RECAP: Being Mary Jane Season 3 Premiere ("Facing Fears," E1 & "Louie, Louie," E2)

Being Mary Jane is back for a third season, and this is going to be a crazy one! Picking up from last season, last night's two-hour season premiere the Pattersons, Lisa, David, are at the hospital to see about Mary Jane, who was in a terrible accident. Kara is also there, fighting over the phone to protect MJ at SNC and also covering the mirror with paper towels in MJ's hospital room. Mary Jane's face is severely cut and bruised, but she is alive. Another woman named Cecilia (Loretta Devine) was the other driver involved in the accident, but looks to be okay. After Mary Jane gets a CAT scan, she goes off  after seeing David in the hallway, alarming her parents, who try to get an explanation from him. David attempts to tell them that he mistakenly called MJ while he was talking to Lisa about some things in their past. When David refuses to go into detail, Paul punches him!


Back at her room, MJ is adamant about seeing

her face. Though Kara tells her to wait for the doctor, MJ eventually rips the paper towels off the mirror, and looks in shock. The doctor explains to her later that she will have even more bruising and swelling in the next few days. However, he's optimistic that she will heal nicely. While all of this is going on, the higher ups at SNC are trying to see how they can spin this so the network comes out looking good, especially since Mary Jane had some alcohol in her system.

Meanwhile, Lisa talks to Helen about how she wanted David to approve her decision to be honest with Mary Jane about what happened with them. Helen is understandably angry because Lisa could've been with any man! She considers Lisa and David to both be family, and for them to hurt MJ like this is unacceptable. Later, Mary Jane goes to try to apologize to Cecilia, who prefers to be called Cece. Cece seems nice and positive, since they both made it out alive.

When Mary Jane eventually leaves the hospital, reporters swarm trying to get her story. She makes sure to give Cece a check for $3,000 as well. Later, MJ's lawyer meets with her about SNC's pending investigation into the accident and her alcohol level,  and she realizes that the network is low key trying to get rid of her by using this as possible grounds for termination. Helen also comes by to see her afterwards, telling MJ that she needs to accept that David never wanted her, and to move through the pain. MJ can still be happy, and she needs to believe that in her heart.

The next day, Cece meets the SNC executives, getting some hush money. However, she states firmly
that she'll need more since she doesn't have medical insurance. This woman knows the game. She says that, since advertisers pay all of their salaries, they won't want to hear that their star anchor is an alcoholic or drunk driver! After this subtle threat, CeCe manages to snag $100K, with part of the deal being that she will have to sign a confidentiality agreement, which she agrees to.

That night, Mary Jane gets a visit from PJ. In their conversation, he asks what is about David that always gets her riled up? MJ thinks that he reminds her of their father. MJ realizes that she a man who will be there for her, but she put all of her eggs into David's basket, and now finds it too hard to start over. PJ admits that he, along with David, are "silver spoon brothers," stating that when a man's been catered to his whole life, he doesn't know how to work for anything. He also states that she and other women need to learn to say no to guys like that, which is true. David isn't going to fight for her, and she deserves a man who will.

Later that same night, Patrick brings Lisa to talk to Mary Jane. MJ angrily confronts her,  "apologizing" for all of of Lisa's insecurities and that she's so angry and couldn't find a man of her own to love her, She even asks Lisa if they would really be friends if they met today, or have all these years of "friendship" just been out of obligation. Though Lisa wants to address the conversation Mary Jane overheard, MJ wants time and space to deal with the fact that she was betrayed. I understand her anger, I do. However, Mary Jane should've let David go a LONG time ago!

As Mary Jane heals, SNC is still going forward with their internal investigation of Mary Jane's accident. Her lawyer, Arthur, fights for her, though they are trying so hard to depict her as an angry black woman with a drinking problem to try to get rid of her. Cece eventually goes to see MJ, and reveals that she has MJ's lab reports from the hospital, and wants $25,000 from her to keep quiet. Though Cece did sign a non-disclosure agreement, that protects SNC, not Mary Jane herself! I couldn't believe this greedy woman! And here I was thinking Cece was going to be a nice character, I guess like how Loretta's characters typically are. Nope! MJ decide to mull it over, with CeCe planning to come back the next day for an answer.

At the network, Mary Jane's boss Greg reveals that they want a female of color to replace Mary Jane for now, since the ratings dipped a bit. However, SNC won't commit to a time frame for MJ's return. When she talks with Arthur, he argues that the longer the fans wait, the greater the appetite will be for her to come back, especially with her "Ugly, Black Woman" piece still getting a lot of attention. MJ casually asks about the non-disclosure agreement with Cece, without admitting the blackmail. Arthur claims it will protect her regardless, but she isn't so sure. Meanwhile a representative from an agency representing Latinos meet with Greg, stating that Latino staff and reports on Latino staff are basically nonexistent at SNC. He would hate for the network to get an "F" in diversity on their public standings.

Later, Patrick's daughter D'Asia has basketball practice, and her mom Tracy shows up from her stint in jail. When D'Asia notices her mom's house arrest bracelet, Tracy admits to Patrick that she has to be in her half-way house by 7, as well as take a drug counseling class. Clearly against his better judgement, Patrick offers to pick her up so she can make it to D'Asia's game that week.

At MJ's, Kara admits that SNC is trying to hire a temporary replacement that looks like her. MJ is
freaking out, because she worked hard to get her position and doesn't want to lose it. She suggests finding an "ugly, black woman" to fill her spot, which is how SNC sees all women of color apparently. Ugly and interchangeable. If Kara pitches it right, Mary Jane believes the network can get amazing press on this while MJ waits to reclaim her throne. Later on we see though, that, instead of choosing an ugly, black woman (obviously), SNC hires a pretty Latina, Marisol Esparza, as MJ's replacement.

The next day, Tracy and Patrick go to D'Asia's game, along with Paul, Helen and Niecy. Tracy gets upset that people don't recognize her as D'Asia's mom, and feels like she doesn't belong. She starts to make a scene, but eventually leaves, after stating that both she and Patrick were addicts. I guess she feels some type of way now that Patrick is getting his life together.

Later, Cece comes over for her money, but MJ only has $5000, since she's taking care of everybody else. Cece boldly puts her on an installment plan. The two have a talk about the slavery system and discrimination blocking the black man's success. However, MJ feels like sometimes that is used as an excuse for laziness, calling Cece out for her blackmail. At that moment, Marisol's segment comes on, and MJ's bitterness comes out. Cece tells her that she should be worried with the growth of the Latino community in the country, and the fact that, if MJ doesn't make a move, she won't be able to get Marisol out of her chair. Though Cece is an extortionist, she's really got Mary Jane thinking. She's like a harsh life coach that MJ needs!

That night, Patrick finally puts aside his pride to ask Paul to help him find a steady job so that he can be there for D'Asia regularly. Niecy gets upset though, because he wasn't there for her and their other sister like that. Niecy actually admired that independence that kept him away working at all hours, but they could've used the perfect father that he's now trying to be for D'Asia. However, she has to realize that he was in a different place in his life then.

The next day, Mary Jane takes Cece's advice, and boldly walks into the network. All glammed up, she busts into the meeting for PrimeTime ready to discuss the show, even casually moving Marisol from the head of the table! Mary Jane Paul is back!

Be sure to check out all new episodes of Being Mary Jane on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET only on BET!

Images via BET