'P-Valley' Episode 7: Diamond and Keyshawn almost kiss while Lil' Murda comes partially out of the closet
There must have been countless frustrated groans as one of the most hotly-anticipated ships on 'P-Valley', between Keyshawn and Diamond, never even took off the ground thanks to Gidget's (unintentional) glock-block move. While the scene was heavily publicized in the episode's trailer, it all boiled down to a big fat nothing with Diamond probably cursing Gidget in his head for coming outside, raging about her no-show boyfriend, just as he was about to kiss Keyshawn.
But first, let's talk about the scene itself. Diamond gives Keyshawn a carnelian stone necklace to help boost her bravery, which has special meaning to him because the stone belonged to his friend who saved him on the battlefield. Keyshawn is touched and asks Diamond to put it on her, which brings up the temperature (and chemistry) between the two to a medium-high. And then Keyshawn turns to face him, coming close, initiating an intimacy she has never shown before. Diamond, who can't believe his luck, is about to close that last inch between them when Gidget storms out and both spring apart. Even though Gidget goes back soon after, the mood is broken and both of them awkwardly part ways.
But, at least, despite the no pay-off denouement, Keyshawn did encourage Diamond romantically -- which means that she might finally be at that stage of moving on from abusive Derrick, her White boyfriend, and also her obsession with fairer skin tones. The symbolic carnelian might be the thing that gives her that last boost of courage to leave Derrick and explore things with Diamond.
Gidget, on the other hand, redeems herself somewhat by confronting Derrick when he comes to stalk Keyshawn at the club, abandoning their baby with God knows who for the night. Gidget reveals that she would be more than happy to take Keyshawn and the baby in if she ever decides to leave him. Derrick in a nasty diatribe reminds her of her trailer park existence with a mother high on drugs. But honestly, anything would be better than Keyshawn's current living situation where she fears for her life every day.
The show is doing something quite subversive when it comes to portraying romantic relationships. Usually, the 'near-miss-kiss' scenario is a queer love story trope for many mainstream shows that are too afraid to show two men or women kissing. It is also queer love stories that are put on slow-burn with ships never really taking off because the characters never take the next step despite the obvious attraction.
In 'P-Valley', it is the straight relationships that are on slow-burn like that of Keyshawn and Diamond or wildly messed up like Gidget and her slutty, unfaithful boyfriend Duffy or Mercedes' not-serious flirtation with her "regulas" -- Mane and the Coach, or Keyshawn and Autumn's experience of abuse within relationships. In contrast, it is the queer relationship between Lil' Murda and Uncle Clifford that is getting the most screen time on the show and has both ultra-romantic interludes and explicit sex scenes.
We are treated to yet another magical encounter between the two as Lil' Murda decks up Uncle Clifford's car in fairy lights and parks it next to the river for their "second date" before Pynk's night. In a callback to 'Un chant d'amour', the controversial film by French writer Jean Genet where, in one erotic scene, two convicts share cigarette smoke, we get Lil' Murda passing smoke from his mouth into Uncle Clifford's, who sucks it in. We also have a meaningful conversation, where Lil' Murda tries to get Uncle Clifford to talk about how she is feeling. But she tells him that maybe she'll do that tomorrow but tonight she needs to "be ok" and she can't feel vulnerable on Pynk's last night because there are people depending on her. Lil' Murda accepts it and instead "relaxes" her by making her come as the car's windows fog up.
Later, we also see the manager being cool with Lil' Murda's relationship with Uncle Clifford, helping Lil' Murda to partially come out of the closet with his acceptance. But he also asks Lil' Murda not to show folks how he feels or what he does 'after dark' at the Pynk if he wants his career to take off.
It is a rude reminder that outside the Pynk (and the show's) acceptance (and celebration) of queer relationships, the real world still exists. The real world in which strangers watching the show keep asking J Alphonse Nicholson, the actor playing Lil' Murda, if he is gay or straight. The real world where Nicholson, time and again, or via his fiance, has been forced to talk about his real-life relationship status.
The next episode of 'P-Valley', which is the finale, will air on September 6 at 8 pm ET on Starz.
