Star – Insecure

By: Gladys Luna

Episode Two opens with Jahil (Benjamin Bratt) visiting his brother Javier (Izzy Ruiz), asking for the money he believes his brother stole from him. Javier denies it all and suddenly they get into a fight that is stopped by Jahil´s young nephew. The young man is so happy to see him as they are finally reunited.

Star (Jude Demorest), Alex (Ryan Destiny) and Simone (Brittany O’Grady) visit Carlotta (Queen Latifah) as she is in the room where she keeps all her wigs. The three girls start to play with the wigs and joke about the meaning of each one as they plan along with Carlotta on how they are going to approach Ayana Floyd (Michael Michele). Later that day, the four of them pay a visit to the record label president and discuss their chance to be part of her label. At first, Ayana doesn’t seem to be impressed by the trio talent, but later she addresses to each one of them as she tells them what she believes they should change about their image if they want to work at her label.

Miss Bruce (Miss Lawrence) questions Cotton (Amiyah Scott) about Elliott´s (Jack Yang) intentions of giving her a job as a way to help her return the money she owes him. It seems that Bruce doesn’t rely entirely on the man and thinks that the fact that Cotton is considering on giving him a chance it´s only because she still has feelings for him. Alex and Star enter the room and as soon as they do it Bruce assigns tasks to do around the salon. Alex looks sad and disappointed, something that draws Bruce´s attention so she questions them about their meeting with Ayana. Alex explains that the woman referred to her as a “cold person” and didn’t like her music. Star also confesses that Ayana said she needed a new look and what is surprising is that Bruce agrees to everything they said. So, she decides to help the girls and start a makeover. Both girls seem to be pleased with the results. According to Star, Carlotta can be good at managing, but she is certainly good at drawing attention so she plans to gather some people and ask for some favors and film a video and upload it to a streaming channel so Ayana can see what they are capable to do. Alex runs to Derek (Quincy Brown) to show him the “new look” and he is just amazed by her.

Simone is at her supporting group session when one of the girls called Dee (Angela Marie Rigsby), who happens to be the one that stole Simone shoes in the last episode. She starts to tell her story to the other girls, but gets offended when one of the girl expresses her opinion about her. When she finishes, she suggests the therapist ask Simone about her story, but the woman refuses to do it by saying that Simone will speak whenever she´s ready. Another girl stands for Simone making Dee lash out and jumping over her. And just like that, the riot has begun.

The next day, Simone, Alex and Star are getting ready to start filming her music video. With the help of Bruce and Cotton, the three girls look fabulous in their sexy pink outfits. The filming begins and, as usual, they just rock it out. When they wrap their video, Star approaches Rachel Wells (Paris Jackson) who seems to be a hit on the internet and asks her to help them upload it on her website.

The woman agrees on one condition, to be kissed by one of them. Star agrees and when she walks towards her, the woman stops her by saying that she is not the one she wants a kiss from. She points at Simone who, without blinking, kisses her making the woman congratulate them as they are about to break the internet.

Jahil comes clean to his nephew and explains him the reason why he left Atlanta. The young man wants Jahil letting him tag along when he returns to the city but he refuses by saying that is no place for him at all. Carlotta is waiting for Ayana, but the woman seems too busy in a meeting as it is told by her assistant. Bruce calls Carlota and tells her she is needed at the salon since the new stylist made some damage on one of the client´s hair so Carlotta has to go there immediately before something else happens. Once in there, she offers Grace (Leslie Black), the unhappy client, six free visits in order to stop the woman from taking legal actions against them. Cotton doesn’t seem to be so pleased with her mother´s decision but at the time, it seems to be the best and only choice.

Star, Simone and Alex walk in and Carlotta asks them about where they have been so the blonde confesses everything about the video they made and how Rachel is helping them with that. The older woman asks them to take the video down as she doesn’t believes it is a good idea for Ayana to see it, but Star refuses saying that what they really want is to draw her attention.

Noah Brooks (Luke James) is discussing with Ayana about her new moves for Midtown Sound, her record label. She confesses him that she will start a competition between the label artists and the winner will receive as a prize, the release of their album. Star breaks in and seems to be surprised by the woman´s revelation. She suggests Ayana to take a look at the video they made and the woman says that she has already seen it and took it down. As they are artists on their label, they are not allowed to do that. And as a way to punish them for what they did, the trio will be parked indefinitely.

Star drops the news to Simone and Alex and they feel as they have gone back to square one. Star assures them that the album that would be released it will be theirs but first, they need to fire Carlotta. Star believes that they need someone who is willing to take more risks and Carlotta doesn’t seem to be that kind of person. Simone and Alex refuse to do it, but the blonde seems to have other plans.

Carlotta meets Bruce outside the salon and tells her about what is happening with Big Trouble so Bruce suggests let hr be in charge of the salon. That way, she would be able to give her fully attention to the girls’ career to what Carlotta finally agrees.

Alex arrives at her home and sees Derek through the window. She stops for a moment then she turns around and dials a number and asks the woman on the other side of the line to keep the store open for her. Moments later, we can see Alex in front of a mirror, modeling a beautiful golden dress for herself until her bubble is broken by the saleswoman and she is abruptly back to reality.

Carlotta talks to Star about the next steps for Big Trouble, but the blonde confesses that she believes they need a change so she subtly suggests that they need a different manager. Carlotta listens to her reasons without further argument, but then when it is her turn to talk she makes clear to the girl that the only one who causes the drama in her life is herself. She tells her that she is not unique as she thinks she is, she is just selfish. Then, she leaves the room while Star is left alone with her thoughts.

Simone is walking through the rehab center facility when she is stopped in her tracks by watching Dee hanging from the ceiling. She starts to scream for help as she can barely digest the image before her. Jahil returns to Atlanta and is surprised when he someone breaks his car window and beats him.

Later that night, he shows up at Carlotta’s door and she immediately lets him in and takes care of his wounds as they recall the night of the murder of Eva (Sharlene Taulé) and Hunter (Chad James Buchanan). Now we see that Carlotta shot Jahil at his own request and help him fake his death. Then, they go to an isolated place where they share their goodbyes and a kiss before they part different ways. Cotton visits Elliott to say that she will be taking the job he just offered to her making the man very pleased with her decision.

Star pays a visit to Noah at the record studio and interrupts his recording while yelling at him to go outside and see her, the man does and tells her that he would help her record something. Carlotta visits Ayana and the woman sees that Andy (Elijah Kelley), her assistant, had let the woman in. Carlotta tells her that she has been doing some research on her and knows that she is the black sheep of the family and is also aware that, making the record label a success is her last chance to prove her family wrong and be accepted a part of the Floyd dynasty so she offers her a deal, she will upload the girls’ video and if they don’t get $100,000 in five days, they will walk out of the label empty handed. But if they actually get those likes, Ayana must take them back in the business.

Back at the store, Alex invites the saleswoman to share a glass of champagne with her and the woman agrees. Then, the woman realizes that one of the bracelets she had on the counter is missing and starts to look for it.

Star is alone at the record studio thinking about everything that happened and what Carlotta said to her, then Noah walks in and asks her to go into the recording booth and sing. As she does, we see a sequence of Simone as she watches how Dee´s body is taking by the paramedics and also, we see Alex holding the bracelet that was missing from the store that same day.

Things are getting messier and Big Trouble seems to get into “bigger troubles” by the minute. Catch up with Star by checking Starry Constellation Magazine recaps and keep watching Star every Wednesday at 9/8c on Fox.