I have not watched much TV since getting to Accra in November. But I was missing Being Mary Jane so badly, that I burned the last few gigs on my Surfline Wi-Fi to catch up on Season 3 of Being Mary Jane. Girl, and I am soooooo happy that I did. The last review I did was on Episode 3, that very deep discussion on Forgiveness and Grief. So let’s catch up and round out on all the greatness that was Season 3 of Being Mary Jane.
- In Episode 4, “Being Kara” we had the much deserved character development of Kara, where we had a deeper look into her struggles with her Latin identity and being a working career-minded mother. While Mary Jane was working through her grief with lots of coitus (to the point of chaffing) with her very handsome but young sidepiece. I enjoy Kara, because like Mary Jane, she is a very complex woman who even through her vulnerabilities exudes an immense amount of strength. The conflict Kara has with her Latin identity, is something many women of color experience, as we work ourselves up from nothing. Starting from the bottom is never starting at zero, it’s starting at -100 and digging yourself out of a hole you didn’t build. So if a bit of dirt manages to land on your shoulder, dusting it off might take some real grit and that’s where Kara is at as she realizes she can’t always be 100% for everyone, all the time. She’s human and needs to give herself space to be human but also manages her time realistically and productively. We see throughout Season 3 Kara work towards that.
- Kara also flips the script and she shades this sh*t out of Marisol. This happens in real life way to often, where a woman has worked her way from nothing, jumping over and breaking down barriers, only to expect the next woman to jump over the same barrier she’s already busted down. We all taut the idea of leaning in and bursting the glass ceiling but then turn and have it recommissioned for the next woman who looks likes us and threatens our position. We forget that barriers aren’t meant to be broken for only one person or one clique. Kara stuck her heels in the mud and her unwillingness to dig herself out by being honest about her insecurities with Marisol, have us waiting to see that mud slung in her face next season.
In Episode 5, MJ Mama still don’t like anybody, even Jilly from Philly. Who popped up as Niecy’s momma, Jackie. I STILL do not care for Niecy and PJ put his finger right on the reason why in Eps. 9 when he called her out for waiting to be rescued. As much as I don’t want to keep enabling her blind ways, Niecy was raised by no one, a child of misfortune. She wants love and keeps misplacing that want of love into shallow materialism. Even with my disdain for Niecy, her storyline is very important as it highlights the struggles Black families have with passing their wealth on to their offsprings. I don’t know that I have a full understanding of MJ’s father’s willingness to financially enable Niecy in her lost ways, while entirely shutting down and out Patrick.- I don’t quite understand why Mark was so resolute on hiding his sexuality in 2015. But every complexity I don’t need to personally understand, as parts of the storyline are meant to reach other people. It is great how #BMJ ticks off all the issues that are currently happening in real time, like when do they produce the show? From coverage on terrorism in Africa to police brutality in the season finale. I can not wait to see how they tackle that, because it is the perfect set up. Even in my disdain for Niecy, she is the perfect and oft-overlooked victim. A poor single Black mother. Fortunately for her, she has some very influential relatives. But let me wait for season four to discuss that.
MJ drinking the kool-aid and loosing a sense of herself and integrity. Even though it was conniving Cece, and a very archetypal “angry” Black girl college student, that helped her find her way to using the masters tools to dismantle the master’s house…”don’t tear down to build.” “Make me a slave, just pay me enough” look I wanted to copy and paste that on so many Instagram accounts! We are a society selling a false lifestyle void of any content or backbone, because “we prefer things and not value,” thank you Cece for the slick words of wisdom.- Women’s sexual identity is always an undercurrent in the series and the discussion of the “ho count” was a *clap* *clap* *clap*! Be proud of your body, your choices and what you like. “Be strong and wrong” and make sure you have a friend like Nichelle who can validate your ratchet when you’re about to beat yourself down for something you wanted to do and took the moment to revel in, while not wasting your time by putting a “clean condom on a dirty d*ck.” Let me find those at-home STD kits!
So much to wait for next season. I was just coming around to liking Cece when she joined team doing too much. Totally fell for thinking MJ had legit found a way to flip it and get her out of her hairs, while allowing Cece’s bookstore to flourish, but damn that set up was cold blooded. But I would have done it too, way before actually paying her out the money.
What I love most is how each character shows us something new about our own humanness, our vulnerabilities, flaws and strengths. And while BMJ is entertaining it’s thought provoking, pushing us to discuss hard topics that really matter in our day to day. Let me know in the comments down below what were some of your favorite moments in Season 3!
