‘Run the World’ Recap: ‘A Rage in Harlem’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Isha Blaaker and Amber Stevens West as Phillip Houston and Whitney Greene in Episode 207 of ‘Run the World’ – ‘A Rage in Harlem’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 207 of ‘Run the World’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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More often than not, stories that chronicle our grand comeback from great changes and trauma in our lives… end when the characters find themselves on the right track. Which is… odd to say the least. For those stories hint at the possibility that… that’s it. As though the epiphany of knowing what you need and putting in the work to heal is all we have to worry about in life, and once we’ve reached that point of peace… it’s back to nothing but wondrous times and that is… a problematic way to end a story. Because our challenges don’t end and there will be more hardships, and while we may be prepared to better handle them there are tough days ahead none the less. Not to mention, those early days in our new chapter won’t be smooth all the time. There will be baby steps and setbacks as we work to reclaim what we’ve lost or claim what we’ve always wanted.
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Which is why it is refreshing to find stories that offer that honesty about what comes next when we heal and that is precisely why Run the World on STARZ deserves to be celebrated often. For this is a show that puts that on display and for proof, then look no further than this week’s episode. Since ‘A Rage in Harlem’ saw Whitney, Renee, and Sondi deal with those new chapter struggles. Some of which… were more a nuisance than anything else, as was the case with Sondi. Because her new chapter involved living her life to the best of her abilities and keeping her agency close to her heart. But alas, in order to do that in life and at work, she would still see Matthew and would need to handle it professionally and accordingly and that was no easy task. For Matthew was quite bitter about being dumped, to the point where he did spiteful things and that just went to show us… that new chapters can bring about troubles from yesterday. Especially when an emotionally immature man named Matthew is involved, and sadly… we need to be ready for them and take the high road always.

As for Whitney, well she decided that her next step in life, was to settle into her new home and start dating again. Just… get out there and find the love she craves through and through. Which brought her to a high-class dating agency and ironically… back to Phillip. Who was a match and immediately turned on the charm. To the point where Whitney finally enjoyed physical love again and found herself being showered with gifts. Such as a high-priced piece of art that… she wasn’t sure was for her. But she really did want to give that gift and this relationship every chance, that is until… her housewarming party. For Renee and Sondi spoke up about that art at that party. Since they pointed out… it was ugly and to make matters more complex, Phillip decided to invite whomever to her party, and he and his friends even did a little nose candy in her bathroom. Which brought forth some agency from Whitney when she broke it off and asked him to leave. Which he did, slowly… since the bowls of nuts she put out for guests, put him into an allergic shock. But thanks to an epi-pen, problem solved and well… in the end, Whitney’s story teaches us that starting over will be full of fumbles, but we have to try, we have to get out there and live… and like it or not… it will make us wistful for yesterday. As evidenced by that hug between her and Ola. 

Of course, we cannot leave out Renee and her journey in this tale. Since she too learned a valuable lesson regarding starting over. Which at first appeared to be… that hitting the reset button and going our own way involves taking charge in every facet of our lives. Which includes putting an end to a good thing when we know what our heart wants. Which was why she made sure to break it off with Preston, despite the incredible connect he dropped in her lap. Because she loved Jason deeply and she knew that he was home and where she wanted to be. And getting rid of Preston allowed for her to set up a rekindling between them once that was done, she decided that the next time she and Jason could talk, she would declare her love and make this work. But alas, when the time came to finally reconcile her marriage with Jason, he dropped quite the surprise in her lap. Specifically… divorce papers. For he filed and he told her that clearly, it was time for a fresh start for both of them and that shocked Renee and taught her a powerful lesson. In that, sometimes… we cannot reclaim what we had in a prior chapter in our lives, and we need to be ready for that reality and it will be interesting to see how Renee handles that potential truth in the season two finale. 

In the end however, this was just… a brilliant episode through and through. Simply because it covered a topic that rarely receives any coverage in the world of television: what comes next. And what those early days into a new tomorrow look like, and this episode explains why… it is important we recognize the reality of our next chapter. So that we aren’t shocked to our core when the fantasy that life will be nothing but sunshine and rainbows after tough times… is shattered by the constant chaos of the universe. And putting that in a television show, helps to debunk such nonsense and truly prepares people for what lies ahead, especially those struggling that watch stories like this to heal. But that aside, make no mistake about it, this story is also critical to the franchise since it sets the stage for a powerhouse season two finale. Wherein Whitney, Renee and Sondi will continue to grow in an incredible manner as they tackle the new challenges now laid out in front of them. Until next time.

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