Queenie is a brand-new show on Channel 4 that talks about the British Jamaican community in the UK from a broader perspective. The show is based on the book of the same name, and the creator of the show is the author as well. The show will remind people of Fleabag, as the female protagonist has an inner voice that criticizes and, at the same time, guides her as we’re taken through the journey of this young woman going through ups and downs in her professional and personal life.
Spoilers Ahead
What did the doctor inform Queenie?
The show began with Queenie having an appointment with her gynecologist for the first time in a while. The doctor informed her of her pregnancy and a subsequent miscarriage. Queenie was stunned and remained that way for the entirety of the day. She’d no clue about the pregnancy, let alone the miscarriage, and it changed her mood for the rest of the day.
Why did Tom and Queenie take a break?
Queenie was supposed to meet her boyfriend’s family for his mother’s birthday, and since the miscarriage was the only subject running through her mind, she was in no mood to be nice to anyone. She was triggered by the racial undertone of Tom’s grandmother’s conversation, and the fact that he kept quiet through it all made her livid as well. She snapped at his family, and Tom began to complain about her constantly angry nature. This led to a rift, and the couple decided to take a break from their relationship.
How was the working relationship between Queenie and her boss?
Queenie was working on the social media team of her office, which was an up-and-coming news website. She’d always wanted to be a journalist and continued pitching her story ideas to her boss, Gina. Gina could see her eagerness, yet she was not ready to give her a writing position. Gina, however, was a considerate boss and never treated her like an outsider. Queenie was also in a good working relationship with her friend Darcy, as they had been colleagues for three years straight. Work-wise, Queenie was settled, as she was clear about what she wanted from her life.
Who were Queenie’s friends?
Queenie was surrounded by a good group of people whom she called her friends. Kyazike was her childhood friend, and apart from that, she had Darcy and Cassandra. Kyazike’s cousin, Frank, had begun to find Queenie attractive, but since he was a womanizer himself, Queenie’s best friend asked him to back off and not pursue her as she was going through a tough time. However, that did not stop Frank from showing up for Queenie several times, and his friends were now aware he had begun to develop feelings for her.
Why was Queenie doing casual hookups?
Since the breakup, Queenie had begun a series of casual hookups just to avoid jumping into any other long-term relationship. To avoid processing those emotions left from her relationship with Tom, she decided to have a string of one-night stands. One of her regulars was Guy Carew, who was only interested in her physically but used to show up regularly at her new apartment and insisted on intercourse even though she said no plenty of times. Queenie would reluctantly agree to him, but he turned aggressive in bed. The tear in her private parts made the gynecologist question if she was being molested regularly.
What did Queenie learn through her hookups?
Apart from Guy, Queenie and her colleague Ted were attracted to each other. They hooked up on the office premises after he pursued her. Ted, however, distanced himself quickly, which made things awkward between the two. Queenie also learned he was married and about to have a child with his wife. She was in for another shock when she learned an old friend she hooked up with was back with his wife. Queenie was not having a good time, as she was back-to-back responsible for maybe causing trouble in two relationships.
The nail in the coffin was when Guy turned out to be the person Cassandra had just started dating. Cassandra had shown up at Queenie’s place to talk about the man who stopped responding to her who turned out to be Guy. She was livid at her best friend after seeing Guy at her home and chose to break off her friendship with Queenie. Queenie had a meltdown and chose to approach Tom to discuss the decisions she had been making along with the news of her miscarriage. She was shaken to find her boyfriend had moved on to another woman.
Did Queenie lose her job?
The bad news kept following her like a shadow when Ted complained about Queenie making inappropriate advances towards him. She was put under investigation and suspended till the committee finished its inquiry and found out who was wrong. She was asked to take an office-approved therapy that might help her find some guidance and answers to her behavior. Queenie did not lose her job, but this turned into a scandal that embarrassed her.
Why was Queenie not on good terms with her mother?
An episode dedicated to her past was all about how Queenie was born to Sylvia when the latter was still a teenager. Sylvia’s married boyfriend refused to acknowledge her or the child, and Queenie was raised by her mother’s family until she was eleven. A grown-up Sylvia fell in love with Roy, who was abusive to her and Queenie. The young girl grew up witnessing her mother choose her new husband over her. As their marriage deteriorated, Queenie was neglected and left alone in the apartment for months. Queenie was rescued by her aunt Maggie and grandparents, and ever since she has chosen to avoid meeting Sylvia. Her mother’s abandonment scarred Queenie for life, and she always expected people would do the same for her. The rejection of her mother, father, and stepfather made her go after emotionally unavailable men. Sylvia was back trying to make amends with her daughter years later but this caused Queenie severe mental distress and triggered her memories from childhood.
What happened during her therapy?
During her therapy, Queenie opened up about her abandonment issues and the fact that men do not accept her for who she is as a person. She believed people only loved her for her body and abandoned her right after. She had a meltdown, following which she fainted. This proved that many concerns were bothering her ever since she was a child, which made her into a woman with many fears and insecurities. Her relationship with Tom also fell through as she assumed this would happen at some point, which made her emotionally cut off from him to avoid any major heartbreak. Queenie’s grandmother was not in favor of therapy, but her husband requested her to let the children find their way out of trouble and be the supporting force they require. The therapy continued, and it helped Queenie slowly turn into a better person who was not seeking love anymore but finding herself.
Why did she move out of her grandparents’ home?
Queenie decided to make use of her free time for a work opportunity. She began a series of interviews with her grandmother, who spoke in detail about her life in the UK and making it a home away from Jamaica. The episode got her a lot of traction, including from an artist she had met at an exhibition who wanted to work further on the subject Queenie chose. This was one of her moves to walk away from her old life. She also moved to another apartment and decided to throw a housewarming party.
Was Frank in love with Queenie?
Frank, as mentioned above, was Queenie’s best friend Kyazike’s cousin, who had a soft corner for her. Queenie wondered if he had feelings for her. She once had a dream about him and began to wonder if she had developed feelings for him. Frank, however, took time to discuss his feelings for her and chose to stay away. However, Queenie was the one who shared her feelings first, and soon he turned up at her housewarming. He discussed her apprehension and the fact that he was not like her father and wanted to support her in all her endeavors. Both kissed because they couldn’t hide their feelings any longer, and Queenie wanted to give a chance to someone who understood her past and the pain. Since the therapy, Queenie has gone out of her way to get out of her rut, from moving into a new apartment to finding a new job. Even though Gina was willing to give her the job back, Queenie would not take it back since her integrity was questioned. Ted tried to patch things up with Queenie after he was fired, but she asked him to never call her again. This was a brand-new Queenie who was willing to be a different person than she was months ago.
Did Queenie accept Sylvia’s apology?
Queenie and Sylvia had a strained relationship, and the mother’s first step towards making things right was to offer her daughter a cheque for twenty-six thousand pounds on her daughter’s birthday. Queenie initially rejected the money because she felt her mother was trying to patch things up by buying her forgiveness. Queenie was livid, as money could not make her forget the years of trauma she faced. The money caused further strain between them, as Queenie figured her mother had no emotion left in her to make things right between them.
Maggie, Queenie’s aunt, informed her about the money she received from the lengthy divorce battle she fought with Roy. Sylvia won, but she had to pay with her life as the case went on for a long time. Queenie soon understood her mother was not paying her off but offering it because her daughter deserved the money. Queenie accepted the money and the words of strength from her mother, who proudly declared her daughter to be the strongest woman she knew who fought her way up instead of submitting to the social norms laid out for women.
Sylvia was invited to the housewarming party, and she had a one-on-one again with Queenie. Queenie decided to hear her mother out because therapy had begun to have a positive effect on her, and she finally considered forgiving her mother for her mistakes. Queenie is on the path to becoming a better person, accepting her mother as a human who was allowed to make errors in life. Instead of further giving her silent treatment, she chose to hear her mother out. Sylvia was proud of how Queenie chose to chart her path instead of being stuck. Sylvia learned very late about her self-respect, but Queenie quickly embraced it and lived on her terms.
The show ended with Queenie accepting her mother’s apology and claiming that she loved herself a lot at this point. The whole idea of therapy was to make Queenie love herself instead of being critical of her personality and life decisions. She had come a long way, and it was about time she accepted herself and moved on to better things in life.
