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I'm really loving this season of Being Mary Jane way more than the rest! Tonight's episode was a perfect example as to why...
Picking up from last week, Mary Jane is doing another small segment outside in New York's brutal winter. Right before she goes off air, she gets hit with a snowball, and goes off right after the cameras cut! The cold, her correspondent gig, and being away from home is clearly getting to her. Kara calms her down with the news that that they will be covering the Racial Justice Coalition event honoring the 50th anniversary of Thurgood Marshall's confirmation in the Supreme Court. It'll happen down in Atlanta, so both Mary Jane and Kara (who's made a power move with Garrett to go) are excited to head back home!
Later, Mary Jane gets to the family home, and everyone's excited to see her. Niecy ends up having to leave early to pick up Treyvion, who bit a kid at school. He's still having nightmares almost every night after Niecy's incident with the police, so MJ decides to stay at the house instead of a hotel to help out. As she sits in Treyvion's bedroom talking to Lee, Mary Jane admits, though, that she's afraid of falling back into her old habits of meddling and judging while she's there. Lee tells her not to worry, and that there may be something unexpected coming her way. At that very second, there's a knock on the door, and it's HIM! Such a sweet surprise!
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After Paul and Helen walk in on them kissing, Mary Jane introduces Lee to them. MJ tries to get Lee to stay with her, but Helen is old school. One, there's an issue going on in the guest room, so Mary Jane will have to stay in Treyvion's room. Lee will stay in the family room...far, far away from MJ! However, both Paul and Helen seem interested in getting to know him. At dinner, Lee and Mary Jane go into the story of how they met, and Niecy seems very unimpressed with Lee. However, everybody's just sizing him up, as they should! MJ then leaves Lee in the hands of the family to get to know them and their southern traditions while she gets her media credentials. Since he's from London, he has so much to learn about food and slang!
Mary Jane goes to pick up her credentials for the event, but Kara's already got them. She also has her kids with her, who have grown so much, especially Kara's oldest son, Max. MJ also runs into some old co-workers from SNC —Vladimir, Sophia, and Luke. Mary Jane then goes home to go out with Lee for a night out on the town. She takes him to an abandoned drive in where she used to sneak to when she was a kid. To me, it's these intimate moments and sharing about her life that makes her relationship with Lee so different and great!
That night, as everyone gets ready for bed back at the house, MJ and Lee get to sexting. MJ sneaks down to get ready to have some intimate time with Lee. His foolish self strips completely butt naked and Helen walks in on him! Because she's real old school, Helen lectures the two of them, telling Lee she'll "chop it off" if she sees it again. She then pulls Mary Jane to the side to ask how serious MJ is with this guy. Mary Jane admits that it's getting serious, which is true! Helen thinks that because he came to visit the family, Lee's going to propose, but Mary Jane lets her know that he's just there to perform. I love them together, don't get me wrong, but it's too soon for a proposal. I know Mary Jane is pushing 40, but that doesn't mean she has to rush a relationship just to walk down the aisle!
The next day, Niecy gets a call from the adminstration at Treyvion's school saying that if he has another incident, then he's going to be kicked out. Treyvion has had quite a few problems after the police incident, but that's what it stems from. Another white parent's kid had the same behavioral issues, and Niecy believes that it's because the kid's family is such huge donors to the school. However, Mary Jane thinks it's because he's white.
Meanwhile, Lee and Paul prepare hogshead cheese, and talk about where it came from. During the time of slavery (Paul's own grandfather was a slave), slaves were given scraps to eat and had to make something out of nothing. So that's where we get chitlins, pig's feet, hogshead cheese, and all. For Paul, making this "cheese" is a reminder of his grandfather, and all that he did to create a better life for his family. Mary Jane, listening in, has a great appreciation now for that part of her culture...though she's still not eating that "cheese."
Later, Lee runs into Niecy, who thinks he doesn't understand what she's going through with Treyvion.
He reveals to her that he is a single father, and his own son was kicked out of preschool. So he completely gets it. He even comes up with a clever tweet on Niecy's account to speak out against the white privilege at the school. Lee advises MJ to take Treyvion in therapy, but she shuts down the idea. A lot of black people in America, for some reason, believe that everything going on in their houses should stay there instead of dealing with their issues. Being black, I have a few ideas of where it's come from, but, at the same time, if something is greatly affecting a person, they shouldn't have to bottle it inside. That just makes it worse.
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Later, at the Racial Justice Coalition, Mary Jane is able to talk to people who knew Thurgood Marshall personally, and it was very fitting since this is Black History Month. She then spots Judge McAllister, who will soon be confirmed to the Supreme Court, himself. However, he is turning down every producer for an interview. MJ's old co-workers place a bet that she won't be able to snag him for Great Day USA, with Vlad stepping in to talk to him for his network. Lee convinces him that Rev. Jesse Jackson is here to distract him, opening the gates for Mary Jane to step in. She starts a casual conversation with him, and he admits that he's reserved about giving interviews. However, MJ tells him that Great Day USA is friendly and already gets millions of views, so it's a great fit versus other networks just looking for viral content. He's impressed with her southern manners, but Vlad steps back in and pulls him away. Vlad also comes back to tell Lee that Mary Jane's always looking out for herself, using whoever to get what she wants, and that won't ever change. If she does, the change won't last for very long. Of course, that plays with Lee's mind a little bit.
MJ figures out a way to the judge by warming up to the Attorney General, who's also Judge McAllister's wife! She watches Great Day USA every day, and thinks it's a wonderful idea to have the judge on the show, planning to get him on there! Afterwards, MJ and Lee toast to that win, and Vlad gets very disrespectful towards her! Lee ends up punching him in the face, which impresses Mary Jane. She thanks him later at the drive in, but Lee was even more upset at what Vlad told him earlier. Mary Jane lets him know that the MJ described was her in the past, and she's actually making an effort to do better. Lee admits as well that he asked his agent to book a gig for him that weekend specifically so he could meet her family. They make out and have sex in the truck. At that moment, they reveal that they love each other, and it's such a beautiful moment! I love them together....maybe a little too much!
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The next day, Mary Jane reveals to Helen that Lee loves her and wanted to meet them. He just might be the one, so Mary Jane better not mess it up! Helen, who found out earlier that she lost a friend that she used to sing with, then admits that she gave up doing what she loved because she fell in love. She gives MJ a record that she sang on as a reminder that Mary Jane can indeed have it all. That's a powerful moment, because so many people, especially women, feel that they have to choose between love and career. I personally believe that you can have it all! It might take a little work to balance it all, but it can be done.
At the end of the episode, Mary Jane mentions the idea therapy for Treyvion to Niecy, but Niecy's afraid he'll be labeled a mental case. MJ offers to pay for it, and Niecy agrees. Later, the entire family goes to Lee's gig, and he brings up Miss Helen to sing! It was just a nice moment with all of them together, with Lee welcomed into the fold. I really loved this episode!
Check out all new episodes of Being Mary Jane on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET only on BET!
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