In the fictional town of Chucalissa, MS, a young woman on the run finds refuge and a new identity in an erotic dance club called The Pynk. Created by show runner Katori Hall, P-Valley is now streaming on the Starz app.
Down in the valley / Where the girls get naked.
If you throwin’ bands / Then you know she gon’ shake it.
P-Valley is truly one of its kind and that’s not an exaggeration. One may try to compare it to other movies about exotic dancers like Showgirls (1995) or The Player’s Club (1998), but there is no comparison. The P-Valley series has an authenticity and style that fits the narrative to the T! There is nothing else like it on television and since the second season is out, now is the perfect time to catch up on both seasons!
Here is a quick character breakdown –
AUTUMN NIGHT/HAILEY: Season one, Hailey (Elarica Johnson) comes to town under mysterious circumstances and takes on the stage name Autumn Night when she comes across The Pynk. After she impresses the staff and the audience on amateur night, the owner of the club – Uncle Clifford (a truly standout performance by Nicco Annan) – decides to give her a chance. From there, Hailey dances in the club while keeping her true identity a secret, but her past isn’t concealed for long.
UNCLE CLIFFORD: Uncle Clifford is trying to keep his business at the top of mind, although he is getting distracted by an up and coming rap artist, Lil Murda (J. Alphonse Nicholson), who is frequenting the club.
LIL MURDA: In an effort to push his latest single, Lil Murda comes to The Pynk to try and convince the club to play his music. Lil Murda and Uncle Clifford begin a secret love affair, all the while Lil’ Murda is trying to get his “come up” in the music industry without getting exposed for his sexuality.
MERCEDES: Brandee Evans plays Mercedes, the queen bee of The Pynk. Mercedes is the top attraction at the club, but her aspirations of becoming a professional dance studio owner is closer to becoming a reality. As she makes plans for her retirement, drama inside and outside the club make it difficult for her to move on.
- MISS MISSISSIPPI/KEYSHAWN: The next best dancer at The Pynk after Mercedes is Keyshawn (Shannon Thornton) aka Miss Mississippi. Compared to Mercedes more audacious, sultry pole gymnastics, Keyshawn’s pole routines have a swan-like aura. When Keyshawn isn’t at The Pynk being Mississippi, she is a married woman of two who is dealing with an abusive husband. After Mercedes refuses to dance to Lil’ Murda’s single, Miss Mississippi ends up dancing to his music instead. The collaboration ends up being a match-made in heaven making Lil’ Murda a popular local artist and upping Miss Mississippi into local celebrity status, but Keyshawn’s violent husband isn’t too keen on his wife’s newfound celebrity.
- That’s not all of the characters, but the aforementioned have the most intriguing storylines. Narratively, the series is very solid and serves all characters, but there are other aspects that are truly a rarity. For one, P-Valley highlights the level of skill it takes to be an exotic dancer. The pole-dance sequences are anxiety inducing because they tend to amplify the sound of the dancer’s breathing as we watch her climb higher and higher until she makes her descent. The athleticism and the fearlessness that these women display make them sexy, whereas the outfits are an afterthought. We normally see exotic dancers from the male gaze. Either they are background or just something thrown in to make a scene “sexy.” The way director Katori Hall puts the emphasis on the empowerment of conquering the pole is not only beautiful, but necessary. The Pynk’s aesthetic feed into the performances. Nights at The Pynk are filled with neon colors and lively sounds while half concealed in darkness – which is a stark contrast to the city during the day. Chucalissa looks like a place where dreams go to die, but The Pynk provides fantasy and escapism. This is amplified by the music/soundtrack for the nights the dancers take the stage. It creates an atmosphere for the show and works in tandem with Lil’ Murda’s storyline to stardom.
More serious than soapy. Daring story-telling without being too over the top. A charming and charismatic cast of multi-dimensional black men and black women, living in one of the impoverished states in the US. And yes, lots of exotic dancing. It is one of most exciting shows on television and a must watch, so get your ones ready!