Abhiroop Das
Created by Lena Waithe, Paramount+’s ‘The Chi’ begins its journey with the youngsters of South Side Chicago as they get caught up in a deadly spiral of murder, crime, and chaos. Over the course of eight seasons, however, they learn from their mistakes and those of others, and take the reins as the new leaders of the land. With Douda now out of the equation, Nuck and Reg emerge as two rival gang leaders, and it doesn’t help that they have one too many mutual friends and acquaintances. In the previous episode of this season, we see several characters switch gangs and allegiances, and in this episode, titled ‘Beneath The Icy Veil,’ these shifting times and dynamics gear up for a climax. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Victor and Shaad Are Out of Prison at Long Last
‘The Chi’ season 8 episode 3 begins with Reg confronting Big Mike for joining Reg’s gang. Though the two were joined at the hip between seasons 1 and 2, things changed completely after the gunshot incident. While Big Mike did get Reg to a hospital, he didn’t stick around for much longer, presuming his best friend to be dead. Conversely, Reg, after miraculously recovering and making a comeback, never quite reached out to Big Mike again and simply gave into his hedonism. Their irreconciliable perspectives have led up to this clash, and this final meetup only sets up the end of their friendship. Elsewhere, Reg’s elder brother, Victor, is released from jail at last, alongside Shaad. While Jake is there to pick them up, he doesn’t exactly bring good news: Tiff is now dating Nuck and wants to meet Victor only as a work partner.
Things get particularly awkward at Tiff’s house as it becomes clear that Victor still has feelings for her. However, getting his and Shaad’s life back on track takes priority, and in this case, it means both of them getting new legal and illegal jobs. The most surprising thing, however, is the fact that Tiff now seemingly controls Alicia’s entire estate and is also in control of a huge chunk of her wealth. As such, she has little trouble giving Shaad and Victor a bag full of cash that they have well and truly earned at this point. With enough capital in hand, Victor realizes that the best way to get Reg out of his house is by a peaceful exchange, which in this case means practically buying this house. Reg, equally surprised that his brother is out and that he has so much money, has little trouble making his exit.
Tiff Confronts Nuck About the Death of Pastor Zeke
Elsewhere, Smitty and Nuck hang out as friends, knowing that the former is now working with Nuck. Discussing his breakup with Amaya in the previous episode, Smitty ominously remarks that it’s always someone close to you who stabs you in the back. Though Nuck doesn’t believe for a second that Tiff will ever betray him, the immediate cut to Tiff in the sisters’ circle isn’t that promising. In the circle, many of the characters, including Kiesha and Riley, come together to discuss the highs and lows of their recent times. When the subject of Tiff and Nuck having a baby eventually comes up, Lynae is the first to speak against it, alleging that he’s the one who killed Pastor Zeke. This being the second time she’s heard of the accusation, Tiff realizes that she’s had enough and confronts Nuck.
Though Nuck is quick to deflect and deny responsibility for Pastor Zeke’s death, he doesn’t do it without learning who accused him first. Nuck has been warned about Bakari and Lynae this entire time, but this becomes the last straw as he rushes back to their crib and beats up Bakari unannounced, firing him for good measure. Now jobless, Bakari is forced back to square one and begins wondering if Lynae planned all of this from the start. While she denies any grand plan, this just means that Bakari has no choice but to look for a legal job to pay his bills.
Devante Makes His First Step in the Journey of Socializing With Others
Meanwhile, Jake seems intent on wooing his new friend, Desiree, who is currently helping his team expand the business on the social media front. However, things don’t seem to be going well for Papa, who is increasingly giving in to substance abuse. Having just lost his father figure and only vaguely knowing who might have done it, Papa fears that his time is up, sooner rather than later. While it’s never said out loud, this exchange suggests that he might be planning a big showdown with Reg, one that he doesn’t mind losing his life over at this point.
While Devante’s homeschooling sessions turn out to be a resounding success, getting him to socialize still proves to be a difficult job. However, as fate would have it, Riley happens to be a counselor for children with behavioral disorders, and invites Devante to a session with children just like him. Though this carries the risk of accelerating his violent inclinations, the session turns out to have a positive effect, with Devante finally identifying with what other kids are going through. Over the course of the session, Riley realizes that Devante might be ahead of his other classmates and thus feels alienated, but his desire to become an adult and live recklessly is likely a learned response from all the crime he has seen growing up. Improving his mental health is bound to be a long journey, but this small scene fills his arc with hope.
Bakari Gets a Chance at a Clean Life, But Blows it
Desperate for a job, Bakari meets up with Emmett and gets a job as a cleaner at Smokey’s, but only because Emmett doesn’t trust him just yet. Meanwhile, Reg grabs some of his newfound money and makes his way back to his ex-girlfriend. Though she isn’t pleased with his return at first, Reg makes up for it by lying that he loves her. Elsewhere, Victor meets with Tiff at the bar, having his first heart-to-heart conversation in months. While Tiff tries to assure him that she didn’t exactly choose Nuck over him, Victor still feels that he was betrayed in this entire exchange, and has to bear the emotional brunt all alone.
On the other hand, Shaad surprisingly goes on a date with Patience, now that he is no longer her client. Though he hasn’t had a good luck with partners as of late, his time with Patience proves to be different, as he, too, promises to turn over a new leaf. For Bakari, however, things seem to only be going downhill, as his car gets towed away right in front of him due to a delay in payment. However, out of nowhere, Reg pulls up to the scene, offering him a new job now that Nuck has ousted him. That said, the job is to peddle a full packet of drugs in 2 days, which means crossing a bridge that Bakari hasn’t crossed yet. That night, Nuck tries to have a romantic night out with Tiff, not realizing that she has already started to question where her true feelings lie, and whether it’s love she feels for him.
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