Star – Square One

By starrymag | May 1, 2019

By: Gladys Luna

 

 

Carlotta (Queen Latifah) and Maurice (Lance Gross) call for a meeting with Simone (Brittany O’Grady), Alex (Ryan Destiny) and Star (Jude Demorest) to announce the next moves they have planned for their careers in order to make them successful. For Alex, they are thinking about to push harder to turn her into the house solo name. For Simone, they want to turn her into a political figure and activist due to her recent efforts to make Atlanta a safe city and take it to a national level. Carlotta lets them know that they want them to win the nomination at the ASA’s and that would probably be the last thing they will be doing as Take 3. They are planning to have Gravity’s ASA brunch and they would like the girls to attend as a way to get more attention on them.

 

In the meantime, Noah (Luke James) finally gets out of rehab in the middle of a sea of paparazzi and journalists that want to get a word from him. He immediately enters the car where Bobby (Harold Perrineau) is already waiting for him. He asks his father to take him to Star to let her know that he is sober now and that way he will get to see his son, but Bobby refuses to do it. Noah wants to go on his own, but his father lets him know that he needs to take a moment before he does and be sure that he is completely fine.

 

Back at Gravity Records an event has been thrown where immigrants workshops are given and a lot of people has gathered. Simone and Angel (Evan Ross) walk around the place looking happy and the man takes the time to tell Simone how proud he is of her and what she has accomplished. She says what Gravity Records want to do with her career and he offers her his complete support. As they are walking by, they are suddenly stopped by a man holding a cellphone in his hand who is recording everything. He tells Simone that he wants people like her out of his country and refers to them as drug dealers and thieves. He mentions that he is recording everything for his followers. Angel gets mad and throws himself over the man, but they are split apart and then the man opens his shirt and shows him a gun saying that he will use it if necessary, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

 

At the studio Cassie (Brandy Norwood) is helping her cousin Rashad (Major.) to create his first album. Both of them look very happy while he is recording a song enthusiastically. Maurice walks in and is also happy to hear what they are creating. Suddenly, Carlotta arrives and gets mad to see her cousin in there and questions Cassie about it since she believes he is not ready for that kind of business. Rashad says that he will not cause any trouble so she shouldn’t be worried about anything, but Carlotta tells her that he may not be trouble yet Cassie is. Her sister tells her that the she believes the only reason she doesn’t want to help Rashad is because he reminds her of his father. Carlotta gets a call where she is informed that her company car has been canceled so she decides to go and talk with Mateo (William Levy) about it. The man informs her that they are filing for bankruptcy since nobody is interested in buying or investing in Gravity Media due to the recent events with their artists as Star’s trauma, Noah’s trip to rehab and Gigi (Keke Palmer) quitting music. Carlotta tells him that they might use their nominations as a way to get more attention, but he is not convinced about that so she tells him that she will fight and get them something.

 

Later that day Carlotta informs the girls about what is happening. They are worried that they won’t even have a label before the ASA’s. Star suggests that they stay together until everything gets back on track, which means that Alex and Simone will have to put their career on hold. Alex gets mad saying that it is not fair to be asked to do that. The three of them start to fight and Alex reminds them that is the reason they wanted to take different paths as well. She also says that she will do the brunch they want her to as part of Take 3 but after that she is done with them.

 

Carlotta pays a visit to Cassie and finds Maurice there. She asks her sister for her club to be the host of their Gravity’s ASA brunch, but she says no. Carlotta tries to play her cards right and tells her that it would be good publicity to her club and then Cassie says that she would say yes but only if Rashad is allowed to perform. Carlotta tells her that he is not part of Gravity but ends nup accepting since she needs the space.

 

Alex arrives to her place and finds Derek (Quincy Brown) surrounded by a lot of gifts. He tells her that her parents are behind all of those. She seems to be surprised so she starts to open some boxes and the disappointment crosses her face when she realizes that is all a publicity trick from her father just to make money out of her wedding. She confesses that her dad used to tell her that she will never make it or be able to be authentic and now he is using her on his favor. She asks Derek to donate all of the gifts to whoever he wants.

 

Carlotta informs Star that they have arranged an interview for her and Noah. She refuses at first, but Carlotta tells her she needs it for her career and convinces her to do it. The moment has arrived and Star meets with Noah just before the interviewer comes in. They start to fight while Carlotta, Bobby and Miss Bruce (Miss Lawrence) watch them from behind the scenes. Miss Bruce walks over to them and scolds them as though they were kids. The journalist (Darian “Big Tigger” Morgan) walks in and the mood shifts immediately. Star and Noah talk great things about each other and everything seems to be unfolding in a very serene manner until Noah’s mother Dianne (Kimberly Elise) shows up and hears all the lies they are saying. She decides to interrupt the interview. She blames Star for how her son has turned out, something that triggers the blonde’s anger and they start to throw punches. The fight lands on Miss Bruce whose wig flies off her head and ends up with Star on top of Dianne punching each other while everything is being recorded. They are finally separated and now they are all gathered in another room where they continue with the argument towards one another. Dianne blames Bobby for everything that Noah has gone through and says that he needs to be out of the business to be healthy. The arguments are coming and going until Star gets enough and says that she doesn’t want her son to be part of that dynamic and to end up turning like their son (referring to Noah).

 

The event night has arrived and almost everyone is gathered at Karma. Cotton (Amiyah Scott) talks with Dior (Ashton B. Grooms) about the scandalous outfit she has decided to wear as it might give a hint of what they have been doing at the place. Rashad shows up and is introduced to Dior and they share a small talk before John (Aaron Quick Nelson) arrives and asks him to stay away from his girl. Rashad says that she is nobody’s property, but John keeps insulting him and asks Cotton to give him his money. Cassie walks by and hears everything and realizes that Cotton has been running a business inside her club.

 

In the meantime, Star has been trying to get her voice back. Alex walks in and tells her that she needs to use the studio. Star asks her to reconsider her decision on getting Take 3 back together, but the girl says that she will come back later. Star begins to sing a song for Davis and promises that everything will be better for him.

 

Carlotta is at Karma when Giselle Simms (Nicole Ari Parker), a potential buyer, arrives and meets with her and Mateo. They discuss about the talent of their people, but the woman knows they are also a hot mess and she doesn’t know if they are worth the headache. As if on cue Simone, Alex and Star enter the place wearing a very provocative outfits for which they are scolded later by Carlotta. Mateo takes Giselle for a drink at the other side of the place and Carlotta tells them how important it is for them to convince Giselle of buying Gravity Media. Alex mentions that she knows her well and thinks the woman likes her. Star mocks her.

 

At the other side of the bar Mateo and Giselle continue talking when Alex arrives and they greet each other enthusiastically. Star joins the talk and the woman tells her that she knows very well who she is enlisting.  Alex takes Star with her and the show begins. Carlotta goes to the stage and starts with the presentation but is soon interrupted by Cassie who joins her saying that it is an honor for her to be the host and also informs the audience about a surprise. It seems they have decided to go old fashioned and have prepared a gospel song. A gospel chorus enter the stage while Rashad starts to sing from the middle of the audience. Carlotta follows and then Noah. Rashad decides to hand the microphone over to Star who freaks out for a moment and tries to come up with an excuse as why she is not singing.  But then Alex and Simone stand up an announce that Take 3 is back together.

 

Alex meets with Derek and says that she is tired of everything that has been going on with her father and he tells her she should not let him affect her. They decide to get married that moment and leave Karma together.

 

Mateo sleeps with Giselle and she tells him that she’ll buy Gravity Records on one condition, she also wants to have control of the music side of the company. However, the man says that is not possible since Carlotta is in charge of that and is just not into negotiating. So, the woman decides not to be part of it and withdraws her offer. Cassie and Rashad are watching the video of the previous night when Carlotta walks in and tells her that this is no place for Rashad and also informs her that they have just lost their buyer so there is no label for him to be part of.

 

Noah plans a meeting at his house between his mom and dad. He lets them know that he has his own demons to vanquish and that the only way for them to show Davis about it is by letting him see how they love each other. The three of them hug and try to work it out together.

 

When Alex and Derek are about to get married, she stops and tells him that she cannot do it without her girls.

 

In the meantime, at Karma we hear Cotton screaming and it is coming from behind a door. She sees Leon (Kia Shane) trying to drown Dior in a bucket. Cotton asks him to stop, but he refuses. So, he takes out a gun and points at her. He threatens her with going for her son. Cotton gets mad so she takes a gun she has been hiding and shoots him to death.

 

Star takes Davis to Noah’s house and he is happy that she let him see the baby. She tells him that she has made up her mind and she will give Davis up for adoption. Noah is obviously not pleased with such decision, but the woman is convinced of what she will do. She wants to give the baby a chance of a better life, something they will not be able to provide. Noah tries to stand in the way between the baby and her so she takes a knife and asks him to move away.

 

Later that day Star meets with the girls and Carlotta at the studio and starts to cry. She lies and says that is because she is happy for Alex. The woman has asked Carlotta to walk her to the aisle and the girls to be her bridesmaids.

 

Angel walks in and asks Simone to give him a minute. She had recorded a video earlier talking about the white supremacy and Angel told her that it has gone viral, but he doesn’t think that is the way to do things right. He accuses her of using him to boost her career and walks away. Simone follows him outside the building. He walks to his car, but then it explodes and she starts to cry his name when he is nowhere to be seen.