Pose Season 3, Episode 6 recap: Something Old, Something New

Pose Season 3 gives us its most emotional and heartwarming episode of the season (possibly series) this week as Angel (Indya Moore) and Papi (Angel Bismark Curiel) officially tie the knot. But before we even get there, there is uncertainty on whether or not the big day is actually happening.

After learning Papi is a father to a little boy, Angel walked out, uncertain she could be a mother to a child. But as this week’s episode kicks off, she comes to the realization of how lucky she is to have the life she has with Angel. It takes meeting up with her father to realize that, who hasn’t always accepted her for who she is. In fact, when she reveals that she “was” engaged, Angel’s father says he cannot come to her wedding and support the union of what he believes to be between two men.

It’s a jarring realization for Angel, but one she needed to fully appreciate the life she already has. And with her heart officially set on getting married to Papi and embracing his son, Angel is ready to kick off the festivities.

But before she can do that, there is one final thing she and Papi must do–get a marriage license. Considering her license has male as the gender on there, that could potentially be a problem, but more on that later. For now, let’s get right into the recap of this week’s episode of Pose Season 3!

Pose Season 3, Episode 6 recap: Papi and Beto

I love the dynamic between Papi and his son, Beto. It’s a relationship we haven’t quite seen on Pose, but I’m admiring every second of it. Without much practice at all, Papi seems to be instilling all the right values into his son including telling him that it’s okay for boys to cry, be in his feelings, and grieve when it’s necessary to. It’s exactly the type of person we’ve come to know Papi as, so there is no surprise he’s so good at being a father.

Seeing him with Beto is inspiring for Angel when she finally returns home, and she too falls seamlessly into the routine of their new life. It’s as if it was always meant to be–and I love it!

Pose Season 3, Episode 6 recap: Pray Tell’s health

This week’s episode is a gut-wrenching one for Pray Tell (Billy Porter) who is getting sicker by the day. He realizes that his vision is now being affected and he’s closer to going blind in one eye due to an infection in his retina. It’s a consequence of his diagnosis and essentially means the end is nigh.

This entire storyline breaks my heart because it means that while Pose may be ending, so will the life of Pray Tell. We may not see it happen on screen but in this universe somewhere, Pray Tell’s life will end to this horrendous disease.

Once again, Porter’s performance is absolutely phenomenal and top-notch. I don’t know how he pulls off this role so effortlessly, but he reels you in every single time he’s on-screen. With the series finale coming up next week, I can only imagine what he has in store for us in his final moments as Pray Tell.

Pose Season 3, Episode 6 recap: Wedding day

The episode whizzes by in an emotional rush, only to bring us to the most beautiful moments of the entire series. Before walking down the aisle, Elektra (Dominque Jackson), Blanca (MJ Rodriguez), and Lulu (Hailie Sahar) give Angel her something borrowed (Angel’s one-month sober chip), something blue (Candy’s hammer), something old (Blanca’s mother’s cookbook), and something new (a beautiful fur coat).

It’s a combination of beautiful, heartfelt gifts that make their moments before the big moment all that more memorable. I couldn’t imagine it being more perfect than what Pose gave us, and with it being the penultimate episode it was a great setup for the final goodbye next week.

On the other hand, Papi tells his boys how thankful he is for them and their support. It’s an unconventional marriage, but he feels so loved by them all. This community is a special one and he’s come to realize the wedding isn’t just for him and Angel, but for their entire LGBTQ community. Kudos to Curiel’s incredible performance, he was absolutely captivating in this episode.

Pose Season 3, Episode 6 recap: A license and vows

Ahead of the big day, Angel and Papi get their marriage license, which comes with its own anxiety. Particularly whether or not the clerk would notice that Angel’s license has her gender as a male. But with some distracting and smooth-talking, the clerk never notices and officially hands them their license. I will say that was all Papi trying to ensure that Angel would never have to experience the discomfort she was afraid of. That is love.

The real marriage, however, takes place when the two share their vows for one another. You could feel the love between them, and it’s a testament to Moore and Curiel’s on-screen chemistry. I don’t know how they made it so believable but I was hanging onto their every single word.

But the best moment of the episode? When Papi decides to sing “I Swear” for his vows, and all the guests join him in what ends up being a beautiful musical piece to top off the perfect day. And with all this happiness, we must head into next week with a heavy heart as we say goodbye to Pose.

Get ready to bid farewell to Pose!

What did you think of this week’s episode of Pose Season 3? Tell us in the comments below!