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P-Valley is by far one of the most engrossing and entertaining shows on TV right now, and within the series, one of its most compelling storylines is…whatever is happening between Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan) and Lil’ Murda (J. Alphonse Nicholson). So far, fans have seen their relationship — that word being used loosely — progress from a one-off hookup to full on-sex and, most recently in Episode 6 (“Legacy”) an actual date at Uncle Clifford’s family home no less.
Is Lil’ Murda Gay? P-Valley’s J. Alphonse Nicholson Unpacks His Character’s Hazy Sexuality
Once fraught with what the audience might’ve assumed was tension because Uncle Clifford is non-binary and Lil’ Murda is straight, this pair is now in an arguably more frightening space for both of them, because they both seem to be catching feelings. Never mind the fact that Uncle Clifford has her guard up as a result of her gender identity, and that Lil’ Murda might be anxious about how his rap-world contemporaries might respond to him seeing a non-binary person — they’re both slipping into uncharted and perhaps scary waters simply because they’re two humans beginning to be vulnerable with each other. Especially since Lil’ Murda has already charmed Uncle Clifford’s gran Ernestine (played marvelously by Loretta Devine), it sure seems like these two might be making it official any day now. So what’s the deal, are Uncle Clifford and Lil’ Murda the real deal? While their title won’t be clear for a minute, creator Katori Hall told TV Guide that there’s no ambiguity about their feelings.
“I wanted people to be able to see the possibility that it can happen, that love can be expressed, that it is normal. We have normalized heteronormative relationships. I thought, ‘It is time to give that to this community, the care and respect.'”
P-Valley’s Creator Explains How the Non-Binary Uncle Clifford Character Came to Be
Episode 7, airing Aug. 30, will mark a turning point in their situation that further deepens their intimacy with one another. For Nicco Annan, an out gay man who’s been posting about how the show is promoting a type of healing between black men, told TV Guide that Clifford and Murda’s situation has even made him examine his own expectations and assumptions. “I realized,” he says of a moment in Episode 7, “how conditioned I had been as a gay man. I was like, ‘Oh wow.’ I hope that [sense of possibility] translates to the audience.”
As Nicholson told TV Guide previously, Lil’ Murda is “still trying to figure [his sexuality] out,” but he’s in no way confused about his feelings for Uncle Clifford. He’s admitted that he wrote that song “Fallin” for her, whether he knew it at the time or not, and Uncle Clifford earns his affection because of all she has to offer as a person. “I think [Lil’ Murda] sees her ambition, all the things she’s carrying that come with the Pynk. He sees the beauty in her, her colorful style, her personality. There’s a lot Lil’ Murda finds attractive.” Exactly how they’ll be defined remains a mystery for now but then, who needs labels? Sometimes two people just want to enjoy each other’s space and from the looks of it, they’re doing that just fine.
P-Valley returns Sunday, August 30 at 8/7c on Starz.
J Alphonse Nicholson and Nicco Annan, P-Valley