The Chi: Season 6/ Episode 3 “House Party” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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General Information

This section Includes information about the Director, Writer, and Cast.

Plot Recap

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It’s Not Serious Till They Meet Family – Bakari, Lynae, Jamal

Jamal really wants to meet Bakari and know his intentions. Lynae still isn’t into the idea, but as Jamal gets in her head about being with a street dude, he gets to her. Bakari doesn’t have a timeline of when he may get from under Douda’s thumb, and with Lynae being exposed to couples like Emmett and Kiesha, Tiff and Rob, and others who have some sort of normalcy, she doesn’t want to stay or be in something that will go south. She knows better, so she wants to do better.

Not A Boy, Not Yet A Man – Papa, Kenya

With Papa handling a customer who was getting aggressive with Kenya over someone else’s mistake, she begins to look at him differently and even ponders if she should push her timeline up a bit. Mind you, not date him yet, but at least see beyond a car ride and at work, can they vibe? She offers a bowling hangout, and he jumps at it, but as he talks about asking his mom and it being a school night, he does lose some of the cool he gained.

A Housewarming – Emmett, Kiesha, Rob, Nuck, Tiff, Jada, Kevin, Fatima, Victor, Douda, Darnell, Nina, Dre

Emmett and Kiesha, who have barely moved into their house, host a housewarming party, and as expected, when a majority of the cast comes together, there is some drama. Nothing major, even though Douda ruffles some feathers by giving Emmett a gun, which Darnell discovers, but beyond that? There are only little things like Kiesha not liking how EJ speaks to her son and there being some co-parenting issues between her, Tiff, and Emmett. Following that, there is Nina trying to adjust to Kiesha not asking for her advice, Kevin barely acknowledging her beyond a wave, and while Dre helps distract her, it doesn’t take away from that empty nest feeling.

But, beyond them, things are rather good. I mean, Douda and Victor have words, but after that, he is focused on how much Fatima enjoys what Kiesha did with the place, and the two of them even seem to bond a bit. So, with that in mind, Victor asks Fatima to move in with him since it just feels right, which she seems down for.

As for the rest? Jada is trying to find someone for Tracy; Rob begins investigating who might have killed Q, with Nuck trying to redirect Rob from Douda to Victor’s direction. Also, Nuck, a bit out of nowhere, apologizes to Kiesha about his role in her getting kidnapped.

Predictions

I Don’t Think We’re Going To See Much Of City Hall

Chicago politics can be very interesting and dramatic, yet with Victor’s personal life and the life you’d think he would slowly outgrow still being in focus; I don’t think we’ll see much of City Hall and his fight for resources and initiatives. At least, not as a major storyline of the season.

Review

Notable Performances or Moments

Papa and Kenya Having A Entirely Separated Storyline

As shown by many characters, it is easy to get swept up, and your storyline minimalized if you are part of the main ensemble. This is why we love and appreciate what Papa has with Kenya being completely separated. It isn’t partly consumed by what Kevin or Emmett has going on, the drama Bakari has pending, or any outside influences. It is just a cute romance, one like we can’t easily compare, that could potentially become something cut up to be like a mini-movie if it maintains this direction.

Perhaps the best mini-movie about Black love, especially featuring preacher kids, you ever saw.

Highlights

Nuck’s Apology

While it wasn’t an emotional moment, it was an overdue one, and add in Kiesha being calm throughout and accepting Nuck’s apology? It really gives you a sense of how much time has passed on this show. Not to forget, the growth.

The Challenge Of Co-Parenting

Tiff and Kiesha are two very strong-willed women, and we don’t envy Emmett for being between them. However, the three of them balancing work, kids, and their personal lives might be one of the few intermixing storylines that work. For as Rob and Tiff try to elevate their business, with Rob asking about Q, you have Emmett becoming a bigger part of Douda’s business and, hopefully, Kiesha’s teaching job not being left in the dust. The combination, similar to Papa and Kenya’s situation, gives us the type of complexity and storylines that is why “The Chi” has gone on for six seasons.

It’s Called Growth

From Nina dealing with her kids not needing her, Nuck’s aforementioned apology, and Kiesha and Emmett realizing they have outgrown their high school friends, it just feels so rewarding to see this kind of growth. Mind you, not everyone is maturing and becoming better as they grow, but just seeing characters like Darnell go from the worst-case scenario for Emmett’s life to trying to keep Douda from messing up his boy’s life was major. I can only hope that for some of the sidelined characters on life support, they get a chance to grow this season.

Low Points

Jada’s Search For Someone To Be With Tracy

I need them to do better. How the show treats the moms who aren’t in their 20s has been a long-running struggle, and Jada, particularly, has only been second to Tracy of being a long-term character who it seems the writers often don’t know what to do with her. Yes, her cancer storyline and messing with a young boy were interesting. However, then they decided to put her in a consolidation project to cut the fat of the show, which was necessary but has not done her much good.

Take note, her storyline right now has less to deal with being married to Darnell and reconciling his way of thinking with hers, never mind her living as the head of the household for so long and now having to share not just responsibility but decision-making. Nope, instead, she is trying to find one of the least valuable characters a man.

On The Fence

The Douda Disrespect

I find it amusing how Douda takes so much disrespect from people. Taking it from Victor is understandable since there is a form of mutually assured destruction there. But Darnell? I feel like Douda needs to be less posture and tone, and if he is going to mercilessly kill someone, I need it to be a character we know. A part of me wants to say Bakari, but Nuck or Rob would also do.

Granted, I still do feel like Douda is likely on his way out, but I need a mid-season bang to really kick off what could be his final season in gear.

Episode Directory