 too. Only this time he succeeds because of Uncle Clifford who tells Diamond to ease up. Diamond is hilariously skeptical of giving Lil' Murda any such privilege but obliges. However, once Lil' Murda and his entourage get in, it gets nasty. Mane, Mercedes' crush, has come to the club and is overly possessive of her. He picks a fight with Lil' Murda for having the temerity to wish the best of luck to Mercedes while he's talking to her.
Lil' Murda not wanting to create a disturbance, steps away, ignoring the provocation to fight. To his friend who is watching and on edge, Lil' Murda is not being masculine enough to defend himself. In a short exchange, the friend calls out for his attraction to Uncle Clifford by saying, "You everybody's punk from what I heard". Lil' Muda, obviously conflicted about his sexuality and the way it reflects on his masculinity, batters his friend's face in. Diamond takes great pleasure in removing him and tossing him out, while Lil' Murda screams at his friend, "you're dead to me".
As Lil' Murda sits outside, smoking his doobie with shaking fingers, his song starts playing inside the club and he whoops and cries, overwhelmed that his song is finally playing in the club. He screams at a bystander -- "That's MY song!". Right after, Uncle Clifford comes to find him to comfort him. When Lil' Murda tells him that the fight "was about you", Uncle Clifford tells him to "prove it".
They both sneak into the club's office with Lil' Murda looking over his shoulder the entire time. But once they are alone, he kisses Uncle Clifford with all the suppressed longing that has been building since the moment they met. It is rare for a TV show to show a gay sex scene. It is even rarer to see the chemistry come off the screen in waves. The last one that was this well done was in 'American Gods' and that was a fantasy sequence of sorts between a supernatural afrit and a man.
But the sex between Uncle Clifford and Lil' Murda is raw and real, down to the spit that Lil' Murda uses after slipping on a condom. Their sex scene is cut with scenes of Miss Mississippi's moment of triumph on the stage, Her body's gyrations resemble how Uncle Murda and Lil' Murda 'dance', taking their relationship to the next level.
'P-Valley' airs its next episode on August 9 at 8 PM on Starz.
