“P-Valley” is full of strong women — not “strong” in the nebulous, she’s-an-interesting-character-but-also-a-woman! way. I mean strong as in athletic, powerful, confident. The women at the center of the new Starz series make me want to run, jump, and dance, anything that will make me as physically skilled as they are.
The women of “P-Valley” also happen to be strippers, but like the characters of Lorene Scafaria’s “Hustlers,” they weren’t created to titillate the audience. No, they’re here to impress. In one exhilarating sequence, we see Mercedes (series standout Brandee Evans) climbing the pole to the top and flipping upside down before making her descent. At one point, all we can hear is her breath as she accomplishes the difficult, dangerous move. Spoiler alert: she pulls it off, and it’s amazing. She’s amazing.
Created by Katori Hall, and based on her play “Pussy Valley,” “P-Valley” follows the employees and customers of The Pynk, a strip club in the Mississippi Delta. Mercedes is the forceful, soon-to-be-retired star of the club. She’s joined by mysterious new girl Autumn (Elarica Johnson); the sweet Keyshawn (Shannon Thornton), who seems to be stuck in an abusive relationship; and the clever, genderfluid head of The Pynk, Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), who is desperately trying to keep the club afloat.
“For too long, exotic dancers have been dismissed and shamed, while their culture has been appropriated by the mainstream,” Hall explained in “P-Valley’s” press notes. “This project moves past the blue lights and haze of the main stage, where dancers take to the air like super-sheroes, to the locker room and beyond, where these women — inspired by the dozens of dancers I’ve interviewed — live their lives unapologetically.”
The fact that these women are also predominantly Black is another reason the show feels extraordinary. Too often, Black women and other women of color are ignored or pushed to the background, in real life and pop culture alike. “P-Valley” isn’t an explicitly political show, at least not in the episodes I’ve seen, but it brings many stories of many very different Black women to the fore. As Black Lives Matter protests and the fight against anti-Black police brutality reframe public discourse around the world, it’s impossible to watch “P-Valley” now and not understand its deeper significance. To paraphrase Hall, Mercedes, Autumn, Keyshawn, and their fellow characters are Black and living fully and unapologetically. It’s a joy — and so, so important — to see.
“P-Valley” premieres July 12 on Starz. The series features an all-women directing roster, including Karena Evans (“Drake: Nice for What”), Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”), Millicent Shelton (“30 Rock”), Tamra Davis (“Single Ladies”), Geeta V. Patel (“Superstore”), Tasha Smith (“Black Lightning”), Sydney Freeland (“Grey’s Anatomy”), and Barbara Brown (“Scream Queens”).
