Just like in the previous season, Tyler Perry’s drama series Beauty in Black ends the 1st part of its 2nd season at an intense cliffhanger, and once again, it features the youngest son of the Bellarie family, Charles. While the fortunes of the protagonist, Kimmie, have certainly turned around, along with those of her sister, Sylvie, and her best friend, Rain, neither of them are out of trouble just yet. In this article, we take a look at all the major highlights from the ending of Beauty in Black season 2 part 1 and briefly discuss what viewers can expect from the 2nd part when it arrives some time later.
Spoiler Alert
How does Kimmie assume her new professional role?
In season 2 part 1, Kimmie finally steps into the role of the new Chief Operations Officer of the Bellarie Beauty in Black company, which is really more of an industry in itself, considering its stupendous wealth, fancy office building, and the attitude of the shareholders. The Bellarie family are extremely irritated by Kimmie’s inclusion, which was indeed the intention of the patriarch, Horace, and more so by the fact that 10% of shares had been taken from each of them to accommodate Kimmie. The protagonist’s first day at the office as a COO comes at a time when Horace is, crucially, away from the country, as he receives treatment for his cancer in Italy, but he promises to guide her through the whole experience. Horace first gives Kimmie a detailed heads-up about each of his family members and how they will try to unsettle her, and he even gives her the important advice of showing up late to the meeting in order to establish herself as the one in control of the company.
Horace also offers, or rather instructs, Kimmie to keep him in the loop throughout the meeting, as he wants to keep an eye on everything through a video call and also take the final decisions by telling Kimmie about them through an earpiece. It is clear that when it comes to dealing with his family members and the family business, Horace wants Kimmie to just be his mouthpiece, a sort of substitute for him. However, she does not comply with his demands and takes control herself by simply removing the earpiece and cutting Horace out. This shows the immense confidence that Kimmie has in herself, and also points to the fact that she has always been very intelligent and cunning, and even business-minded. She later reveals that she had once worked at a finance firm as well, where she had learned about various terminologies and loopholes, meaning that she has the technical knowledge to lead the firm.
It was merely a result of bad luck that Kimmie had ended up becoming an adult performer, and now that her fortunes have turned, she has no intention of letting the opportunity go. But first, she takes revenge against her old foes, most importantly Roy, who was once a client of hers, and she has an intimidating conversation with him before the meeting. Kimmie openly states that she will now do everything in her power to ruin Roy’s life, and he takes it as a challenge as well, promising to try and do the same to her. Kimmie has a similar conversation with Jules as well, in which she threatens to harm his family if he does not bow down to her, although it takes place after the meeting. During these personal conversations, she also has a couple of skirmishes with Mallory and then Olivia, in both of which she wants to establish her superiority over them.
But it is the official meeting where Kimmie shines in her new role the most, as she does not hesitate to speak her mind about how the Bellaries have essentially caused the downfall of their own business. The company is still facing a hefty lawsuit from the lawyer we had seen in season 1, who had been fighting for the cause of thousands of women who had developed chronic illnesses after using the company’s haircare products. Despite the others’ objections to it, Kimmie decides to meet with the lawyer and all the plaintiffs in an official capacity, meaning in the presence of Attorney Varney. Next, she brings about a change in the advertising strategy of the company, by investing in advertising on online websites, spreading to non-Black platforms to widen their target audience as well, instead of sticking to old-form publicity practices like at funeral homes and on radio shows. By the end of the meeting, Kimmie firmly establishes herself as the one in total control, and her actions are not just driven by but also of a genuine intention to help the business grow.
What are the LLC companies Kimmie wants investigated?
Perhaps the most important development in the meeting is Kimmie talking about her doubts regarding two LLC companies that she has found to have been mentioned in the financial records of Beauty in Black. These two companies, Yellow Smalls LLC and Poker Stipend LLC, do not only sound like fake businesses, but are really dubious offshore companies created and ‘run’ by Olivia and Norman, respectively. Although Kimmie does not reveal so during the meeting, she very well knows that these are fake enterprises that have been created only so that Olivia and Norman can siphon funds from the parent company by showing fake receipts for advertising costs. Because of her seemingly vast knowledge in business and also her contacts from prior jobs, she is aware that Horace’s brother and ex-wife had been cheating him of funds in this manner by taking operations costs for companies that do not even exist.
However, she did not anticipate that Horace actually knew about the existence of these LLC companies, which he clarifies over the phone after the meeting. In fact, Horace had made an extensive plan with regard to this information, about him knowing about the fake offshore companies, and had been waiting for the right time to execute the plan. He admits to having been waiting for a time when Olivia and Norman would have so much debt against their names that he could charge exorbitant interest from them, which they would obviously not be able to pay. As a result, they would have to liquidate their shares in the company and be completely cut out from the family business in the process, which is exactly what Horace wanted. However, his plan is ruined, for now, because Kimmie jumped the gun and told everyone about the LLCs in the meeting, even instructing Varney to look into the matter.
Is Horace really going to get better?
From the very beginning of Beauty in Black season 2, Horace is very sick and almost bedridden because of his struggle with cancer. The biggest moment for Horace in this season is when he overhears his son talking ill about him, has him cornered and pinned down by the guards, and then urinates on Roy to seek revenge. But in a more spiritual way, Horace gradually starts to consider Kimmie and her sister a part of his family, which is why he is concerned about Sylvie staying there, since she is not yet protected by his will and is therefore susceptible to attacks by the enraged family members. Horace does not want to develop a bond with his young sister-in-law, as he knows that his concern for her will make him vulnerable, and so he refuses to talk to her on the phone and wants her gone from the place. But he does eventually take Sylvie’s advice to move to Italy for an experimental treatment that can cure cancer.
However, there still seems to be something suspicious about Horace’s cancer and his treatment in Italy. No matter how experimental and secretive this treatment is, it is difficult to believe that he moves into an old rustic house in Italy instead of a multi-specialty hospital or something of that sort. During a discussion between Norman and Olivia, it is also hinted that the latter might have tampered with Horace’s medical reports or the facility that he has gone to. In all probability, Olivia has bought out the doctors at the clinic to try and worsen Horace’s cancer so that he dies a natural death quickly, leaving his new wife, Kimmie, in significant trouble. Given how outrageously unbelievable some of the plot points in Beauty in Black are, it is also possible that Olivia had tampered with Horace’s medical reports, which will again benefit her in the future. But as of now it seems unlikely that Horace’s health will actually get better in any way.
Who is Glen?
Glen is a new character first introduced in Beauty in Black season 2, episode 7, when Sylvie goes exploring the estate by herself. Glen is one of the temporary stablehands who works at the estate only in the summers and on weekends, for he also attends college at Berkeley and is rather invested in his education. As soon as he sets his eyes on Sylvie, he grows interested in her as well, and she reciprocates the feelings, with a spark of attraction evident between them from their very first interaction. Soon, the youngsters sneak into the upper floor of the stable and attempt to get to know each other better, so to speak.
But when Rain walks by the spot and finds the two of them in a compromised state, she automatically assumes that Glen is trying to force himself upon the girl. Thus, Rain pulls Glen away, and in the struggle, she accidentally pushes him off the balcony. Although the boy lands with a hard thud and a pool of blood instantly forms around his head, he is later revealed to be still alive. However, by the time Alex and Kimmie, soon after, come to the place and realize what has happened, Glen has only been pulled to a corner of the stable and has not yet been taken to the hospital. This is because of the crucial fact that Glen happens to be the eldest son of Jules, one of the main enforcers of the Bellarie family, and quite a dangerous man indeed. Only minutes earlier, Jules had openly told Kimmie that he might work for her without creating any trouble, but that he would never back down if his children were ever hurt. Thus, the accidental attack on Glen by Rain becomes crucial to the plot of Beauty in Black moving forward, and it puts Kimmie, Rain, and Sylvie in significant trouble.
What happens to Charles?
The other character who finds himself in big trouble at the end of Beauty in Black season 2 part 1 is Charles, the youngest son of Horace Bellarie. Because of his extremely flashy lifestyle, which has not changed in season 2, Charles is once again targeted by one of the performers at the adult club. Since he does not reveal his identity to most people, the performers do not know that the man is actually a member of the powerful Bellarie family, who literally own and run the club, and mistake him for just a rich fool who can be robbed very easily. Dustin, a performer at the club, gets close to Charles by showing him his stash of pure-grade cocaine, while he already plans to rob the man along with a few of his security guard friends. The cocaine is enough for Charles to bring Dustin home, and the latter sticks around long enough for him to stake out the whole house for valuables and security cameras, and then for his friends to arrive as well.
But Charles manages to fight off the three masked men, and in a moment of panic and anger, he shoots the three of them dead, which naturally leaves him very shocked and scared. He calls up Roy and Varney for help, but the former refuses to take him seriously, and the latter does not even pick up the call because of their recent fight, which has by now become a staple of the series. Charles even considers seeking help from Jules but changes his mind at the very last minute, as he realizes that the head of security will only try to exploit the situation. Therefore, he ultimately decides to dispose of the bodies by himself, by chopping them up in his bathroom.
In Beauty in Black season 2, part 1’s ending, when Varney visits Charles’ house, he is shocked and disgusted to stumble upon the scene of his lover chopping up dead bodies, and Charles tells him about what had happened. Varney cannot support him, as he feels that getting robbed is better than killing three men and then trying to hide the crime. But at that very moment, three masked men enter the house and hold them hostage, despite Charles’ initial attempt to fight them. Although these men claim to be the police, it seems very unlikely, and they are probably just friends of Dustin and his gang, who must have figured out that something had happened to the first team of robbers, as they had not yet returned. In the end, both Charles and Varney are taken hostage by the masked men, and they will probably be abducted as well. If the intruders are indeed police officers in disguise, then Charles is knee-deep in trouble, for the half-chopped dead bodies can still be found in his bathroom. But it is also possible that either Olivia or Norman had sent a group of thugs to beat up and intimidate Charles and his lover, since they both have guessed or heard of the secret by now, and they both have reasons to keep Charles, and especially Varney, under their control.
What to expect from Part 2?
The very first matter that part 2 must deal with is the fate of Charles and Varney, revealing who actually breaks into the house at the end of part 1. Whether Olivia, Norman, or anyone else from the Bellarie family is responsible for this sudden twist can be expected to be revealed as well. Whether Charles will be caught and punished for his murders will also be something to watch out for, although it is most likely that he will be able to get away by using his money and influence and also the skills of his lawyer lover. After all, the show does not seem too inclined to punish any of its characters right away and holds everything for future seasons.
The fate of Glen is also going to determine the trajectories of Rain and Sylvie, as his death would probably bring way too much heat upon them. Since Jules has seemingly already taken a vow to be tough on Kimmie anyway, she will not be directly affected by the incident, unlike her sister, who might have to be sent away to college for her own safety. In the worst case, Rain alone might be targeted as a sort of punishment, and she might also get into further legal and personal complications because of her causing the death of Daga and Shake Shake, both accomplices of the prostitution racket. Kimmie might end up getting involved in trickier situations in order to protect her best friend and her sister, and this might actually turn Horace against her as well. Lastly, the Bellarie family members will continue to try their best to bring down Kimmie and remove her from the family business, and their internal politics will surely once again play a big part in the drama of Beauty in Black season 2 part 2.
