'Queen Sugar' Season 5: Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about OWN's family drama

The series, created by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey, has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earned rave reviews from viewers
PUBLISHED FEB 2, 2021
Scene from 'Queen Sugar' (OWN TV)
Scene from 'Queen Sugar' (OWN TV)

Oprah Winfrey Network’s popular drama series ‘Queen Sugar’ is all set for its Season 5 premiere. The acclaimed series centering around the lives of the Bordelon siblings in Lousiana has kept the audience captivated for four seasons since it first aired in 2016.

The series, created by Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay, has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earned rave reviews from viewers. Before the fifth season drops, here is a comprehensive list of everything you need to know about ‘Queen Sugar’. 

Poster of Queen Sugar (OWN TV)

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Release date

Season 5 of ‘Queen Sugar’ premieres on February 16, 2021, Tuesday, at 8 pm ET/PT. New episodes will air every Tuesday. 

Plot 

‘Queen Sugar’ is a contemporary drama set in Louisana, revolving around the lives of estranged siblings of the Bordelon family. Nova, a journalist and activist; Charley, the feisty wife and manager of a professional NBA player; and Ralph Angel, a young father in search of redemption who was incarcerated once, these are the central characters of the drama. 

Official poster of Queen Sugar (OWN TV)

After a tragedy happens in the family, the three siblings are compelled to come together, leaving their personal lives aside, to help run the family’s sugar cane farm which is falling apart. As the story unravels, we find the Bordelons navigating their personal struggles while trying to upkeep their father’s legacy. The drama with powerful women characters in the lead has garnered accolades in the past few years.

Cast

Rutina Wesley

Rutina Wesley (Getty Images)

Popular TV actress Rutina Wesley plays the role of journalist-activist Nova Bordelon. You might recognize Rutina was Tara Thornton from the hit TV series 'True Blood'. Rutina has had a background in acting from her childhood, being the daughter of performers Ivery Wheeler and Cassandra Wesley. She attended Juilliard Drama Division in New York after pursuing her bachelor’s degree in theater performance from University of Evansville. 

She has starred in feature films such as ‘13 Sins’ and ‘The Perfect Guy’ and appeared in TV shows such as ‘Hannibal’, ‘The Cleveland Show’, ‘Numb3rs’ and ‘Arrow’.

Dawn-Lyen Gardner

Dawn-Lyen Gardner (Getty Images)

Gardner essays the role of Charley Bordelon-West in ‘Queen Sugar’. She has been acting in the professional domain since the age of nine. Later, she landed guest appearances in popular shows such as ‘ER’, ‘The Sinbad Show’, ‘Viper’, ‘The Mysteries of Laura’, ‘Castle’, ‘Heroes’, ‘Cane’, ‘Summerland’, ‘Unforgettable’, Marvel’s ‘Luke Cage’ and more, aside from several commercial shoots. Gardner attended Juilliard Drama Division along with ‘Queen Sugar’ co-star Rutina Wesley. 

Kofi Siriboe

Kofi Siriboe (Getty Images)

Kofi Siriboe plays Ralph Angel Bordelon in the series. A first-generation American with origins from West Africa, Kofi is the successor of a highly respected king in Juaben, Ashanti of Ghana. He is known for his role as Tyler Miller in MTV’s ‘Awkward’. He has also acted in big-screen hits such as ‘Whiplash’, ‘Straight Outta Compton’, ‘The Longshots’ and ‘Prom’.

Creators

‘Queen Sugar’ is based on the book of the same name by Natalie Baszile. Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay is the director and executive producer of the show along with Oprah Winfrey and Monica Macer. The series is produced by  Warner Horizon Scripted Television for OWN. 

Trailer

Watch the Season 5 trailer of 'Queen Sugar' here.

Where to watch

'Queen Sugar' can be watched on Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) TV and OWN app. 

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