Things are changing at The Pynk and for those connected to it.
If P-Valley Season 2 Episode 3 is any indication, it will be a wild ride.
Let’s start with those who have escaped Chucalissa, at least for a time.
The Dirty Dozen Tour, featuring Lil Murda and Miss Mississippi, appeared to be a huge success. People were craving live entertainment after being locked up during the pandemic.
Keyshawn loved the public adulation and the freedom of being out from under the thumb of her possessive baby daddy, Derrick.
It also was evident that Keyshawn regretted her decision on P-Valley Season 1 Episode 8, choosing to save Derrick from the kindly Diamond. This choice got her banned from The Pynk, her supportive home, for many years.
Sentiment about Keyshawn was mixed back at The Pynk.
While Uncle Clifford felt betrayed by her pulling a gun on Diamond to protect Derrick, Autumn understood what an abused woman experiences and recognized that the club could use a headliner with her star power.
It also was apparent that Murda regretted screwing up things with Clifford. That would explain his visit to Clifford’s home before leaving town on P-Valley Season 2 Episode 2.
Then there was the postcard from New Orleans, which wordsmith Murda struggled so much to write. It wasn’t until the end that it was revealed that Murda had been sending Clifford postcards from each tour stop.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing on the tour, however. Through publicity on social media, Murda and Keyshawn had to keep up the pretense that he was straight and they were a couple.
That myth came in handy when dealing with backdoor Bettys in each city. But these posts are bound to get back to insecure, jealous Derrick; based on experience, he’s bound to react badly.
Also, it appears that Murda’s sexuality isn’t the secret he thinks, which could come back to bite him in the macho rap world.
Another explosion waiting to happen is Murda’s old prison protector Big Teak, now serving as his security. He got into a scuffle with a gang member with whom he had history, and bullets flew.
From their reminiscences, it was clear that Murda and Big Teak have a strong bond. But Murda can’t afford to be pissing off the current gang leadership.
It also will be interesting to see how the pair are treated when they return to Chucalissa and whether former colleagues will forgive their past bad choices.
Mercedes’ injury forced her to reevaluate her situation. With her dream dance studio in jeopardy, she made a choice she had hoped to avoid. She took up Coach on his offer to be his regular side piece.
Mercedes finally had to step over that line, going from stripper to prostitute. Calling what she was doing a courtesanship made it shinier, but Mercedes still accepted a big wad of cash for sex.
Mercedes did the intelligent thing by insisting that Coach’s wife, Farrah, be involved with any agreement that Mercedes signed.
Farrah and Mercedes even began to hit it off. Then, after Farrah watched Mercedes perform on the pole, she wanted in on the action, and a couple became a threesome.
Unfortunately, that got interrupted by a phone call. Why didn’t Mercedes put her phone on vibrate?
The deputy’s call about Terrika brought into focus that earlier scene when she sought an extra box of food from Grandmother Patrice for “a neighbor.” Patrice knew Terrika was lying but didn’t push it, a rare show of restraint by her.
The deputy revealed that underage Terrika had been driving her drunk mother Shelle to get help. Unfortunately, that help would have to be Mercedes, or Terrika would be spending the night at the jail.
What will that mean for her arrangement with Coach (and Farrah)? Farrah would have to be on board now, wouldn’t she, despite Mercedes’ emergency interrupting the fun?
Thanks to a wet and hungover Shelle, Terrika overheard her history, which she had always wanted but now wished she could unhear. Shelle kept Terrika only to fulfill a promise to Terrika’s father, who didn’t want Mercedes anywhere near her.
And, yes, Terrika was correct that all of Mercedes’ excuses why she didn’t more aggressively pursue her parental rights were weak.
Bad choices seemed hereditary as Patrice’s big mouth about the casino got her in trouble.
Patrice had to know this was coming. She was a female pastor who broke away from an established church to create her own, using the funds Mercedes had stashed in the church’s building fund.
In this own instance, however, Patrice was in the right. A minister should come out about the evils of gambling. But since the powers that be in Chucalissa want the casino, Mayor Kyle was coming after Patrice’s church.
At The Pynk, Autumn wisely stopped treating Clifford as her subordinate and gave her an ownership share commensurate with Clifford’s indispensable role at the club.
And now that she’s one-third owner, Clifford started considering a different future for herself.
The Pynk’s two new dancers are proving to be wild cards.
Roulette is a rule-breaker, making money on the side as a prostitute. Whisper is spooky, seeming to know things that she shouldn’t.
To follow the dancers’ journeys, watch P-Valley online.
How are you enjoying the Dirty Dozen tour?
Can Autumn and Clifford work together?
What do you think of the new dancers?
Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.