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Plot Recap
I Loved/Liked You – Shaad, Deja, Alicia, Jake, Jemma, Britney, Kenya
While the kiss was the beginning of Jake and Jemma’s end, with Jake and Jemma now unwilling to argue or reconcile, it seems it is only a matter of time before the relationship is officially over. But, while Jake may have his eyes on Kenya, who is the girl Papa was seeing for a time, Jemma is unlikely to transition to be with Britney.
Why? Britney clearly has her favorites, and who her favorite is can change at any time. After all, she has more money than she likely ever has, which brings the attention of attractive women. So, while Jake and Jemma might be as messy as ever, it seems that he may only continue to find something in his friend’s former partners while Jemma is left looking like a fool.
Speaking of fools, Shaad revealing to Deja about his cheating has pushed him into this odd place. As established, while he has a job working with Darnell, that doesn’t make him enough for his own place, so it’s either living with someone for as long as they can stand, reconciling with Deja, or finding a new woman to take him in.
Deja outright says she “loved” – past tense, Shaad, but after doing some repairs in her house, a door opens where Alicia, Rob’s mom, may take him in, and with striking out with women his own age, we get the rare depiction of a man going older rather than younger when his ego gets bruised.
Gotta Keep The Relationship Strong – Emmett, Kiesha, Bianca, Douda
With Emmett and Kiesha going through so much as he tries to negotiate with Douda, for his life, and now is tasked with killing Alicia, he checks in on his relationship and takes Kiesha out, which helps. Mind you, while it keeps the love strong, Kiesha is straight up with Emmett: She loves him, will support him, but will not go to jail for him. Thankfully, he understands this, but this doesn’t keep him from thinking he is learning the rules of the game and how to play it.
But, while he is learning the rules, Bianca is testing out how good of a player she is. She has a date with Douda, celebrating who he is, which you can see throws him off a little bit. In light of how Victor and Emmett have acted towards him, while he knows his power, the idea of someone thanking him or highlighting his good work? It seems strange. Yet, as much as Bianca may be in his face, telling him things that, maybe a part of him wants to hear, all the while, he is DM’ing Tracy, who wants no parts of Douda.
Making Deals To Save Your Soul – Emmett, Alicia, Victor, Quincy, Alonzo, Nuck, Tiff, Rob, Professor Gardner, Lynae, Bakari
Emmett is playing a dangerous game. He has orders to kill Alicia, but now he is trying to work with Alicia to get from under Douda and even have her buy out Douda’s stake in Smokey’s. As he does that, business deals are going on, some by force, whether it is Tiff trying to get Kiesha’s dip into Smokey’s, Nuck coercing Rob to let him into selling the weed he and Tiff are cultivating, and then comes the new characters played by some legendary actors.
First up is Professor Gardner (Kadeem Hardison), who is Lynae’s English Literature professor. Now, with Kevin gone, you’d think her going to school would be her new storyline, and Professor Gardner would open her up to telling her story and more, right? Wrong. It becomes a means for her boyfriend, Bakari, to open up and get another male figure who is invested in him and Lynae. She is just the girlfriend.
As for the second person? It’s Leon playing Alonzo, who is a friend of Quincy, Victor’s chief of staff, that is going to be Victor’s lawyer throughout the murder investigation – since Douda’s car, where Q’s remains were burnt up, has Victor’s DNA. So, Alonzo is going to be the person who may not only allow Victor to continue his work in the city council but avoid life in prison.
Cast Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Alonzo Daniels Lafayette | Leon |
| Elijah Gardner | Kadeem Hardison |
| Shaad | Jason Weaver |
| Deja | Carolyn Michelle Smith |
| Alicia | Lynn Whitfield |
| Jake | Michael Epps |
| Jemma | Judae’a |
| Britney | Amari Noelle Ferguson |
| Kenya | Kennedy Amaya |
| Emmett | Jacob Latimore |
| Kiesha | Birgundi Baker |
| Bianca | Jill Marie Jones |
| Douda | Curtiss Cook |
| Victor | Luke James |
| Quincy | Thomas Mackie |
| Nuck | Cortez Smith |
| Tiff | Hannaha Hall |
| Rob | Iman Shumpert |
| Lynae | Zaria Imani Primer |
| Bakari | Ahmad Nicholas Ferguson |
Alonzo Daniels Lafayette
Alonzo is Victor’s new lawyer, found by Quincy, who is tasked with keeping him out of jail for Q (Quentin’s) murder.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Swarm.”
Elijah Gardner
Professor Garden teaches English Literature and is quite passionate about the books, the subject matter, and his students. He is someone who loves to teach, even willing to do it for free, for the right person, but don’t equate his enthusiasm with being any kind of pushover over, for he is not the one.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Love Is: Season 1.”
Other Noteworthy Information
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Did Victor officially break up with his girl? Where she at?
- What are the chances Alicia finds out about Q’s murder and thinks Victor did it, leading her to set her sights on him?
Review
Highlights
The New Additions
Leon and Kadeem Hardison are legends in the industry. Similar to Lynn Whitfield, both have multiple iconic roles, from “Little Richard” to “The Temptations” for Leon, to “A Different World” and his role in Zendaya’s last Disney Channel program for Hardison, and from what it seems, they may add another feather in their cap. For Leon, anyone who is adding themselves to the team that plans to take down Douda is notable, and while we have seen street dudes and Emmett lead that crusade, someone with a legal background? That is a whole different kind of weapon.
Then, with Hardison, while I don’t appreciate Lynae getting smushed in the face so Bakari can have yet another person tied to his story, I am still interested in seeing what he may do. Bakari clearly isn’t too far beyond the crossroads he can’t trek back, but it is clear he needs direction and a sense that, if he leaves the life, he doesn’t just leave alive but has the opportunity to thrive.
After all, one of his original issues was money and having some sense of independence. Hence, he did not go legit before. But, seeing where this path takes him, maybe with all these men around him and Lynae, may give him the faith he needs to take that leap.
Kenya Back In The Picture
As a preacher’s kid and teen mom, Kenya’s story seemingly ended when Papa’s dad died, and he withdrew his interest. That was trash. But Jake, being the clean-up man he is, gives me hope that maybe she can pick up where she left off and that “The Chi” can build up the women on the show like it has the men.
For, while we do have Kiesha, Jemma, Alicia now, Tiff, and a handful of others, I feel like most of them are still very defined by who is their kid or partner. So with Kenya having a kid, her father being this notable pastor who might be corrupt, and her seemingly trying to build a life of her own, maybe we can get a character who is a woman who stands out. Because, while Alicia seemingly is on the way to being notable in such a fashion, it is still early on in her being a consistent presence on the show.
Alicia and Shaad
The main thing I want from this is an older woman to be with a younger man. We don’t see that often, and that is not normalized. Especially for someone Shaad’s age, beyond his 20s, and someone Alicia’s age, which is undisclosed, but Ms. Whitfield is 71. And while Shaad is one of those characters who come off like the writers don’t know what to do with him, but they don’t want to lose the actor, this could be something good for him. Now, whether he becomes a boy toy, Alicia puts him on game, or maybe Alicia ends up getting Shaad into trouble, I feel there could be a mutual benefit here, rather than one piggybacking off the other.
Emmett and Kiesha’s Relationship
With Kiesha and Emmett’s relationship, what is interesting is the dynamic and desires of both parties – especially when you factor in gender norms or expectations. Kiesha’s pursuit of being submissive or letting Emmett lead, even when it is clear he doesn’t have a strong handle on things, is fascinating to watch. Especially with the current discourse of what a man looks like in modern times when his female partner can do all he can, and sometimes better.
Could Alicia Become The Next Douda?
Eventually, Douda has to go to jail or die, and since the possibility came up when Laverne shot him, there has been the question of who would succeed him? He has some minions who could try to do so, but that power vacuum undeniably would cause war. Which, honestly, isn’t the worst storyline.
But, with Alicia around, there is a need to question if or how long that war could be. She could see it as, Q used to run things around here, and in his death, she has rightfully inherited Chicago, or a part of it. Thus, all these dealings she has, whether legitimate or not, could come to fruition, and we will learn how deep her network goes.
Really, the sky is the limit, and hopefully, we’re far more than skeptical about the direction of the show.
Background Information
| Episode Title | Want This Smoke |
| Release Date | May 17, 2024 |
| Network | Paramount Plus |
| Director(s) | Stacy Pascal Gaspard |
| Writer(s) | Jewel Coronel |
| Previous Episode | Season 6/ Episode 9 |
| Series Page | The Chi |
| Character Guide | N/A |
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