It’s been a minute since I had time to write about The Chi. Life offline always gets messy at the beginning of the summer and I find myself behind on all of my tv shows as I sit down to watch the S2 finale of The Chi. That’s what weekends and my insomnia are for though, the catch up will be glorious. I did watch the last episode of season two live, and while I have one or two concerns it’s clear The Chi has a plan and is going to hit the ground running when it returns for S3.
To start, let’s catch up with our characters. Brandon’s life is falling apart worse than it ever has before. The fights with Jerrika are never ending, the two becoming more toxic to each other by the episode. And after accepting help from Otis Perry, otherwise known as Douda, he finds himself under the watchful eye of Detective Toussaint and she has zeroed her focus in on him. Going as far as getting a search warrant for his food truck even though everyone knows Brandon is the least of her problems. Honestly, I feel like she knows that as well, but he’s her best bet to getting to Douda. When Toussaint finds a gun hidden away in the truck, she arrests Brandon and takes him down to the station. Concerned that she’s gotten too close to the case, Cruz suggests that Toussaint take some time. Maybe slow down on her insistent need to see the 63rd Street Gang taken down. But Toussaint ignores Cruz and goes on with her scare tactics and pushes Brandon even further into a corner.
Meanwhile, Emmett struggles to keep his head above water after Tiff reveals to him she’s pregnant again. It’s not unexpected, at least not to the audience; but Emmett takes it hard. He’s already got three kids and the money from his job at the Chicken Shack barely covers what they need. Emmett always has a plan though and he’s finally matured to a point where he’s got a steady job and even a place of his own. It’s shaky, but Emmett is trying to be the man he needs to be. Save for the fact he can’t seem to stop texting Keisha.
She’s ignoring him, and although we don’t see Keisha in this last episode; the weight resting upon Kevin’s shoulders is enough for the both of them. Kevin is smart and his teachers have noticed. He isn’t being challenged at his current school and as he gets older that could be a big problem. Kids who can breeze through school work because the material isn’t challenging enough often end up in trouble because they are bored. Which is the last thing Kevin’s mom wants so when his teachers present the idea of him attending a private school, she jumps at it. Kevin on the other hand rebels against the idea immediately. He doesn’t want to leave his friends, his school he knows so well, and even Maisha. He’s got a life where he’s at now, he doesn’t see the need to change it.
However, change can be good sometimes. Ronnie is proof enough of that. After killing Coogi and managing to get out of jail, Ronnie is trying his hardest to stay on a good path. He’s got a job, he’s got something growing with Jada and his grandmother has pretty much made a full recovery from the home invasion. Life is good. Until it’s not. After an argument with Shante about her taking Jason’s child and moving, Ronnie missed his date with Jada and only offered explanation once she quit as Ms. Ethel’s nurse. To make matters worse, during his apology Tracy shows up to give Ronnie a ride to work. Instead of asking her to wait in the car, Ronnie lets her in like the unthinking man he is. Which gives off the wrong idea to Jada and makes his apology null void. So much for Ronnie and Jada, it seems. But he doesn’t have time to think about it because Shante has invited him and Tracy to their grandchild’s baptism in Arkansas. So the two set off on a road trip.
One of the biggest things season two of The Chi has made me realize is the fact that Jada is the surprise heart of the show. After kicking Emmett out, her character blossomed and has quickly shot to the top of the list as one of my favorites. Scenes with Jada are the highlights of the episodes and it’s been amazing to watch a Black Women be able to have these different emotions, different strengths, and weakness and just be for once. It’s a breath of fresh air I didn’t see coming. I want more for her character, I want to watch her go through challenges and rough patches and watch her come out on top. I want her to be given the love interest she deserves, whether it be Ronnie actually getting his shit together or someone completely new. She deserves it. The Chi could easily be Jada’s show.
On the other end of expectations for Season Two, I’ve had the idea that Reg would be the one to get shot since about episode three of this season. He’s grown too cocky, he thinks too much of himself. His constant reprimands from Douda were also a huge clue. Reg thinks himself an Otis Perry when he’s actually more like a less respected Emmett. Reg has had it coming for a while now. However, that was before the real-life incidents changed the way The Chi as a show will have to conduct itself in the future. Because of real life, I expected fictional Reg to make it out of season two with maybe a black eye. I’m a little miffed to be wrong.
The season draws to a close with few questions answered and even more promises than before. Kevin, who decided to cut off all his hair, will attend the private school next year. Emmett moves Tiff and EJ into his small apartment. Ronnie reconnects with his father after years of unidentifiable hatred. And Brandon takes a deal with Toussaint to help her bring down Douda so he won’t end up in jail.
I will be honest and say that I was surprised when Brandon wasn’t shot or beat to a bloody pulp (so the excuse to recast him would hold better). Given the firing of Jason Mitchell, I assumed we would close the season with Brandon’s life ending or the heavy implication that it was going to end. Instead, we were given the idea that we will see Brandon again at the beginning of S3, even if it’s only the first episode. I suspect we’ll start the third season with a time jump. Kevin will already be in the new school, Tiff will be close to having the new baby or will have already had it and Brandon will be near the end of his takedown of Douda. And it will probably get him killed. I think the first episode of S3 is going to be an intense heartbreaker. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for it.
-Danyi
