‘The Chi’ recap: In Episode 6, we find out who shot Otis Perry — and it’s a character from the show’s past
Each week, William Lee and Nina Metz recap and discuss the fourth season of “The Chi,” which airs at 8 p.m. Sundays on Showtime.
The mayor survives a gunshot wound to the gut, Tiff and Dom contemplate expanding their business, teenage romances prove to be just as complicated as their adult counterparts, and speaking of which, Nina finally learns where Dre has been all those late nights — but not before she interprets things entirely the wrong way.
Perhaps most importantly: The major intriguing storyline of the season — defunding the police — is once again missing in action. That’s three episodes in a row the show has sidestepped an idea that comes with so much potential. Why did “The Chi” broach this at all if it had no intention of seeing it through?
Here’s more on Episode 6: “Candyman.”
1. Who shot Otis Perry
Nina Metz: What are we to make of the revelation that the shooter was Laverne, seeking retribution for the murder of her son Brandon? “You don’t get to be a hero — you ruined my life,” she says, before walking away without anyone seeing her.
Here’s a question: How did she know Mayor Perry (in Douda mode) was responsible for Brandon’s death? We didn’t even know that, because the show itself has always glossed over the circumstances surrounding Brandon’s exit from the storyline. For anyone that needs a reminder: Brandon was killed off because the actor playing him, Jason Mitchell, was fired from the show before filming began on Season 3. That decision was the result of unspecified allegations about Mitchell’s off-camera behavior with female colleagues. Since then, the show has moved on as if Brandon never existed, which means Laverne’s return as the avenging mother is somewhat jarring — especially if this part of the story isn’t going to be developed any further, which is what I suspect.
Perry was supposed to meet Tracy for a rooftop assignation, but it was his wife Roselyn who finds him bleeding. Why was she up there and how did she even know where to find him? And now she’s the mayor’s spokesperson and regent? (Procedurally, the order of succession would actually have the vice mayor taking over.)
Considering some of the chaotic goings on that can occur at city council meetings in real life (last week being just the latest example) I can’t imagine anyone being OK with Roselyn stepping in for the mayor; you have to think Chicago aldermen would be asserting all kinds of power plays. I know the show has tried to keep the mayoral thread somewhat streamlined in terms of characters and storylines, but it’s a shame that “The Chi” makes invisible the realities — sometimes corrupt, sometimes righteous, sometimes petty — that shape the city council, which no mayor can ignore.
Will, did Lavern’s brief return seem out of the blue to you?
William Lee: As usual, you took the words out of my mouth, Nina. It was great seeing Sonja Sohn again after she played such a big role in the first season, though she was never fully fleshed out in a satisfying way. Bringing her back after ignoring so much about the back story feels strange. The Coogie-Brandon-Laverne arc effectively ended the moment Ronnie hit the ground last season.
Also, Otis Perry has the worst security since Lincoln! A gunman shoots the mayor of America’s third largest city on a rooftop and disappears without a trace? Laverne must have learned ninja moves.
But don’t mind me — I’m still waiting to see the fallout of Perry’s move against the police.
2. Teenage love
WL: Kevin finally has it out with Jake and Jemma thanks to Papa’s podcast, after Kevin and Jake fight in class resulting in a teacher’s broken nose and Kevin’s suspension. The podcast also showed some early hints of tension in Papa’s relationship with Maisha, tensions that deepened when she gained her own public exposure with a magazine spread about her burgeoning music career.
Kevin stormed out of the podcast, but supposedly has a change of heart over the course of the episode and decides he wants to stay at his elite prep school. I didn’t feel the sense of resolution between he and Jake, even though apparently all three still keep in contact by group text. Would they really move on so quickly after the anger of the past season?
Keisha’s dating life also got kicked up a notch, going on her first date. Her new beau, Christian, who she works with at the shop, is a seemingly perfect plot device who can help her not only calm herself during a panic attack, but also apparently helped make her decide she wanted to be a mother.
Nina, how did you take all of these emotional storylines?
NM: You made a really sharp observation last week about Christian: That he is “the opposite of nearly every male character we’ve encountered in recent seasons.” This is so true and it makes his presence all the more interesting.
As for Papa, his insecurities feel out of character. Of the three boys, he’s always had the kind of social intelligence that allowed him to read people and situations better than this, but I also wonder if his estrangement from Kevin and Jake — they don’t spend time together on a daily basis anymore — is feeding his insecurities. I think something about the splintering of that friendship has Papa feeling a little unmoored. But hurray for Maisha, who realized she doesn’t need to stick around or settle for a relationship that doesn’t make her feel adored and supported. She’s barely had a storyline this season but she might be my favorite character on the show. Out of everyone, she knows who she is — and she’s dynamite.
I also really liked the talk Trig had with Jake; to Jake’s teenage mind, sex isn’t something that matters on a deeper emotional level.
Trig: “So Jemma don’t matter to you?”
Jake: “She’s different.”
Trig: “Everyone is different. Still don’t mean you don’t need to handle them with care.”
This is the opposite of the advice Reg gave the kids a few seasons back, and it feels meaningful to see two male characters talking about intimacy in this way.
3. Nina and Dre: A narrative contrivance
NM: Jada initially asked Dre to keep Nina in the dark about her breast cancer diagnosis because she knew Nina would spill the beans to Emmett. But that hasn’t been an issue for a while now — Emmett knows — so why did Dre keep lying? At some point she needed to gently but firmly put her foot down about Jada’s need for obfuscation. All relationships have conflict, but this one between Dre and Nina feels too contrived by half.
As for Jada, it wasn’t fair for her to ask for so much secrecy. But my heart goes out to her and I can’t blame her for any missteps, not now. She’s entitled to be selfish. That breakdown on her front stoop was so raw and insightful about the emotional and physical toll of this disease — and the ways in which the words “stay strong” can actually be wounding when you’re feeling anything but strong.
WL: So contrived, Nina! For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why Dre would continue to hide the cancer diagnosis after Emmett learned about it. He was the primary reason for the secrecy.
Nina, now convinced of Dre’s infidelity, finds herself at a neighborhood lounge in the clutches of vulture played by Chicago rapper Da Brat. Despite having planted seeds to Nina’s mistrust all season, her cheating and drinking feels tacked on for more drama. Luckily, Yolonda Ross had breathed reality and pain into Jada’s cancer fight. Watching her deteriorate has been tough.
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