Yahoo News Queenie Premiere Recap: Drama Reigns in Hulu Series Featuring Bridget Jones and Fresh Prince Stars
Candice Carty-Williams’ 2019 novel Queenie was touted as the “Black Bridget Jones,” and the Hulu adaptation paid homage to that in its Friday debut, which saw the titular character grapple with a deeply personal issue while navigating life as normal. (All eight episodes are now streaming.)
Like Bridget Jones’ self-deprecating heroine, we were introduced to Queenie (played by Dionne Brown) via a frank voiceover narration that served as her inner monologue, sharing with viewers the thoughts she wouldn’t dare speak out loud. In this case, her regret at not getting waxed before an ultrasound.
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Her discomfort was exacerbated by the doctor consulting with colleagues right next to the vulnerable patient, leaving her out of the conversation about her own body and not even remembering her name while her legs were propped up in stirrups.
That awful start to her day was just the tip of the iceberg. She later bombed the pitch she was so excited to present in front of her co-workers and received a warning from her boss (Bridget Jones’s Diary’s Sally Phillips) about her tardiness. The disgruntled writer found no support in Tom, her boyfriend of three years, who chided her for swearing as she vented about her day.
During a dinner party for Tom’s mother, his grandmother made racist comments about their future baby, hoping that it would inherit Tom’s “lovely straight nose.” That’s when a flashback to that earlier pelvic exam revealed that Queenie suffered a miscarriage. Triggered, her internal dialogue became external as she blurted out, “Hopefully, you’ll be dead and gone long before you get to meet it.” The outburst brought the birthday celebration to a screeching halt, and Queenie ran out the front door.
Tom followed her and, unsurprisingly, excused his grandmother as being from another generation. When Queenie pointed out that he was never on her side, he told her she was “too much.” That’s probably why she couldn’t bring herself to tell him about the miscarriage in that moment. To make matters worse, Tom ignored her text and didn’t come home that night.
The next day, Queenie bemoaned her relationship woes with best friend Kyazike (R&B singer Bellah). She’d been feeling disconnected and “off” the past few months, and Kyazike suggested she might be going through a quarter-life crisis. Kyazike then urged her friend to step up her game and go get her “palm prince.” Queenie again contemplated telling someone about the miscarriage, only to hold that secret close to her chest.
A visit with family — which included Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Joseph Marcell as her grandfather — yielded more discomfort. Her grandmother and aunt conspired to get her to see her mother, and Queenie excused herself before the ambush meeting came to be. Clearly, they had unresolved issues.
Tom finally returned home, but not to make up after their fight. He acknowledged that the past few months had been bad, especially with Queenie pushing him away, and asked for time apart. His leaving pulled Queenie into a childhood memory of her standing in front of a door begging someone to come back. Yeah, she has a lot to work through.
What do you think of Queenie so far?
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