A new episode of All the Queen’s Men season 5 premieres Wednesday, continuing the story of Marilyn “Madam” Deville, who runs an exotic nightclub in Atlanta while navigating threats to her empire and personal life. The titular “queen,” played by Eva Marcille, was shot at the end of season 4. Speaking to ABC Audio, Eva said one of the most exciting parts of returning for season 5 was continuing a storyline that put her character in an unfamiliar position.
“The way season 4 ended was that it was such a cliff-hanger where Madam was the one that was hurt,”
she explains. “Oftentimes, and in every season’s cliff-hangers, someone else is hurt, and Madam has to deal with it, and it infringes upon my empire. But to see Madam actually bleeding, to see her not able to stand on her own two feet is a lot.”
The experience has taken a toll on Madam, who has “gotten through a lot” but now finds herself “at the bottom of another [mountain].”
“The question is how was she gonna climb up this one? Especially after that hole in her chest,” Eva says.
As Madam works to overcome her latest challenge, fans can expect to see “a level of frustration, a level of confusion” from the character, though she never loses sight of who she is. “You can always expect Madam to Madam. At the end of the day, she knows who she is,” Eva says. “What happened is the big question. And what I can say, things are never as they seem.”
Season 5 marks the final one for the show, which Eva says she’s proud to have been a part of.
“To do what we did during COVID all the way through 2026, to represent the way we have and to create a world that so many have invested in, has been nothing but a pleasure,” she says.
The show streams on Paramount+.
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