‘Run The World’ Season 1 Episode 1 ‘Phenomenal Women’
‘Run the World’ is the latest in series recaps written by Culture Editor Bianca Gregg. Check in with her each Sunday for updates on the show.
We are introduced to the four ladies who are having drinks at the Red Rooster in Harlem. The drinks are flowing, the girls are dancing and just having a good time.
Ella, as a result, wakes up late for her first day of work. Renee gives her a call while she deals with a Karen at the bodega. The two women joke about the whites not seeing them, I can relate.
Sondi is the girlfriend to a Matt who has a daughter named Amari. They wake up to morning sex while trying not to wake up Amari. Amari is in ballet classes so Sondi gifts her a pair of brown ballet shows to match her skin tone. Sondi escorts her later that day to class and quickly realizes that Amari is the only Black girl in the class. She also has a run in with the woman who takes tuition payments. The woman suggests information on how to get assistance with paying the tuition as well as a nutrition guide for Amari because her ethnic background could make her growth complicated for ballet. Sondi is clearly angered by the information and storms out of the school, rightfully so.
Ella’s new boss, Barb, is played by our fav Erika Alexander. She gives Ella her first assignment for Hot Tea Digest, covering Soulja Boy’s legend party. Later at happy hour, we learn that Whitney is planning a wedding to her Nigerian man. We also learn that Renee is married. Ella invites the ladies to tag along to the Soulja Boy party but Sondi declines. She is going to listen to Matt’s reading at school.
At the club, Ella runs into one of her old colleagues that attempts to get them in to the VIP section. Despite his efforts, they aren’t admitted in because they look too old, according to Soulja Boy. Whitney runs into a man that apparently had been community penis to the other ladies in the friendship group. Whitney expresses her regret about being committed to her college sweetheart and thus not being able to also experience the impeccable community penis.
Sondi goes to Matt’s reading. We find out Matt is actually Sondi’s advisor and well that makes things a little sticky for their relationship. Ella runs into an old boyfriend, Anderson, that apparently ghosted her. He had left the country and had not reached out to Ella to let her know he was back. Renee calls him Satan and jokes about her voodoo getting rusty since he has reappeared. Ella kisses him but refuses to go down the path of dealing with him again and storms out of the club.
Matt and Sondi have it out about what happened at Amari’s ballet class. He tells her that she needs to stop making everything a protest and grow up. Sondi expresses that she has been taking care of both Matt and Amari which is grown up. For the record Sondi is right in what she did at that school, or maybe I also am too Pro-Black.
Ella goes home with her old friend but sadly he has a bit of an issue getting it up, whiskey dick to be exact. She leaves to go see Sondi. Ella updates her on seeing Eric at the club and Sondi pretty much reminders her that Eric is not worth all the trouble. Ella’s post about Soulja Boy screening women for the VIP section trends at number 1 on Hot Tea Digest’s website. She realizes that this really could be her thing. Whitney ends up sleeping with Mr. Community Penis and it appears she may have some regrets about it.
Takeaways:
Baby, this show is gold, so far. I love it after only 29 minutes. Whitney girl you better tell your man that you do not want to marry him since you never got to live life.
Sondi is not wrong at all about how she handled that woman at the ballet class. Matt must realize that raising a little Black girl comes with teaching her pride and worth in who she is early. Sondi is trying to instill those things in her. At six years of age, she is ready.
Ella is a writer, like myself, she is sis!
Renee is hilarious and I can not wait to learn more about her individual character.
Starz has something good on their hands.
