All posts by Carolyn Potts

Teacher. Writer. Mom. Masters' Candidate, Faculty of Education, Western University. Studying Pop Culture Media as a Decolonizer of Education Policy and Practice. I also volunteer as a Girl Guide leader in my spare time.
Featured, Mohawk Girls

Mohawk Girls review: The Black Pine aka Pino Noir

The second episode of season 3, entitled Pino Noir, opens with Bailey (Jennifer Pudavick) and Trumpet ( Kevin Loring) luxuriating in a hot tub, sipping wine, and planning exotic trips together in his yacht. This might lead the viewer to believe that the title is invoking Pinot Noir: the wine, sometimes referred to by sommeliers as “sex in a glass”. But, as this episode unfolds, it becomes clear that our ladies are dealing with healing, positive life choices, and building strong stable relationships in all facets of life, more akin to the medicines of the Black Pine or Lodgepole Pine.

We begin with Caitlin (Heather White) receiving some self-help books from her on again room-mate Zoe (Brittany LeBorgne). Caitlin has decided to adopt a new healthy lifestyle that includes positive food choices, exercise, and working on her self-confidence. She even chooses to enlist personal trainer Leon (Alain Chanoine) to help her with a fitness regimen. (Did we see some sparks flying between these two? Time will tell). Later in the episode Caitlin runs (literally) into her father (Lawrence Bayne) and Butterhead (Meegwun Fairbrother) and she finally takes steps to positively move forward, away from these two toxic men in her life. GO CAITLIN!

For her part in healthy choices, Anna (Maika Harper) opts to take Sose’s (Glen Gould) advice, and connect with her Mohawk culture. Being a student, she seeks out knowledge the way most students do, via Wikipedia. Anna decides to make a healing salve for Tulip (Jayli Wolf) in order to make peace following their bar brawl. She heads out into the woods on her medicine hike, gathering the plants she hopes will make the salve according to the recipe she found online.

We next see Anna covered in welts on Tulip’s doorstep presenting Tulip with her peace offering. Tulip promptly refuses the salve. Anna then turns to Thunder (Kyle Nobess) for consolation, who sweetly teases her, “Why would you go to the internet for Mohawk culture when you are living in the real thing? You don’t need to prove how Mohawk you are to me.” YES!! Team Thana LIVES!

This week Zoe returns to work following her vacation/hibernation and uses her selfie with Lollipop (Devery Jacobs) as proof that all is well following the wedding meltdown. Unfortunately, according to her mother, The Chief, played by Tantoo Cardinal, these efforts are too little too late. Band members have written letters declaring Zoe’s behaviour violated the moral code she has in place as the Band’s legal counsel. Her mother declares that Zoe has once again shamed the family with her selfish behaviour, making it clear that she believes Zoe is “the joke of the town” and needs to “suck it up and give her grand-kids”.

This all sends Zoe back to Dom (Kyle Switzer) who has decided that she needs to be punished (since he had a stressful day as “Principal” of the Bradford School – REALLY?!?!). Zoe gladly submits to his lashing. The question is, did Zoe finally realise that this lifestyle is not really for her? Later we see Zoe, ever the pragmatist, compiling a spreadsheet in order to find a suitable single Mohawk man. As it turns out Osherase is the winning candidate for boyfriend material and Zoe wastes no time in bringing him home to meet her family.

Lastly we return to Bailey. The girls all discover that Bailey is indeed having an affair with Trumpet and judge her for it. Meanwhile Watio (Jimmy Blais) makes it clear to all who will see that he is still interested in Bailey, despite their horrendous date last season. Bailey is again quick to judge Watio and we learn that although he is on welfare (for “political reasons”), he volunteers every day for the Kahnawa:ke youth centre. Following a disappointing date with Trumpet and a run in with his wife Lollipop, Bailey begins to question this adulterous relationship. Finally after another revealing conversation with Watio, Bailey dumps Trumpet. We close out the episode with our foursome discussing what comprises a healthy relationship and Bailey quickly goes to Watio, staking her claim.

So, has Zoe actually turned away from Dom and the BDSM lifestyle in favour of a more traditional, and presumably healthy relationship with Osherase? What is next for Anna as she explores Mohawk culture? Can Bailey make a go with a relationship involving Watio? Has Caitlin turned a new leaf with her new healthy attitude and lifestyle? (and were there sparks between Caitlin and Leon?) Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

 

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Featured, Mohawk Girls

Mohawk Girls review: What’s that you say? An Apology?

The season premiere of Mohawk Girls, created and directed by Tracey Deer and written by Cynthia Knight, picks up one week after last season’s finale. As the title “Apologies Week” suggests, this week is all about making amends for the multiple transgressions committed by our favourite four Mohawk ladies.

Right away we learn that yes indeed Caitlin went through with her planned abortion. That question now out of the way, the rest of the episode can focus on all of the apologies. The town apologizes to Caitlin, Anna apologizes to Thunder, Bailey apologizes to Thunder, Zoe apologizes to Caitlin, Zoe apologizes to Lollipop, Butterhead apologizes to Caitlin— sort of. It seems everyone is apologizing to or for someone or something. However, the unspoken apology is left to Caitlin, but I will get to that later.

This week Zoe (Brittany LeBorgne) finally begins to atone for her meltdown that occurred in last season’s episode entitled Bridesmaidzilla. Lollipop (Devery Jacobs) has decided that the all too perfect Zoe must submit to her every desire, which includes such demeaning acts as bathroom scrubbing and an emergency pedicure. Zoe attends to this new master whilst “aching to serve” her new Dom played by Kyle Switzer. Speaking of her new Dom, we catch another glimpse of Zoe’s new game playing playmate as Zoe takes one more step into her world of kink.

Bailey (Jennifer Pudavick), clearly tired being the good girl who follows the rules, has yet another confrontation with her father Sose (Glen Gould) and Auntie Velma (Ashley Michaels) regarding her rebellious behaviour. As a result, Bailey again looks for love in the wrong places and settles—this time with newlywed Trumpet (played by Kevin Loring)—as she reminisces about her one night stand, with  the aid of Trumpet’s sexting. We see Bailey attempting to do the right thing by avoiding a  married man, but by the episode’s close it seems clear that resistance, at least for now, is futile.

Fish-out-of-water Anna (Maika Harper) spends this episode picking up the pieces of her shocking Blood Quantum reveal. The entire town now knows she is not the critical 50% Mohawk blood that guarantees your position at Kahnawa:ke, and Anna starts this season right back where she was in the series premiere last season. However, instead of the hopeful and lively Anna we are so accustomed to seeing embark on  new adventures at Kahnawa:ke, we see a woman grieving the loss of her newly won acceptance, not to mention her fear of losing Thunder.

Anna seeks out advice from her surrogate father figure Sose who supplies our lesson on Mohawk culture. We are told by Sose that “Blood Quantum was a white system imposed on our people. It is not our way”. He suggests to Anna that “there are other ways to connect with our culture and feel you belong here” and that she should not give up so easily. Anna apologizes to “Be Still my Beating Heart Thunder” (Kyle Nobess) and he reassures that it is difficult to stay angry with her. It seems Team Thana might live to see another day.

And finally we come to Caitlin (Heather White). Now that we know she deliberately ended her pregnancy, we are left to live through her consequences. Caitlin is in a world of hurt; filled with guilt and shame. Zoe apologizes to her for not being present for the procedure as she had promised and for telling the other girls of Caitlin’s secret. Caitlin continues to battle guilt and fear, using that guilt to justify settling for a man like Butterhead in order to quell her long held fears of being alone.

Caitlin however, is not impressed with Butterhead’s boyfriend behaviours. In a last ditch attempt to turn Blockheaded Butterhead into her Warrior, Caitlin agrees to school him in the art of being a good boyfriend. Alas, the blockhead fails and after a heart to heart with Butterhead’s baby mama Mean Girl Vickie (Rachelle White Wind), Caitlin gains the strength to forgive herself and finds the courage to leave Butterhead.

Hat Tip to Tracey Deer and Cynthia Knight for tackling such a contentious and often times polarizing decision with such grace, and also to Heather White for once again playing Caitlin with so much honesty.

So what is next for our ladies now that the apologies have been made and everyone seems to be back in each others good graces? How long can Bailey enjoy an affair with a married man? Will Caitlin continue on her journey to healing? Now that Anna is forgiven by Thunder, can Tulip forgive her too? Let me know in the comments below.

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Featured, Mohawk Girls

Previously, on Mohawk Girls …

This Tuesday at 9 pm, Mohawk Girls returns to APTN, and so I thought I would give a brief rundown of the final events from last season to prepare us all for this week’s season premiere.

When we last visited our favourite Kahnawa:ke ladies, they were all facing some challenging circumstances, and perhaps not making the wisest of life choices, thus setting the scene for some exciting story lines to come.

If you recall, Team Thana (Maika Harper and Kyle Nobess) hastily consummated their relationship during Trumpet (Kevin Loring) and Lollipop’s (Devery Jacob) wedding reception. Threatened by the Kahnawa: ke’s predatory dating environment, her need for acceptance in the community, and her shockingly low blood quantum results, Anna felt pressured to forego her three month dating rule. However, Anna immediately regretted this decision. She felt she had compromised herself “to be just another Mohawk Clone.”

We caught up with Zoe (Brittany LeBorgne) in desperate need of some classic girlfriend pep talks, the sort we can all relate to, filled with wine and junk food. She finally emerged from her self-imposed “Bridesmaidzilla meltdown” punishment, only to embrace her compliant self and began sessions with her newest dom. Zoe had just been informed that it was time for her first punishment and the audience was left to wonder how she would submit (literally) to her new found lifestyle.

And FINALLY, just in time for the very last episode of last season, nice girl Bailey (Jennifer Pudavick) actually met a nice guy. That was good. Problem was, he was also Jewish. That was bad. Life, it seemed, turned the tables on Bailey and immediately after hooking up with Aaron, Bailey learned that he could never date anyone who was not Jewish.

To lick her wounds, Bailey headed to the bar where her drunken overtures towards Thunder were promptly rebuffed since he’s “with Anna now.” Lashing out to hurt Anna, Bailey broke the girlfriend code, and betrayed Anna’s confidence. She blurted out Anna’s blood quantum results to Thunder and to all who could hear, thereby risking any acceptance Anna could ever find in her new found home.

Tulip wasted little time and quickly informed Anna of Bailey’s betrayal. This resulted with Anna finally owning her “Rez Balls” and she promptly took Tulip down in a bar brawl, leaving Thunder to drag her off. To make matters even worse we left with Bailey hooking up with newlywed Trumpet just outside the bar.

Last year’s season finale closed with a heartbroken Caitlin (Heather White) sitting in the doctor’s office as she anxiously awaited an abortion. Realizing that Butterhead (Meegwun Fairbrother) is just like her own father– a selfish man incapable of loving his children– Caitlin felt that the cycle of despair she knows all too well must be broken.

So, will Team Thana be able to overcome Anna’s blood quantum results? Will Anna ever be accepted as a true Mohawk? Will the girls be able to forgive Bailey’s betrayal? How is Zoe going to make things up to Lollipop following her melt-down? What is next for Zoe following her latest training session? Did Caitlin go through with the abortion? Is there a future for Caitlin and Butterhead? What other twists and turns do you think writer/creator Tracey Deer and creator Cynthia Knight have in store for viewers? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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Book of Negroes, Featured

Recap: Book Of Negroes Part 2

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We open part two of six, with Aminata (now played by Aunjanue Ellis) waking and several critical pieces of the story are quickly thrown at the viewers. We learn Aminata is travelling with Georgia (Sandra Caldwell) to assist with slave births and in this instance Georgia is insisting Aminata travel with her for her own best interest. Georgia is very much aware that their owner, Robertson Appleby (Greg Bryk of Bitten fame) has his eye on the young slave and warns Aminata of her fears. We are also informed of a couple of unrelated items imperative to the story; Aminata knows how to read, and that the south is suffering from smallpox outbreaks.

This episode gives viewers a visceral depiction of the power that the slave owners held and the violation perpetrated against the slaves during this era. This sense of not having any control over your own life is repeated throughout.

Our story really begins when Solomon Lindo (Allan Hawko of CBC’s popular Republic of Doyle), a Jewish businessman, comes to visit the Indigo Plantation. He and his wife Rosa (Amy Louise Wilson) realise that Aminata is an exceptional woman and attempt to buy her from Appleby. Rosa is aware that “Mina” can read. It is clear that Rosa wants Mina for her own. However, Appleby refuses Solomon’s offer of purchase.

As the Massa, we see Appleby exercing his power and orders Aminata to the Big House, trapping and ultimately raping her. I am not sure what would have be worse, actually watching the rape played out on the screen or leaving the violation to my imagination. We are however spared the details and only to hear her screams as Aminata is attacked by her owner. This scene only lays the groundwork for yet more abuse to come.

All is not lost though for our heroine, there is a bright spot. Chekura (Lyriq Bent) conveniently manages to track Aminata down since she is after all a famous baby catcher who knows every possible language, and they wed.

We next see Aminata ripe in an advanced stage of pregnancy and an incredibly powerful scene plays out (In my mind the most emotional of the night). Appleby, realises that the baby Aminata carries is not his and he shears her head before all of the other slaves. He concludes this public violation on Aminata, demonstrating his ultimate power by informing all who will listen with his veiled threat that “the baby you (Aminata) carry is no more yours than the hair on your head.” Mr. Bryk manages to convey his character’s contempt for the slaves that to him are merely a commodity. He exudes the entitlement as the owner and master of his domain. Further we see Ms. Ellis beautifully maintaining her character’s quiet dignity in the face of this public humiliation. Brava to Ms. Ellis for portraying Aminata’s strength and determination in such a poignant manner.

Aminata carries her baby to term and of course, Appleby, knowing that the child is not his sells the infant off in order to punish Aminata. Then as a final blow, she is sold to Solomon, committing her to a state of permanent exile her from her family of slaves.

In her new life as a servant (rather than slave) to the Lindo’s, Mina must adjust her perspective. Mina assists in the birth of Rosa’s son. Still the inequities of life as a black woman play out as we learn that Solomon helped sell Mina’s daughter. This is justified in his mind as he believes that both Mina and her daughter are better off out of the clutches of Appleby. He feels he deserves her gratitude since he exercised his power and wealth and saved them both.

We close with Mina grieving the loss of her daughter; she has succumbed to smallpox.

What a fabulous episode. I am loving that even in the short time frame this show airs (I really wish each episode was a 2 hour slot instead of the 1 hour) we are seeing a richness in each of our characters. We have in two episodes essentially seen two separate casts (in order to accommodate such a broad span of time) and yet this production has delivered a splendidly woven story with dynamic characters and not the caricatures we so often see.

Let me know what you thought about part two in the comments below.

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Book of Negroes, Featured

Recap: Book of Negroes Episode 1

To begin I must put this review into context. I have not read The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. This will be my review untainted by previous knowledge of the story. That said…

This is the first of six episodes, featured on CBC in Canada and later this year on BET in the US, directed by Clement Virgo, and produced by Conquering Lion Pictures and Out Of Africa Entertainment. In it we will learn the story of Aminata Diallo and her life as both a slave and a loyalist to Britain during the Revolutionary War.

We open in 1807 in the House of Parliament in England. Aminata Diallo (Aunjanue Ellis) is waiting to testify on behalf of the Abolitionists petitioning the Court to end slavery. Her testimony is our story; Aminata is our Djeli (storyteller).

The elder Aminata transports us back to the time of Aminata’s youth (Shailyn Pierre-Dixon) in the village of Bayo and we learn she is raised as a Muslim by newly reverted parents. Her mother is a renowned baby catcher who travels freely from village to village and Aminata learns the same skills at her mother’s knee. Her father is the only member of her village who owns a Qur’an. As her story unfolds, we are told that the Man Stealers are targeting the local villages and so as a precaution Aminata’s father accompanies his wife and daughter to a birthing in one of the nearby villages. Coincidentally, it is on this very journey that the young family is ambushed on their way. Aminata is captured and shackled, her parents are left to die in the jungle, and Aminata’s village is set to fire.

The remainder of this episode deals with the treacheries Aminata was subjected to during her journey across land and water, from her village of Bayo (present day Segou, Mali, Africa) to Port Charles Town NC. Coffled to her fellow captives, she makes the long journey across the arid African landscape to where the river meets the sky (Atlantic Ocean) and the awaiting slaver. Along her journey, Aminata is befriended by one of her captors Chekura Tiano (Siya Xaba), who as it happens is also a captive. He had been sold to the leader by his uncle following the deaths of his own parents. Chekura shares his food and water, and unshackles Aminata for her journey – finding favour with her captors I think will be a theme throughout the story as we see this happen in a couple of instances throughout this episode.

The captives reach the shore and are imprisoned at the major slave trading operation located on Bance Island, branded, and then herded onto the slaver. The lead Man Stealer, no longer in need of Chekura sends him to the ship to be traded. Once on the filthy ship Aminata once again finds favour (and value), this time with “Medicine Man” Tom (Nick Boraine). Tom learns that Aminata is not only fluent in many of the tribal languages but she is a capable midwife. An agreement is struck; Aminata assists the Medicine Man, he will in turn help her.

Aminata’s strength of character is evident during this voyage. She avoids Tom’s advances and refuses his attempts to rename her “Mary”. With her position as The Medicine Man’s Assistant, and her assumed innocence of youth, Aminata is granted freedom from her chains and is allowed to move about the ship unencumbered. This freedom leads us to the climax of this installment. Aminata is able to secretly gather weapons and supplies them to her fellow captives. The slaves then orchestrate an ambush using the women in their midst to distract the sailors. Aminata takes refuge behind the ship’s wheel with Chekura providing extra protection from the bloody fight. Ultimately though, their meagre weapons prove fruitless to the well-armed crew. However, Tom the Medicine Man dies in the fight and a woman (Fanta, played by Nondumiso Tembe) who also hails from Aminata’s village is executed for her role in murdering him.

At long last the journey ends and we arrive at Port Charles Town, North Carolina in 1761. It is here that Aminata is sold to Robertson Appleby (Greg Bryk) for five pounds sterling and taken to his plantation. The episode closes with young Aminata falling into a deep sleep in the first comfortable bed she has seen in months and we are instantly transported years ahead with the young adult Aminata (Tenika Davis) being roused from her sleep to go “catch a baby”.

So far I have only a couple minor complaints. I am a stickler for small details and I find that even though they may seem minor, I find them highly unnerving. Early on we see Aminata with her father as she practises her writing. I have to wonder, why is it that a man who knows how to read Arabic is teaching his daughter to write Arabic words in the Latin alphabet? Further, the scene in which Aminata is praying is a very poor representation for Islamic prayers (no female would have situated herself for prayers with her back to a man, at the very least even in the situation as a captive she would have likely positioned herself closer to the vegetation to preserve some sense of modesty).

All in all though, this was a great opening episode and I cannot wait to see what unfolds next. Let me know what you think or perhaps what you are most looking forward to in the next episode in the comments below.

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