This week’s episode of House of Payne dives into one of the show’s favorite themes: the power (and pitfalls) of honest communication.

It all kicks off when Curtis and Floyd’s beloved Boss Sauce catches the attention of Q. Anthony Fields—a wealthy businessman and potential investor. Q. Anthony expresses interest in striking a deal but makes it clear: he wants Curtis, and only Curtis, at the table. Ella immediately flags the red flag—reminding Curtis that Boss Sauce is a partnership and Floyd deserves to be in the room. But Curtis, caught up in the fantasy of big money and an even bigger glow-up, brushes her off.

Q. Anthony takes things a step further and suggests they ditch the name “Boss Sauce” and rebrand the entire business around Curtis’ personal story. Floyd walks in mid-pitch—lowkey shocked to see a meeting going down without him. It’s giving… “You forgot to CC me on that?” 👀

(Seriously, who did invite Floyd? Ella? We may never know.)

Meanwhile, over in Jasmine’s world…
Remember the plagiarism drama with that guy Jackson? After stealing Jasmine’s work and nearly getting her expelled, Jackson faced some consequences—but somehow, not enough to stop him from switching majors. And guess where he landed? Yep. Communications. The same department as Jasmine.

Worse yet, they’ve been paired together on a group project. Jasmine vents to her parents—rightfully annoyed that she’s expected to work with someone she no longer trusts. Her professor’s logic? “You’re gonna have to work with people you don’t like in the real world.” Fair, but still. Jasmine’s not wrong for being uncomfortable.

Her parents play it neutral, seeing both sides, but you can tell it’s weighing heavy on her. And something tells us, this isn’t the last we’ve heard of Jackson.

Back to Boss Sauce: Q. Anthony keeps pushing the rebrand, hyping up Curtis’ role as the star of the story. Floyd’s not feeling it—he’s proud of what they’ve built and doesn’t want to sell out or switch up. Curtis tries to convince him to give Q. Anthony a shot, but Floyd’s only interested if they can keep the sauce—and their values—intact. That conversation ends in limbo, with more drama clearly on the horizon.

The episode closes with a surprise visit from Jasmine’s professor, who stops by the house in response to Jasmine’s email about refusing to work with Jackson. With her parents flanking her for moral support, the professor explains the school’s belief in second chances. She won’t force Jasmine to work with him, but she encourages her to at least hear an apology.

Jasmine doesn’t agree—not yet anyway. She needs time to think. And so do Curtis and Floyd.

Looks like everybody’s got some serious food for thought.