Star – Secrets & Lies

By: Gladys Luna

The episode picks up right where we were left last season with Carlotta (Queen Latifah) and her sister Cassie (Brandy Norwood) pointing at each other with a gun and fighting over the fact that Cassie killed Jahil (Benjamin Bratt). The two of them keep struggling and suddenly a shot is fired, hitting a woman that now can be seen lying on the floor and it happens to be none other than the women´s mother Christine Brown (Patti LaBelle). They take her to the hospital immediately and the woman scolds them both about the reason of the fighting. Cassie tries to talk to her sister and makes her understand that she didn´t mean to kill him, but Carlotta just tells her that she will pay for what she did.

Three months later

We are introduced to Carlotta´s new salon that with the help of Miss Bruce (Miss Lawrence) has become into the hottest one in Atlanta. Cotton (Amiyah Scott) shows up looking all happy as they see the clients coming and going. It seems that everything has been going well for them.  Carlotta lets them know that she has been trying to find a new tour for Take Three and she has managed to book them an interview later that day. She calls for Star (Jude Demorest) who is revealed to be pregnant as she watches herself in the mirror and talks sweetly to her baby assuring them that they will be alright.

The moment of truth arrives as Star and Carlotta show up at the studio where the interview is supposed to be happening and then Simone (Brittany O’Grady) arrives greeting the Miss C. happily but sending a dismissive look at her sister. They walk into the dressing room where Alex (Ryan Destiny) had been waiting for them and again, Star is not entirely welcome. Carlotta attempts to remind them that after all they are still sisters, but they are getting none of it.

Minutes later, the three women are set and ready for the interview after watching their latest music video. The chat goes well until Simone and Alex announce that they are splitting up leaving Star and Carlotta in complete shock.

When they return to the dressing room, they are scolded by Carlotta who had no clue of what they were planning to do. Alex announces her that she will be returning to New York and Simone informs them that she will go back to Angel (Evan Ross). Star tries to talk to her sister, but she refuses to do it.

Later that day, Alex meets with Derek (Quincy Brown) who is now on his two own feet again and as supportive of Alex as always. Even things between his grandmother Ruby (Juanita Jennings) and the couple seem the be going well as the woman shows up and shares an easy going talk with both of them.

Alex recalls when she boarded the plane on the way to New York and met a girl named Bianca (Alexis Louder) who happened to be a big fan of hers and immediately started to take pictures of the singer. In the meantime, Simone decides to pay a visit to Cotton and Miss Bruce and they catch up with each other. Simone sees the framed picture of the three of them and Carlotta hangs on the wall when a sudden tinge of sadness crosses her face.

Later that day, Star meets with Noah (Luke James) at Midtown Sound studios. He has just come back from rehab and is ready to kick off with the European Tour. As they are gladly talking, a woman named Joyce Sheree (Teyana Taylor) walks in trying to make fun of Noah. The woman starts an argument with Star since she was advised that the blonde wants to have more stage time and she is not happy about it. Noah stops them from moving the discussion any further and Joyce leaves the place looking pissed.

Carlotta meets with Mateo Ferrera (William Levy), a man who has the intention to buy Midtown Sound but not without Carlotta giving a fight for it. She greets the man and he immediately assures her that he attempts to buy the place and turn it into a company focus only on fashion, movies and gossip and Carlotta reminds him that she had just set up a tour that will make a lot of money for the company, but he seems to be pretty clear about what he wants.

Alex and Simone are at a club having some fun. Alex tries to encourage the younger girl to talk to Star but she doesn’t seem to be in the mood. Suddenly, a fan (Imani Vaugh Jones) shows up out of nowhere and takes a selfie with Alex who seems to have had enough of the day and decides to leave. She tries to take Simone with her, but the girl wants to stay a bit longer and promises that she will let her know once she is safe and sound at her house. When she is left alone, she gets a call from Angel who doesn’t seem too happy about her being gone. After a very quick conversation, they call comes to an end. She looks truly disappointed and then her eyes meet with another girl who seems to be having a hard time as well. They talk briefly and said woman asks her to go somewhere else and have fun.

The next day Simone wakes up only in her undergarments and next to the woman she had met the night before. Alex arrives to pick her up and scolds her for not telling her that she was alright. Simone apologizes and then Alex starts to blame herself for having left her on her own but the other girl don´t understand her reaction. Then, Alex recalls that when the plane that crashed she saw Bianca lying there terribly wounded but the paramedic went straight to rescue her instead because she was Alexandra Crane and she was forced to leave the other girl behind.

In the meantime, at Midtown Sound press conference, Carlotta welcomes Noah, Star and Joyce to the stage and then she realizes that Joyce has a gun with her and is now pointing at them claiming to be respected. People start to scream and run away from the place while the security team takes the matters on their hands.

Carlotta informs Star and Noah that Ayanna (Michael Michele) has sold Midtown Sound to Gravity Media, Mateo’s company. The man walks into the office and confirms the news. The two women are left alone and Star tells Carlotta that they should put up a fight, but the woman replies that is exactly what she´s been doing all along and that she can´t keep doing it alone.

Meanwhile, at Ruby’s house Derek is listening to one of his grandmother’s records. The woman walks in and they share a beautiful moment as they confess their love for each other and the guy asks her for a dance.

Christine pays a visit to her daughter Carlotta along with Cassie as an attempt for the two women to make amends. She leaves the two of them alone and Cassie apologizes to Carlotta. Even though it seems to be going well, once again, they end up arguing with each other.

Star enters the room where Alex and Simone are and informs them about what happened to Midtown Sound. She asks for the girls help and although, at first, they think Star is looking after her own interest. However, she manages to convince them that this is for the woman who took the three of them and took care of them.

Carlotta shows up at the gala where Mateo will be announcing about his new acquisition. Carlotta walks straight to him and the people he is with and tells him about how she believes his company could be more competitive if he adds the music component to it. The other people seem to agree so he takes Carlotta and questions her about what she´s doing. Suddenly, they hear music and then Simone starts to sing followed by Alex and Star. They take the stage and the crowd goes wild. When they finish, they call Miss C to the stage and they announce that now they are part of Gravity Records. Carlotta asks for Mateo to join them and he does, following up with her game and calling for his wife Nina (Camila Banus) to the stage. The woman does and it is revealed that she is no other but Simone´s one-night stand. They look at each other uncomfortably as they pose up there.

Mateo agrees to Carlotta´s deal and gives her seven months to prove him wrong. Noah shows up at Carlotta´s stairs and Miss Bruce sees him there, so she walks to him and asks him about how he is feeling. He is having a hard time since he found out that the tour was canceled and is afraid to fall back into the “dark place” as he calls it. He also confesses to her that when he was about to jump off the roof before he went to rehab, his father was there and he realized that he was getting high just to forget about him.

Mateo and his wife arrive to their house and talk briefly about the gala. Then, the man asks her if she wants to celebrate and points to two girls standing by the edge of the pool. The woman declines the offer and goes to her room instead. Meanwhile, Cassie meets with Maurice (Lance Gross) at a bar and asks him to partner with her to prove to Carlotta that she is no “nothing” and he agrees.

Carlotta and the girls are gathering at the kitchen like old times. She tells them about her deal with Mateo and gives them six months to deliver her an album. At first, they don´t seem quite convinced of doing it but then one by one they confess how they truly feel as Simone confirms that show will be asking for Angel for divorce, Alex talks about how she keeps recalling the crash and Star confesses that she is pregnant much to the other girls surprise.

Ruby is left alone in her house and sees that a window was open. She goes to close it and when she turns around a man shows up carrying a gun in his hand and asking her to take her clothes off.

Before the day ends, Carlotta finds herself talking to an empty chair pretending to have a conversation with Jahil.

A lot seems to be in store for everybody so, let’s see how the season unravels and make sure to watch next Wednesday at 9pm EST on Fox. ¡Hasta la próxima!