Harlem season two has finally arrived, and it did not waste any time giving us some drama for our favorite friends Camille (Meagan Good), Tye (Jerrie Johnson), Quinn (Grace Byers), and Angie (Shoniqua Shandai) in 2×01 and 2×02. Season one of the Amazon Prime series from Tracy Oliver introduced us to these four stylish ladies and brought us some good storytelling.
Season two of Harlem is already off to a great start with the first two episodes, 2×01 “Takesie Backsies” and 2×02 “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…” Join us as we review and break down the drama that was.
At the end of Harlem season one, Camille reunited with her ex-boyfriend Ian (Tyler Lepley). The two shared a kiss the night before his wedding, and that’s where episode 2×01 “Takesie Backsies,” picked up. After the two were caught by Ian’s fiancé Mira (Rana Roy), who delivered the best reading, Camille was forced to face her feelings head-on. In addition, Camille appeared on the doorstep of Dr. Pruitt (Whoopi Goldberg), the college professor she worked for, while intoxicated and quit her job at Columbia.
In the light of day, Camille deals with the consequences of her decisions. To atone for all that she did, she went on an apology tour which Quinn labeled as her takesie backsies moment. As Camille does all of this, she realizes she needs to own her mistakes, and she’s ultimately able to secure her position at work again. Navigating her new relationship with Ian proves to be a bit more of a challenge because what’s a show without a love triangle to add some more tension, as we saw in episode 2×02 “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice….”
Just like Ian, Camille was also in a relationship. In season one of Harlem, she met and started dating a guy named Jameson (Sullivan Jones). The two grew closer, and he found himself so in love with her that he was willing to turn down a job that would have him relocate to another state. Camille was left with some tough decisions to make. This season of Harlem is going to be an interesting one for her and her love life.
Tye, whose husband Brandon (yes, I said husband) showed up after she had a medical emergency, has forced her to also come to grips with some things she wasn’t ready to face. Tye spent the whole of season one balancing her career while also trying to figure out her love life. Tye has many commitment issues to work through. All the while, she’s running one of the most successful dating sites for the LGBTQ+ community.
Instead of trying to work through her issues, Tye chooses the root of deflection. She throws herself into helping Quinn prepare for her first date with a woman. As Tye sees it, if she’s too busy helping someone else, she has reason not to focus on her problems. But we all know that we can’t escape our problems no matter how hard we try. Tye can’t get away from reminders that she cannot form a connection with someone. When she stumbles on the dating app SheBToxic.com which is a place where people can bash their bad hookups, she sees herself there more than she would like to. Even still, Tye uses it to her advantage, and old habits die hard.
In Harlem 2×01 “Takesie Backsies,” Quinn went on her first same-sex date with Isabela (Juani Feliz). From the moment they met in season one, when Quinn realized that she was bisexual, the two hit it off. Quinn being the overthinker she is, was so nervous that she and Tye went to a sex shop, AKA a “candy shop for your lady parts,” so she could have what she needed to make sure she and Isabela had a lovely time. As it turned out, none mattered to Isabela because she just wanted Quinn.
The date was a success, and Quinn was so happy because she felt she had finally found her person. Until episode 2×02 “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…” As I said, Quinn is an overthinker and tends to go head-first into things. After her date with Isabela, she was already in couple mode and thought Isabela felt the same until she told her that she wasn’t looking for a relationship. This hit Quinn a lot harder than she expected it to.
For Quinn coming out as bisexual and then putting herself out there was tough. After being rejected by a man and then a woman she cared about, she started to question why nobody would love her. Seeing that vulnerable side where she expressed her feelings made her a more authentic and relatable person. Thankfully, she had her roommate and friend Angie to remind her that she would find someone to love all of her.
Angie, the group’s free spirit, spent most of episodes 2×01 “Takesie Backsies” and 2×02 “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice….” Going from one hook-up to the next. After the production of Get Out which she was part of was shut down, she’s sort of floating around trying to figure out what to do next. When a street psychic gives her a quick reading of her future, she feels like her luck is about to change. I don’t really have a whole lot to say about any of this other than I do hope we get more for her character this season than hooking up with guys because watching her pursue her acting goals is what interests me more.
All in all, the first two episodes of Harlem season two were entertaining. I really enjoyed watching all of the amazing women in this series because it’s always nice to see someone who looks like you get the representation on screen that they deserve. I loved season one of Harlem and I cannot wait to see what’s in store with the rest of the season.
Other Thoughts
- I cannot get over the fierceness of the fashion for these women.
- We appreciate a show that actually lets us read the text messages clearly.
- $4,000 for sex toys? Yeah… no.
- $79.00 for a cactus?
- Has Angie heard of stranger danger? Meeting a dude in a liquor store then going to his house just because he’s good looking is not it.
- “Brother micro-penis” that is all.
- Wow, Camille, and Ian just got back together and are already fighting?
- “The way that a relationship starts is how it ends.” Is this statement foreshadowing Camille?
- I will now be using the phrase “I got three-dotted” when someone doesn’t respond to my text messages but I see they were typing.
Harlem releases new episodes on Fridays on Prime Video.
