Jalloh is a revelation. He’s completely unweaving the stubbornness at the heart of Oga.  It’s not only the fading control that he has over his family, but the broader exploration of Nigerian masculinity that Raymond captures so eloquently. Oga is a product of his generation and the culture that saw/see men as the provider. They suppress their emotions and never acknowledge their vulnerabilities, which stops them from finding help. Oga is lost, and Jalloh makes the audience feel the deep pain and confusion he’s under. One could argue the trigger for this is the prospective marriage between Adanna and Sinclair. For any father, the marriage of his daughter is going to bring a wave of emotions, and for Oga, this also brings up his first wife, her death, and him still being impacted by it, even if he remarried. This is brought out when Pastor Blake uses Oga’s confidences to try to manipulate Elmire.

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Each of the cast brings substance and truth to their characters that diligently dance around the emotionally rich, humorous text, and biting social and historical context. Raymond hasn’t been afraid to highlight how deeply entrenched misogyny is within both Jamaican and Nigerian communities. This is heartbreakingly brought out in how Adanna’s best friend, Kemi, Morenike Onajobi, is treated. Yet this is where Raymond adds great depth, giving each of these women power and autonomy. The are not just placating Oga; it's more salient than that. They each seem to sympathise with the situation he’s in, and know there’s very little help they can give him. The matriarchs on both sides of the families- Great-Grandma, Blanche Williams and Grandma, Suzette Llewellyn- offer great substance and some of the best comic relief. Grandma’s response to Elmire when she wishes ‘goodnight’ and says she’ll see her in the morning wasn’t just pitch-perfect but genuinely highlighted how deeply connected to her faith she is.

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A great complement to Oga is Sinclair’s father, Delroy, Craig Blake. He’s a working-class man who, like Oga, has provided well for his son. Their relationship is calmer and more supportive than the one Oga has with D-Miz and Adanna. Blake brings a charm to Delroy that you instantly want to grab a beer with. He’s a man who has worked hard to support his son with everything he needed. It was beautiful to watch Blake and Da Cruz Leite concoct their plan for the family meal. As tall and confident as Da Cruz Leite is, he makes Sinclair seem like a little boy listening to his father's plan. What was more touching was the faith Sinclair has in his father that his counsel will work. It was a father-son bond between Black men that is rarely seen. Whether in film or TV, I’ve struggled to find this type of relationship. Audiences don’t get this positive representation in these scenes between Delroy and Sinclair. In Delroy, Blake lets you hear in every word the struggle and sacrifice he’s gone through to raise Sinclair, and how challenging it is to raise a young, Black boy in a city like London. 

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One thing I noticed was the sign announcing the wedding of Adanna and Sinclair; this sign has Adanna named first. But when the sign is changed, Pastor Blake takes top billing. As I said, it’s a small thing, but one that seems to carry a lot of meaning. The reluctance Oga has in his daughter's marriage to Sinclair is replaced by an unbreakable determination to have her marry Pastor Blake, owing to his genuine belief that she will be saved if betrothed to a man of God. As the drama around this new marriage unfolds, Raymond keeps his text balanced with Mokonen seemingly taking on the weight of many women in history who have realised there’s no way to fight a bull once they’ve been let loose. In these scenes with Oga, Adanna resigns herself to respect her father’s wishes whilst also plotting her next step. Mokonen is marvellous in these scenes. The drama continues when D-Miz confronts his father. You could hear a pin drop. Mbaki lets D-Miz unravel in front of his father, telling him truths he’s not ready for. The back-and-forth between Mbaki and Jollah felt authentic. But the most shattering scene comes when Elmire tries to explain to Oga what happened between her and Pastor Blake. Buchanan gives it her all. It’s a frustrating scene because Oga is immovable in his beliefs. When they conclude, you can’t help but feel Oga is not convinced Pastor Blake is guilty.