P-Valley

Roxana Hadadi is a TV critic who also writes about film and pop culture, with the closed captions on and motion smoothing off. Photo: Kyle Kaplan/Starz.

But P-Valley is trying to do so much via splintered subplots, it’s missing the consistency and cohesion that drove the first season, as if the trinity tried to perform without Mercedes or Lil Murda got onstage without his signature grills. One doesn’t need to divulge all those details, though, to criticize the season’s clunky tonal shifts as it tries to balance the misery and horror of the early days of COVID-19 with the glittering excitement of a viral Instagram Live broadcast, or depictions of attempted rape with the tease of a special musical guest. There are still gasp-worthy highlights, like an assassination scene that aligns our gaze with the victim’s and a sex scene that lingers on rapturous facial expressions, imbuing the “opposites attract” adage with sizzling eroticism. After the events of Murda Night, Pynk security guard Diamond (Tyler Lepley) is off the job, Keyshawn is firmly back with abusive baby daddy Derrick (Jordan M. Cox), and Uncle Clifford is on the outs with both Keyshawn and former lover Lil Murda. Still lurking is the threat of the Promised Land Casino and Resort, whose representative, Andre (Parker Sawyers), is not quite ready to leave Chucalissa behind. It introduced characters whose motivations were complex and desires ravenous; it served them with storylines about the intimacy and claustrophobia of small towns and cinematography that emphasized the strength and sensuality of women’s bodies as they danced. It rejected the kind of false equivalencies (between labor and morality, or goodness and godliness) that swirl around women who choose to take off their clothes for money.

"P-Valley" is a drama from Starz, set in the fictional strip club The Pynk in the Mississippi Delta. Over 3 million people read Morning Brew morning brew ...

In season one, Keyshawn (Shannon Thornton), whose stripper name is Miss Mississippi, teamed up with local rapper Lil Murder to propel them both to social media stardom by filming videos pretending they're a couple. Throughout season one, Uncle Clifford tried to get the town — some of whom were put through college by working at his club — to pass a referendum that will disallow gambling and make the property worthless to investors. But her mother, Patrice Woodbine (Harriett D. Foy) put an end to that when she stole her stash to open up a church for herself. In season one, she worked alongside the other dancers but frequently stole the show by working her way to the top of the pole and doing gravity-defying tricks. Clifford inherited the club from his grandmother (Loretta Devine). The strip club drama, "P-Valley," was a breakout hit when it premiered on Starz nearly two years ago.

P-Valley stars Brandee Evans, Nicco Annan, Elarica Johnson, Shannon Thornton, and Tyler Lepley. See pictures of the cast hanging out off screen here.

Despite how they may butt heads (and even come to blows) on the show, the cast of "P-Valley" is actually really close in real life: just check their Instagram pages. The cast has been equally excited to get back to the show, too, as they've all shared their own BTS snaps, reels, and TikToks ahead of the show's return. "P-Valley" finally makes its grand return for season two on June 3.

P-Valley is back! Season 2 of the hit strip club drama starring Shannon Thornton, Brandee Evans, Nicco Annan, Elarica Johnson, Parker Sawyers and J.

Get Unlimited HD streaming, downloadable programs, and streaming on up to four devices at the same time. Although P-Valley is available exclusively on Starz, there are a number of ways to catch the series from your TV, computer, smartphone and other streaming devices. What time does P-Valley air on the Starz network?

'P-Valley' Season 2 premiere recap: Find out what happened to The Pynk in Episode 1.

Kyle shares that he plans on going through with the mayor’s wishes for a casino in Chucalissa. In a teasing (but actually serious manner), Uncle Clifford threatens to run against the young millionaire. But the pandemic has caused a new set of problems for her. Using the need for diapers as an excuse, Keyshawn finds a way to sneak out of the house to go and see Diamond. He is unfazed by her tearful apology and eventually turns her away from his store because she doesn’t have a mask. Lately she has been able to entertain 400,000+ fans from the comfort of her home using Instagram Live. Her new setup keeps Derrick happy, too, since he has more control over who she interacts with and her whereabouts. As soon as Uncle Clifford and Hailey are about to argue again about money, the girls’ loud cheers outside distract them: The lockdown is over! She asks that he show up to the wake early and avoid attending the funeral. And Uncle Clifford’s mismanagement of the $250k that Hailey gave her to save the club is not helping. With Hailey as the new HBIC, there is tension in her personal relationships with Uncle Clifford and Mercedes; they both show little interests in answering to her. The two live in separate spaces in their house, and she takes all the necessary COVID precautions possible and then some. Before the news soaks in, they also hear about the death of Tydell Ruffin, the first Black mayor of Chucalissa. The news leaves Hailey and Uncle Clifford wondering what his death will mean for the city’s grand casino plans. The club also lost most of its top dancers including Gidget and Keyshawn. Gidget moved back home after losing her mom to COVID, and Keyshawn — well, after pulling a gun on Diamond, she is no longer welcomed amongst the girls. The pandemic has even impacted the fictional city, and as a result, everyone’s favorite strip club is closed.