Abhiroop Das
Created by Lena Waithe, Paramount+’s ‘The Chi’ courses through the criminal underbelly of the Windy City, where the lives of the Taylors and the Washingtons get enmeshed in a coming-of-age narrative for the ages. The previous episode, which marks the season 8 premiere, begins with Victor and Shaad in prison for a crime they haven’t committed. At the same time, Reg and Nuck begin strengthening their factions to fill in a vacuum left by Douda, but it’s ultimately the cracks and blemishes in their family relationships that give the next episode, titled ‘White Russian,’ its character. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Reg Consolidates Power as the Family’s De Facto
‘The Chi’ season 8 episode 2 picks up exactly where the previous episode left off, with Jake holding his brother Reg at gunpoint. With the entire Taylor house being turned into an overnight, drug-infested nightclub, Jake naturally thinks up a last-minute form of resistance, even if it’s meant to be an empty one. Reg, however, is a step ahead in calling out Jake’s bluff and merely puts the gun right next to his forehead. Having survived death all that time ago, he appears to have abandoned fear as a whole, which leaves Jake with no choice but to back down. On the complete other end of the city, Emmett and Kiesha rush to the school after learning that Devante was found with a loaded gun in his bag.
The gun turns out to be Emmett’s, and for this apparent recklessness, the family is given a final warning. Devante is given a 90-day counseling and supervision order, which means that both Emmett and Kiesha will also be under constant spotlight. The scene then cuts to prison, where we learn that Victor fired his lawyer after the events of the last episode, where the man suggested pinning the blame on Shaad. With this, Shaad’s expert lawyer, Patience, ends up taking on the case as a whole, and Shaad seems to trust that she will not only crack the case but also be down to go out with him. Later that day, Jake visits his brother in prison, informing him of his failures. While Victor is upset at the loss of his house, he leaves with an ominous warning, never to point a gun without intending to pull the trigger.
Dolly Reveals That She is Taking the Kids With Her
Elsewhere, Tiff’s mother, Dolly, calls for an urgent meeting with Emmett and Nuck, revealing a rather surprising wish. She intends to protect Tiff’s son, EJ, from the criminal life that is developing around them, and for that, she is willing to go to court to file for custody. While the entire table predictably erupts into arguments, Tiff ultimately finds a way out by requesting some time to think. After a while she Tiff surprisingly agrees with Dolly, making Emmett realize that keeping EJ away from the cycle might just be their safest bet. While Nuck claims to be in full support of whatever Tiff chooses, he doesn’t seem to have much to reflect on, especially considering Dolly’s primary dissatisfaction comes from Nuck’s actions.
As per the plan, Patience eventually manages to track Nora down at a cafe and wastes little time getting to the point. Earlier, Nora seems to reject having any recollection or proof of being with Shaad during the event, but Patience’s words manage to create a crack in that armor. At the end, promised legal immunity, she writes down a revocation of her statement, thus opening the police to look through and record other forms of proof. Before Nora apologizes and leaves, however, she reveals the name of the person who paid her to keep shut: Roselyn. With this, Patience’s arc is already established, and there comes a chance that she might catch on to the bigger intel surrounding why Roselyn committed the murders, and where she is now.
Kiesha and Emmett Wonder if They Should Tie the Knot
At Emmett’s home, Riley has a heart-to-heart conversation with Kiesha, who is having a hard time juggling so many children in the house. What’s more troublesome is the fact that child inspectors will soon be roaming the perimeters on a weekly basis, and any moment she slips up might lead to her children becoming targets. However, Riley comes to the rescue here, suggesting that she build up her knowledge and patience by turning to child education. Though this is a formal educational field in and of itself, it’s not a bad idea to do it in one’s spare time, and this is perhaps all the motivation Kiesha needs. Riley is not done, though, and she also suggests that married couples are often less bugged by single ones, and that sparks an idea in Kiesha’s head about Emmett sealing the deal.
Elsewhere, Nuck realizes that Reg’s camp is growing in power day by day and decides to reinforce his own faction. The first step in that is to reinitiate contact with some old pals, and that leads him to Smitty, who has given up the criminal life and works as a janitor. Though Nuck makes a compelling offer for his return, Smitty isn’t quite tempted by it until he goes home and learns that his girlfriend, Amaya, is planning to leave him. She explains that his life has simply been too mundane, and she wants something more than just paying bills and watching TV. Enraged, Smitty gives in to his impulses, rejoining the world that he almost left behind for good.
Smitty Rejoins the Criminal Underworld
In prison, Victor has an emotionally charged meeting with Fatima, where she laments how fate has pulled him back to a place he thought he had left behind. When the subject shifts to romance, Victor explains that he has no one in his life right now, which almost reads like a suggestion that he still loves her. While Fatima claims that she has kept an open mind in his absence, deep down she is still hoping for a reconnection. That hope is squashed when she learns of a rumor that Victor is trying to get together with Tiff, which makes Fatima realize that she doesn’t even have the courage to confirm or deny this truth. Meanwhile, Emmett talks to his father about whether it’s the correct decision to send off his son, EJ, to live with Dolly. Darrell, understanding how the cycle might just repeat if he doesn’t do anything, gives the right advice, supporting Dolly’s choice.
Later that day, Emmett and Kiesha tell Devante about their homeschooling plan, and are surprised to learn that he is really into it. What has driven him this entire time is an aggressive rejection of the school environment, and now it is being handed over to him on a plate, with the caveat that he will have to socialize without video games. Elsewhere, Jake throws a nightclub party of his own, only to later find Reg and his crew there, selling drugs. When Jake tries to oppose this, he gets punched down instead, revealing that he might just give in to a genuine revenge plot. Elsewhere, Smitty and Nuck join hands at last, all to invite yet another old player, Big Mike, into the ranks. As Patience gets ready to learn more about this mysterious figure she knows as Roselyn, the gears keep turning yet again.
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