‘P-Valley’ Recap: ‘Savage’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 206 of ‘P-Valley’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this article contains discussions on domestic abuse and suicide, which may be triggering to some individuals.
​
One particular aspect of life that few of us like to acknowledge, is that this journey is filled to the brim with highs and lows, and we don’t acknowledge that reality for one simple reason. In that… we love the highs over anything else and the thought of having to face the lows spoils that buzz and makes us wary of what is to come. But alas, as hard as we try to avoid acknowledging the reality that the good times never last… eventually that reality washes over us… in a painful manner no less. One that will push us to our limits emotionally and mentally, depending on the severity of the lows, and once we emerge from that ugliness, we will of course learn from it and grow. But in that moment, we suffer, and we struggle, and we handle it in unique ways and well… this is top of mind today for one reason and one reason alone.
​
In that, the next episode of P-Valley on STARZ, a show that loves to showcase every aspect of life imaginable… took the time to just, plunge a bevy of the characters into some dark times and have us come along for that sour ride. Because that’s life… and that allowed for us to experience one powerful tale for certain. For ‘Savage’ put the fear of Covid back into the limelight, by having Uncle Clifford see it enter her own home. Because her sweet granny came down with it, thanks to Clifford’s exposure and well… that is cause for concern in this household since Grandma Earnestine just so happens to be within that vulnerable group for the virus. Plus, this is a story that took the time to remind us that even though it is 2022, people aren’t accepting of everything and everyone just yet. Since Mercedes ran into some hard prejudice for her affair with Farrah when she went back to enjoy her and Coach once more. Because Coach didn’t like the thought of not having control over the situation or his wife being attracted to another woman. 

But those were shockingly enough… the lighter dark times for these intrepid characters. For there are others that genuinely suffered deeply in this tale. Keyshawn for instance, reached a crossroads in this tale. One where she finally came to realize that Derrick was indeed the scumbag, she feared he was and that her best chance at her survival and the survival of her children… was to get the hell out of that house and start over fresh. But alas, such a simple and determined act on her part, ran into all kinds of complications. Since the second family car was without a battery to get her going, likely a move on Derrick’s part to exert control, and well… that discovery left her beside herself and full of terror. For she was in fact, trapped within a house of lies and sorrow and without easy options to escape, leaving her future murky for certain... since she simply doesn’t know what to do at this point in her life. Which was, a harrowing storyline for certain, one that hammered home the gravity of domestic violence and the power the abuser exerts over the abused.

Yet, this particular episode had more incredibly dark moments to explore beyond that one. For while everyone else we’ve mentioned dealt with their own private strife, Lil’ Murda was doing his best to put some positivity into the world. For he realized that Teak was struggling with life on the outside, because he didn’t have a place in the world at this point and the ugly, he saw in prison and the ugly he saw in reality was breaking him down. Which is why he spent the day with Teak. To show him that he was important and added value to the world and that the darkness would pass and he would find the love he sought and his way in the world. But alas, despite his best efforts to make Teak feel special, he failed. For at the end of their day, Teak revealed that he was ready to die at his own hands and that nothing was going to stop him from doing so… not even Murda’s kindness or love and well… with that out in the open, Teak did the unthinkable… and took his own life.

Which was… a powerful and sobering moment to sit through. One that served as the hard period to a tale that helped to remind us just how dark the world can get, how broken people can become, and how hard it can be to face the day and well… regardless of how bleak this episode turned out to be, it deserves our respect and our awe. Because this is a brave story at the end of the day, one that held nothing back regarding the topics it presented and this is one that will start important conversations, the kind we need to have right now in these dark times. Not to mention, this is an episode that leaves the viewer cautious yet eager to continue the journey. To see what kind of realism will accompany the fallout of such powerful moments and actions and to see these now ailing characters, rise to the occasion and learn and grow once the dark clouds are replaced by the sunlight. Until next time.

---

Powered by JustWatch