'P-Valley' Episode 8 Review: [SPOILER] is dead and Mayor Tydell has to eat his words at the funeral
Spoilers for 'P-Valley' Episode 8
For those who haven't seen the episode, this is your spoiler alert. Turn away now. All good? For those of you who are still here, onwards then, to unpacking that jaw-dropping finale.
All through Season 1 of Pynk, viewers have been wondering if Diamond, the Pynk's bouncer, is magical — and no, they weren't talking about his looks. They were talking about how he manages to guard Pynk's door and also pop up inside whenever the girls need "help" dealing with their guests. We saw a little of how his "magic" works in this episode when we realize that either Uncle Clifford or Big L are always in the office scanning the CCTV footage from every inch of the Pynk and always on a walkie-talkie to Diamond, calling him in to deal with any trouble.
But on Pynk's official 'last night', all these internal systems of safety come crashing down. Big L leaves to stash drugs for Duffy, Gidget's boyfriend. Uncle Clifford goes into a tail-spin because of Lil' Murda's cowardly behavior that leaves him completely scatter-minded, while Diamond picks a fight with Derrick and is too busy to respond when Uncle Clifford finally does realize something is very wrong in the Paradise Room.
This leaves Autumn "Hailey" Night, and Mercedes, who comes to rescue her, bottle in hand, in terrible danger as Montavius traps them both in the Paradise Room. In those tense minutes, the episode reveals that Montavius is a dangerous "Delta" mobster who is quite capable of killing, with "brothers" willing to torch the Pynk for his money.
Mercedes coming through for Hailey will make you hug yourself because girl solidarity is a thing now between these two characters who started the Season hating each other. Hailey also has a chance to abandon Mercedes in a moment of panic when she realizes her stashed gun (and only hope in that situation) is gone. But instead, she returns to face the monster in her life and her decision is what eventually gives time for Uncle Clifford to show up, gun in manicured hands.
But the other "Beauty", Keyshawn, is unable to stand up to her "Beast", Derrick. She might, in fact, have driven away her true Prince Charming, Diamond, for good. That look that Diamond gives her when she points the gun at him to stop him whaling on Derrick resembles how an unsuspecting puppy would look were it kicked by its owner. Keyshawn aka Miss Mississippi has had a strange night till that moment — from being "Pole Princess" to the "Trap Prince" Lil' Murda, as the crowds sway to their dual firepower on stage, to being wooed by music exec Rome, to having Derrick threaten her after she shows some spine. When Diamond and Derrick start fighting over her, it's like she finally snaps. But even then, as a viewer, you are flabbergasted by her decision to support Derrick and turn on Diamond, when push came to shove.
But her actions show the weird ways in which abuse recircuits the brain into giving a Stockholm syndrome-like loyalty to the abuser. There is nothing, not even someone a well-meaning as Diamond, can do until Keyshawn decides to rescue herself. And she is a long way away from that, unlike Hailey.
We see a similar scenario play out with Mercedes who is so traumatized by nearly being killed and seeing a man being shot in front of her that she actually crawls back to her mother, the abuser in her life, looking for comfort. And Patrice Woodbine takes the crown for Worst Mother of the Year again, as she turns her daughter away repeating the words her daughter told her in the jail cell — "you're dead to me" — before walking into the church that she bought by stealing Mercedes' money. It is, as they say, a special kind of f****d up family dynamics.
But it is not all doom and gloom, thankfully. Hailey, in a boss move, buys the Pynk at the auction, with Andre silently giving in to her while Mayor Tydell loses his shit. So despite Uncle Clifford, Miss Ernestine and the strippers turning up for "Pynk's funeral" at the auction, they actually witness Pynk's rebirth. Hailey is magnificent in these scenes as she gives Andre a sly side-eye to stop him from really bidding — they have a silent connection going that his wife catches on to. So except fireworks on that front in Season 2.
But it is a relief to see Andre eschew the Dark Side. May the force be with him, as they say. Mayor Tydell, who had delighted in rubbing in the salt about Pynk's demise before the auction started, is apoplectic with rage after Andre 'fails' to get on the phone to the investors for "permission" to bid higher. Andre's secret smirk and Mayor Tydell leaving with egg on his face are highly satisfying to watch.
Season 2 will be interesting given that Hailey now owns the Pynk and Uncle Clifford now "owes" her. She parrots Uncle Clifford's lines from when she was in a bind and Uncle Clifford took advantage of her vulnerability. Uncle Clifford knows she is stuck with Hailey and doesn't look too pleased about it, even though Miss Ernestine is on Cloud Number Nine. At least, Mercedes has somewhere to sit her traumatized a** down after she is rejected by her mother. So we will see all three of them back in Season 2, hopefully in the "Pynk" of health.