STAR 3×08 Review: “Roots and Wings”

STAR’s long-awaited return has finally happened: Carlotta Brown (played by Queen Latifah) is back! After her character took a little break following her acceptance of Jahil’s death, Miss C had been MIA for a while now. Take 3, Noah, and Cassie all continued their pursuit of big business, big dreams, and the big stage at Rhythm & Bells. But, now she’s back and ready to get things in order. Unfortunately, her return came in an episode that fell flat.

Carlotta had plenty to catch-up on since her time away, but her main priorities focused on finishing Take 3’s album and getting Cassie out of jail. The drama surrounding the album seemed simple enough from a conflict standpoint. We, as viewers, reluctantly accepted the fact that Simone, Star, and Alex would break up when their next album came out. That plot is done, buried, and off the news feed. But, Carlotta was the loose hanging thread that still needed to be resolved. She came to terms with their eventual breakup. Thankfully, we can now look forward to the future plots about their solo careers.

Wilford Harewood/FOX

The Cassie plot, on the other hand, needed a miracle. I loved that Carlotta was there for her sister every step of the way. The sisters fought plenty throughout STAR season three, even to the point of being literally at gunpoint, but regardless of the drama, Carlotta still loved Cassie and never abandoned her. Her being at the courthouse and visiting jail showed Cassie that Carlotta loved her and would always protect her.

Plus, Carlotta coming clean about her childhood abuse bonded those sisters forever; you can sense the moment when Cassie’s eyes opened to the reality of the situation and Xander. She changed at that moment and would not let her sister’s sacrifice go in vain. Hopefully, Cassie doesn’t die when she reveals the truth about Xander to the agents–she needs her sweet revenge against the man who had played her all these years. She can’t go out like this after seeing the light.

Star had reason to worry after seeing Jax’s relationship with his mother. It brought back so many nostalgic feelings from STAR season one between Hunter and Arlene Morgan. From the look on her face, Star would’ve run out the door had the house not been hers. Though, both Jax’s mother and Star were in the wrong for their argument. His mother invaded their space and came on too strong with the planning while Star pushed her away without a second thought.

Neither wanted to compromise with the other and that will probably cause a huge problem down the line. Jax and Star might be in a good place, but their lives need to blend together for the success of their relationship. She needs to accept the fact that Jax’s mother will be visiting sometimes. Opening up might be hard for her, but it’s something that will take time and will benefit her future.

Are you happy that Angel is back in the picture? With everything that happened, the character shouldn’t have returned. Simone and Angel’s story ended and we got closure to their romance when she asked for the divorce–she was ready to move on. This development dragged the plot further to fuel the love triangle drama between Simone, Angel, and Nina. A completely unnecessary and retread plot that closed its chapter.

Harewood/FOX

Someone needed to shake some sense into Noah for him to start paying attention. I liked that he and Alex bonded about their PTSD (her from the crash and fear of failure; him from getting robbed at gunpoint). Regardless of the initial flirtation, these two were good friends and they will be a great support system for each other. But, he completely ignored the negative influences that only made the situation worse for him. Like, why didn’t he push back on Maurice?

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Maurice was so frustrating during “Roots and Wings.” He became an insufferable manipulator who only cared about his success and the failure of others. Noah clearly suffered a panic attack during the interview and needed some time to compose himself. Plus, he shared a serious criminal matter involving a gun that JUST HAPPENED TO HIM, but Maurice acted like it was no big deal. Only Bobby cared about Noah’s well-being and made sure his son was fine.

You can’t love-to-hate Maurice–he’s someone you have to root against. He’s the absolute worst. We’ll all be so thankful when he’s finally written out.

Last Musical Notes:

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