NAPPILY IN BLOOM

Venus Johnston is back, but the only thing blossoming is her Atlanta floral business.

Still hurting after the forced move from L.A. that transpired in a previous installment of this African-American soap opera (Nappily Faithful, 2008, etc.), Venus is making a go of it with her In Bloom florist shop, aided by the mysterious and handsome Vince. Custody of her beautiful four-year-old daughter Mya is now legally shared with sleazy father Airic, but Venus’ husband Jake seems to have adapted to the new routine. Jake has brought the worst of their old life to Atlanta, however, in the form of his friend Legend, whose lascivious looks make Venus’s skin crawl. But this time around, the light-hearted drama is more focused on mother-daughter problems than romance. Venus is dealing with Mya’s crush on a little white boy, while Judge Delma Hawkins’ adopted daughter Keisha is about to jump into a hasty marriage to a suspiciously smooth lawyer. Keisha’s birth mother, televangelist-with-issues Trevelle Doval, doesn’t like him either, which should make things simpler, but Keisha’s two mothers continue to be oil and water, each believing she holds the sole key to the young woman’s happiness. Legal issues, including an unsolved murder and a kidnapping, also come into play before everything gets resolves at the altar. Thomas once again lets her characters tell their stories in lively and distinctive voices, dropping loads of references to African-American culture and pop culture in general.

A smartly paced, fast and funny high spot in an uneven series.