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It is in this fraternity where Queenie, the series, really shines. Dubbed ‘The Corgis’, Queenie’s group chat is where she breaks down all her problems and their reactions mirror those of the audience – there are times when you want to hug the character and times when you want to yell at her for screwing up. Hard. I got to spend a few days with a group of other journalists, media people and influencers (the trip started with Queenie-inspired slumber party) and as we discussed the series between various activities in London, it was clear that all of us could relate in some way to Queenie’s struggle. We even made a TikTok for each of us midlife crises that commenters shared felt they saw and heard from the conversation about the struggle your twenties can bring, especially coming from black women. I expect there will be backlash for the show strong — people want complex black female characters until they get them — but one thing you can’t deny is that Queenie stands out as a young black woman who constantly fails and struggles through life while struggling with trauma, something we still rarely see in TV. Love her or hate her, Queenie exists in all her glory. She’s not great (yet) or invincible (despite what her recklessness might suggest) or particularly powerful (it’s all a front) and yet, she’s a black female character on television. What an idea. It can be hard to see someone you love being treated badly by men – white men – over and over again, but that’s unfortunately the reality that Queenie has created because she thinks she deserves it. Add daddy issues on top of that, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Bottom is where Queenie rebuilds herself and finds love – black love, but the journey to get there is uncomfortable. As Brown put it in one of the panel discussions during the press trip, “Bad choices make good stories.”
