When critics fixate on the final scene of Sinners—particularly Smoke killing a Klansman—they may be missing the deeper question the film is asking. In this episode, we unpack Ryan Coogler’s exploration of sin, faith, pain, and self-soothing, and why the real discomfort isn’t about violence but about what we call survival. Through personal reflection, theology, and cultural context, we examine whether Sinners is ultimately asking: Is there any true freedom at all?

Timestamps

0:00 – 8:00 | Intro and first thoughts on Sinners

8:35 – 11:00 | Cold open in church and the start of Act One • History of sharecropping

11:00 – 14:59 | Introduction of Smoke and Stack • A departure from the typical Southern Black male archetype on screen

15:49 – 18:06 | Smoke and Stack retrieve their stash • How are they “sinning”? • Sharecropping’s grip and dreaming beyond that life

18:00 – 21:07 | Pressure to enter the family business • Stepping outside family and community expectations

22:00 – 27:00 | At the Chows • The little girl watching the truck • Smoke and Stack’s reputation

27:00 – 29:00 | Introducing the night’s key players • Delta Slim, Mary, and Pearline

30:00 – 33:00 | Coogler’s message about pain • The chain gang moment • Cornbread leaves the fields hoping for more

33:32 – 39:00 | The introduction of vampires • The film’s tonal shift • Remmick enters • Sammie’s singing calls something forth

39:30 – 46:46 | Annie and Smoke • Jordan’s chemistry with Annie and Mary • Annie’s spiritual grounding

47:27 – 50:42 | Act One momentum • Heading to the club • Smoke and Stack as 1930s event promoters • Pearline and Mary as alternate expressions of “sin”

51:00 – 1:00:00 | Preacher Boy conjures figures from different eras • Does this deepen the story or disrupt it?

1:01:00 – 1:05:00 | Remmick, Joan, and Bert arrive at the juke joint • Stack allows Mary to visit them for profit • Are they running a lick?

1:07:00 – 1:13:06 | Mary returns and bites Stack • Vampires must be invited in • Inviting the devil • Annie explains how to keep vampires away • Cornbread returns and gaslights—evil lies

1:15:00 – 1:19:00 | Vampires reveal who they are • Bo returns • “Dying to self” as false freedom—Remmick’s argument

1:20:02 – 1:23:06 | The final confrontations • Humans vs. vampires • Everyone gets bitten • Smoke and Stack fight • Smoke kills Annie

1:23:19 – 1:35:00 | Film conclusion • Cultural messages • Black trauma in supernatural storytelling

1:36:33 – End | What Was She Thinking? perspectives

In this episode of What Was She Thinking?, we revisit the iconic film and unpack the choices of Bernie, Robin, Savannah, and Gloria—from betrayal on New Year’s Eve to high standards, down-low men, and the cost of giving men the benefit of the doubt.

0:00 – Welcome to Waiting to Exhale 6:30 – NYE Betrayal: Bernie Finds Out 8:14 – Meet the Women & Their Crossroads 16:00 – Gloria & the Down-Low Men Era 17:54 – When Gloria & Robin Learn the Truth 23:24 – Robin & Michael: Waiting or Settling? 33:00 – Why Is Waiting So Hard? 42:00 – The Slap Heard Around the Room 43:00 – Gloria Catches Her Son 48:00 – Nosy or Flirting? Gloria’s Moment 52:00 – Do We Even Recognize Flirting Anymore? 57:00 – Savannah & Robin: Giving Men Grace 1:03:00 – Mothers, Patterns & the Men We Choose 1:10:00 – Bernie’s Comeback & High Standards 1:16:00 – Full Circle: NYE & Every Woman’s Outcome 1:22:22 – What Was She Thinking? Final Perspectives

In this episode of What Was She Thinking by She Could, we analyze Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another (2025) and examine the portrayal of Perfidia Beverly Hills, played by Teyana Taylor.

We explore whether the film critiques or reinforces the Jezebel trope, and what this depiction says about race, sexuality, power, and representation in modern cinema.

Topics include:

• The Jezebel trope in film & history
• Perfidia’s portrayal and hypersexualization
• Intent vs. impact in storytelling
• What audiences are (and aren’t) noticing

Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:00 Discussion of intro of film, Act 1 and Perfidia 22:00 Jungle Pussy analysis 28:00 Capture of Perfidia and Lockjaw - he “saves” her 34:00 Perfidia leaves Charlotte/Willa - Postpartum 45:00 Act 2 - 16 years later/Willa is a teen/parent teacher conference 48:00 Intro of Sensei/Escape plan/Decline of Bob 53:00 Comparison of Bob, Sensei and Lockjaw 55:00 Christmas Adventurers Club analysis and Lockjaw 1:13:00 Decline of French 75

1:18:00 Director/Writers personal connection to story (Married to Rudolph)/Discussion of Jezebel character 1:28:00 Historical relationships between black women and white men/Perfidia and power 1:30:00 Perfidia duality - power or shame? 1:40:46 What Was She Thinking takeaways