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Season 2 premiere of ‘The Quad’ welcomes viewers back to GAMU

As much as things change, some remain the same on the struggling campus

Season 2, episode 1: The QuadIn Love and Trouble

School is back in session, and fans of BET’s original show The Quad can’t wait to see what twists, turns and drama unfold on the campus of Georgia A&M University this season.

The sun is shining, and Greeks are strolling. Rapper CyHi the Prynce is on stage delivering a conscious message to the crowd through his song, “Nu Africa,” and Cedric Hobbs (Peyton “Alex” Smith) is serving as his hype man. Although there seems to be no such thing as “normal” on the campus of GAMU, the opening scene on the yard is probably the closest we’ll get.

That is, until Noni Williams (Zoe Renee) arrives.

The attention turns away from the stage and to the sound of the band, where members are slowly walking down the sidewalk and playing a melancholic tune. Toward the back of the line, students carry a coffin draped in the GAMU school flag. It was a jazz funeral, Williams explains, to signify the death of the 156-year-old university if a merger between GAMU and a predominantly white institution were to happen.

As a protest brews on the yard, GAMU higher-ups, including president Eva Fletcher (Anika Noni Rose) and head football coach Eugene Hardwick (Sean Blakemore) are in the boardroom with the parents of a deceased football player in a rather awkward meeting. Fletcher is clearly distracted by the wrong things — like her former lover Jason King (Redaric Williams), whom she sees while peering out the window and at the yard — as the group scrambles to bring closure to the family of Terrence Berry (Kevin Savage), the football team’s star quarterback who committed suicide last season. In one final request before wrapping up the meeting, the family wants Fletcher to publicly apologize for Berry’s death.

The school’s president apologizing to the family of the man who allegedly sexually assaulted her daughter? Good luck with that one.

Meanwhile, Sydney Fletcher (Jazz Raycole) has returned to campus bolder than ever. She makes it clear that she is no longer a victim. Being sexually assaulted by Berry is now in the past, and she’s working to make sure it doesn’t ever happen again. She even persuades her mother to make the public apology so they can free themselves from the Berry scandal. Self-defense classes and therapy have helped so much, she’s no longer convinced she needs the latter. And she has reunited with her best friend Madison Kelly (Michelle DeFraites) just in time to finally meet Kelly’s boyfriend, who has only made one appearance.

That excitement is short-lived. The next day, Sydney Fletcher enters the room to find a distraught Kelly yelling into her phone because her boyfriend only came to hook up one last time before breaking up with her during his short trip. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and the best way to seemingly get over your ex is to, well, bust the windows out of his car. Shout-out to Sydney Fletcher for the idea. And shout-out to Jazmine Sullivan for the inspiration.

Yet, the young criminals aren’t the smoothest. Not speaking from experience, but if you’re going to bust the windows out of your ex’s car, wear gloves and be smart enough to take the evidence with you before sashaying into the darkness. At least they’ll look cute for their mug shots, if the plotline permits.

As Sydney Fletcher pushes forward, her mother is hell-bent on doing the exact opposite. Eva Fletcher has mastered the art of taking two steps forward and five steps back in both her career and love life. With GAMU still needing financial assistance, Eva Fletcher entertains the idea of a merger that would keep GAMU open, but cost the school its historically black legacy.

At the same restaurant as Eva Fletcher’s meeting — seriously, is there only one decent restaurant in town? — GAMU band director Cecil Diamond sits down to have dinner with his sister. Things immediately turn sour when he looks up and sees rival band director Clive Taylor (RonReaco Lee), aka Mr. Steal Your Music. Words are exchanged, and a fight ensues. Taylor delivers the final verbal blow, letting Diamond know that Williams was the one who shared Diamond’s original piece with him.

Back on campus, Diamond gives Williams a chance to come clean. She sticks with her version of the truth, which was ultimately a lie that cost her a spot in the band. After being kicked out, Williams picks up her belongings and runs.

After Eva Fletcher attempts to put out one small fire, she hopes to rekindle another with ex-lover King, only to be met with a cold shoulder. King informs her that he’ll be moving back to Connecticut. Eva Fletcher, feigning happiness, continues to try to make small talk, but leaves after King makes it clear that he’s completely over it. He does, however, keep a close eye on Sydney Fletcher this episode. Could a revenge date with Sydney be next?

If the writers have anticipated my questions, they’ll all be answered next week.

Maya Jones is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a native New Orleanian who enjoys long walks down Frenchmen Street and romantic dates to Saints games.