Former Hot Boy Member Turk was in jail from 2003 – 2013. His girlfriend Erica waited on him, only dating him two months prior. Erica stayed by his side while he was in prison.
Turk and Erica talk to Iyanla, revealing their goals.
The episode opens with Turk and Erica pulling up to the mansion. They jump into their first session with Iyanla. Iyanla learns how they met. They met through friends, and Erica is also a rapper. Erica tells Iyanla that she wants to learn how to let things go for the sake of their marriage. Turk tells Iyanla he wants to work on his communication with his wife and kids, and work on his anger.
Iyanla begins to probe into Turk’s life after he tells Iyanla that he doesn’t like leaving the house or having anyone knowing where they stay. Erica then reveals how Turk went to prison for attempted murder. He had a shootout with police after a fake friend told authorities he had drugs and guns at his home. Turk denies the accusations and said he thought he was being robbed at the time, and later learned it was undercover cops he turned his gun on.
Iyanla says, “Their life is a jail, and Turk is the warden.”
Overall, Turk is dealing with a bunch of unsolved issues from his past, which also include the passing of his father. Erica wants them to have a normal family and lifestyle. Iyanla wants to work with them to change their behavior and feelings.
Erica reveals her cancer survival came with large scars.
Next, Erica sits with Iyanla. Erica tells Iyanla how she got to know Turk behind bars, seeing as they were just two months into their relationship when he was locked up. They stayed in constant communication. When Turk got out of prison, they got married and had two kids within the next two years. Recently, Erica was diagnosed with breast cancer. Turk was there for all of the surgeries and chemotherapy, however.
Erica begins to break down crying as she is telling Iyanla her story.
“You get to a point where you lose yourself.” – Erica
Iyanla then begins to dig into Erica, asking her what she wants. She asks if she wants any more kids, and Erica reveals she lost her uterus due to the cancer. Erica wants Turk to have a better understanding of what she is going through, and be more of an equal partner.
Iyanla gets Turk to talk about his father.
Next, Iyanla sits down with Turk. She learns that Turk’s father was an alcoholic. He also says that he was always in the streets, selling drugs, and went to jail at 21 years old. Iyanla asks, “How long have you been fighting for your survival?” He says, “Forever.”
Turk then tells her that he started doing cocaine and heroin as a kid, showing Iyanla all of his heroin tracks. Iyanla then gives him a weighted vest to wear, symbolizing the weight of past things he’s done.
“The toxic weight he carries is at the center of the distress in his marriage.” – Iyanla.
Erica comes back and sees Turk wearing the vest. She tells Iyanla that Turk doesn’t listen to her.
“Most of the time I’m right.” – Turk
Iyanla then says that listening better to each other, will help them compromise.
For their next session, Iyana wants to help Erica find her identity.
“You’re losing yourself piece by piece.” – Iyanla
Turk is broken down by Iyanla, and releases his burdens.
Iyanla begins the session, by yelling at her, “Who are you?” She then shows Erica a white board exercise to help her answer this question. There are post-it notes with different things written on it.
Erica tells Iyanla that Turk’s dismissal of her opinions is a disrespectful trait.
Turk returns for his second session wearing the weighted vest. Iyanla wants his emotional wall to fall down. When they sit down, she tells Turk that he wears an emotional mask.
To represent this emotional mask, Iyanla makes Turk wear a white mask that blocks his vision. Iyanla then asks him what happened when the cops broke into his house.
Turk tells Iyanla he had a gun, and shot at the police.
“I’m justified in the streets but I’m wrong morally.” – Turk
Iyanla has Turk repeat himself that he was wrong. She has him repeat, “I forgive myself for believing I had to be right.”
Broken down, Iyanla gets him to talk about his parents separating. He begins to cry talking about it. He admits that he always hoped his parents would get back together and was hurt that it never happened.
He also reveals that he wanted to work on his relationship with his father, and was planning to help him stop drinking. He believes his dad was drunk when he was hit by a car and killed. Turk blames himself and believes he could have saved his dad by convincing him to move in with him.
Iyanla tells him there’s no way he could know for sure that his father’s death could have been prevented.
When Turk says he believes his father’s killer (who was never identified or brought to justice) knows Turk is his son and killed him intentionally, Iyanla tells him he’s just paranoid.
She gets him to stand up and cry in a corner of the room they are in. Iyanla says the little boy that is inside him is crying out about his dad, and is the reason why he shot at the police, and doesn’t respect Erica’s opinions.
Turk continues to cry about having to keep his dad away from his wife and family when he got out of prison. Iyanla tells him to push past this, and ask his dad for forgiveness.
She then takes the vest off of Turk to represent the releasing of the baggage. Iyanla lastly tells Turk that he doesn’t have to be right all the time, and Erica’s opinions are valuable.
Turk and Erica have a breakthrough.
Erica and Turk have one more sit-down with Iyanla, and Iyanla’s goal is for them to reset themselves.
“I want you all to come together without your previous circumstances.” – Erica
Erica tells Turk that he has to stop dismissing and not listening to her.
“I am a woman that demands respect.” – Erica
Turk tells her that he agrees with her and acknowledges he needs to do better.
“I’m nothing without you. Please forgive me for being selfish.” – Turk
Iyanla has Turk ask Erica how it felt to be “locked up with him.”
Erica tells him that it was the worse part of her life. He asks for forgiveness about this, and she grants it.
At the end of the episode, Turk and Erica improved their communication at home. He is respecting her opinions more. They are also planning a family reunion. However, Turk still hasn’t allowed his family to know where he lives.
He is also helping Erica record her first rap album.
What are your thoughts on the episode?
His wife is pretty.
She was actually able to help someone for a change.