Episode 1 - "Facing Fears"
Being Mary Jane is back! And it started right where we left off. Mary Jane has been in a serious accident, and she is rushed to the hospital. Kara is covering up the mirror in MJ's room, because she has some serious lacerations on her face. Helen and Paul, MJ's parents, are at the hospital, as are Lisa and David. Everything is normal, or as normal as it can be, when MJ's parents see her. BUT when David approaches her she goes off and pushes him away, and Lisa's behind slithers herself down the hallway before MJ sees her. When Paul Sr. asks David what that was about, David says it's complicated. So of course, Paul Sr. asks him to explain so he could understand. After making the request several times, David finally attempts to explain it without really explaining it. But he says just enough about MJ possibly overhearing Lisa telling him something about his past with Lisa, and when questioned on it he attempts to say he doesn't want to go into details out of respect for MJ and gets a nice punch to the face from Paul Sr. And Lisa didn't get away free. Later, she sits with Helen in the cafeteria, where Helen sets her straight (including making it clear that she wanted to know if David was in ANY of Lisa's holes, and also that of the million of men out there David was the only one she shouldn't have messed with...even calling it incestuous b/c they were both so much like family to them).
Meanwhile, Celia, or CeCe (played by Loretta Devine), who was the driver in the other car, is stuck in pain on a bed in the hallway, apparently because she does not have insurance. Until MJ has them put her in a room. They had a brief conversation, where CeCe told MJ she probably had a lot on her mind like all professional Black women do, and reminded her about how much she needed her face for tv (in the sweetest, yet not so sweet, way). When she leaves, MJ has someone on the medical staff give Cece a check from MJ for $3000 and the memo line said she was sorry. But later in the episode, the network tried to give Cece hush money, because MJ had some alcohol in her system during the crash (though not enough for a DUI...which the network seemed disappointed in...smh...they definitely don't want her there). In the meeting, CeCe talked them into giving her more money than originally offered, because she did her research and then put them in their place. Ms. CeCe seems to have a way with words (like how their reverse gentrification wasn't panning out for them as they may have planned).
Back at home, a disfigured MJ, has to deal with her mother who apparently volunteered to stay with MJ...but you know how Helen can be. A conversation that started as an apology for trying to push MJ towards David, quickly turned into advising MJ to accept that she's stupid for being in love with David so she can just get over it already, to her then actually kinda becoming the victim when MJ's response wasn't exactly what she expected. But I mean, who wants to be forced to focus on the fact that the man you loved hooked up with your best friend when you're dealing with almost having died and a possible career-ending (or maybe just major altering) injury, especially when said injury is related to that violation of your trust! And when Helen walks into the glass door (and it was hard), it was pretty much time for her to go. Paul Sr. came to get her, apparently insisting he come get her immediately more out of concern for his wife who had just had an accident (though nothing wrong with that).
Later, MJ gets some texts from both Andre and Sheldon (among other people). In summary, Andre is praying for her and Sheldon is available if she needs anything.
Later in the evening, PJ comes by to talk to MJ, and they have a conversation about men born with silver spoons in their mouths, and how they can love a difficult woman but don't know how to fight for them. Followed by a brief lecture on MJ needing a man to care for her, similar to when Helen was telling her she was trying to push her towards David because she didn't want MJ to end up alone.
Then Patrick comes by banging like the dang police! But he didn't come to check on MJ. He came to bring Lisa over to talk to MJ (something about her bugging their mom and him not wanting her to commit suicide). MJ eventually goes out to talk to Lisa...and it is talk TO, not talk with. She starts by apologizing to Lisa...apologizing for men not wanting Lisa, apologizing for making Lisa the third wheel with her and David, apologizing for their friendship being more of an obligation than a friendship the last few years...and so on. Lisa got in a few words. The conclusion being, MJ loves Lisa and hope she finds what she needs, but whatever she needs MJ doesn't have it.
Episode 2 - "Louie Louie"
The network is pretty much trying to get rid of MJ, even telling her attorney the next time he wants to go hard for a client make sure it's not a middle-age, alcoholic Black woman. They even have footage of her drinking tequila in her office on a routine basis and point out the moral turpitude clause in their contract with MJ. They pushed back on setting an exact time frame for MJ's return, despite her doctors saying she could be back in 3 weeks. Meanwhile, MJ convinces Kara to try to get the network to temporarily replace her with an "ugly, Black woman" (which Kara points out is both racist and offensive). And really, who would want to be the face of the network's "ugly, Black woman" movement?! But it didn't matter anyway, because the network was pressured into replacing MJ with a Latina anchor...a young, beautiful Latina anchor...named Marisol. It took the right words from CeCe to make MJ realize she needed to get back in there and take her seat back (told you CeCe was good with her words). MJ eventually pulls herself together and goes to the network meeting for her show and has Ms. Marisol pick up her bag and move from the head of the table so MJ could take back her seat.
But the network isn't the only one coming for MJ. CeCe shows up at MJ's home unannounced, using MJs personal check to get the address to her house. I knew that check was a bad idea, especially since she apologized on the memo line, essentially admitting fault. As MJ learns from her attorney, CeCe's signing of the NDA (nondisclosure agreement) with the network would protect MJ...as long as there's no admission of fault. WOMP, WOMP...And though even CeCe admits to MJ that it was her that turned when she wasn't supposed to, CeCe also points out MJ's $3K check with sorry on the memo line would sure make a jury believe MJ was at fault! CeCe also informed MJ that the NDA only mentioned the network couldn't be sued, not MJ. Womp, womp! So apparently, MJ is CeCe's "blessing"...her blessing for exactly $25,000. MJ is only able to get $5,000 for CeCe the next day, but no worries, Ms. CeCe puts her on a payment plan! SMH!! But I will give it to CeCe, while they were waiting on the messenger with the check, CeCe schooled MJ on some things like how to pronounce W.E.B. DuBois, the systemic oppression of Black people in America, and how Marisol was taking her job! Now I think MJ probably thought she was schooling CeCe on all of those points (except for the Marisol part), and some of y'all may agree with MJ. I think they both had valid points on being Black in America...systemic racism has kept some Black people oppressed and some Black people are lazy (some of all races of people are lazy...lazy people exist in all races). But, in case it wasn't clear through the scripting, because they gave MJ the last word, CeCe actually pronounced W.E.B. DuBois' name the way he preferred for it to be pronounced (doo - BOYZ... "My name is pronounced in the clear English fashion: Du with u as in Sue; Bois as oi in voice. The accent is on the second syllable.")
Meanwhile, Patrick is being superdad for D'Asia, including helping to coach her basketball team and even asking his father to help him get a job (of course making his father both joyful and emotinal). Unfortunately, this leads to jealousy from D'Asia's mother who is now in a halfway house, and of course Niecy is hurt that he didn't have the same level of desire and intensity to be a great father for her and her sister when they were growing up.
And so the season begins....CeCe will probably be schooling MJ and collecting her bi-weekly check from her all season (or at least I hope so...though I don't like what she's doing to MJ, I love how she thinks). The network is going to be gunning for MJ, but hopefully she'll stay strong and push through it like the end of the second episode. It's great seeing Patrick continue to step up as a father. Hope he continues to do so for all of his daughters. And I suppose Lisa and David will come back eventually. Maybe we will get lucky and MJ can get a new beau, like Sheldon, but without his hangups. Not that she has to be in a relationship, but it does make for good tv!