The Chi: Season 7 Episode 5 “Safe Harbor” – Recap & Review

As war brews on multiple fronts, so does the need to wonder whether certain characters may ever get their just due on The Chi.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.

Episode 5 “Safe Harbor” Details

  • Available On: Showtime
  • Public Release Date: June 13, 2025
  • Director(s): Deondray Gossfield, Quincy LeNear Gossfield
  • Writer(s): Kristiana Rae Colon

Episode 5 “Safe Harbor” Recap (With Spoilers)

The Price On Love Can Be Heavy: Tiff, Kiesha, Detective Toussaint, Jake, Reg, Victor, Shaad, Alicia, Lynae, Jamal, Dom, Poppa

While still very much pregnant, with Alicia monitoring the majority of her moves, this doesn’t mean Tiff doesn’t have an interest in the two men potentially pursuing her. She opens up to Kiesha about Nuck making a move and being curious about Victor, but believing he may only be interested in Trans women. However, even with that in mind, he is still helpful. With her wanting to test the mushrooms she has cultivated, Victor and Shaad do her a favor by taking them.

The results? Well, beyond Alicia being disappointed that Shaad didn’t come to her yacht party and wasn’t there to pick her up afterward, Shaad realizes how much of his life has been affected by not feeling loved as a child. Victor? Well, he finds himself battling it out with Trig, the man in the mirror, who could be someone he has to tap into to stop Reg.

Now, why will he potentially have to bring back his old moniker? For one, Reg is prepping to go to war. With Jake by his side, he is scouting out the competition, the players, and potential financiers, and trying to move smarter than before. However, Detective Toussaint makes her return, and it is made clear she plans to go after Reg – especially once she can prove to her peers that Reg is not dead, as she believed.

Which leaves Lynae, Jamal, Dom, and Poppa. In the episode, Dom and Jamal get married, and they have Lynae and Poppa as witnesses because Dom and Jamal don’t have anyone else to witness their marriage. Both Poppa and Lynae raise an eyebrow regarding this, but Dom and Jamal are adults, and they’ve made a decision. The only question is, with Poppa and Lynae spending time together during the event, is this just them being cool and friends, or will this build towards Poppa eventually trying to be something more?

Like A Lamb To Slaughter: Alicia, Ezekiel, Nuck, Bakari, Judge Bradley, Professor Gardner, Tracy, Jada, Charles

Though Shaad avoids Alicia’s party, Judge Bradley and Professor Gardner do not. In fact, this might be to Bakari’s benefit, for with Alicia introducing him to a publisher —a white woman who seems enthralled by the idea of an urban lit tale of redemption —he feels uncomfortable. He brings this up to Alicia, who doesn’t take his feelings seriously, but thankfully, Professor Gardner and Judge Bradley do. Both even speak candidly about Alicia in a way that shows they are friends, but not beholden to her like minions.

Speaking of minions, Nuck kills one of his for being too flashy and spends most of the day with Ezekiel on his boat. Also, there is Charles, and through Jada, we learn that it is an open secret that Charles gets around, and this information raises concerns about what could happen between him and Tracy. However, while Charles entertains the ladies, Ezekiel aims for the big catch: Alicia.

With Shaad high on mushrooms and missing his scheduled pick up of Alicia, Ezekiel swoops in to try to solicit business. Alicia is down to play, but only in exchange for the names of people, mainly men, who kill indiscriminately. She wants to wipe Chicago clean and is willing to put as much money as needed behind it. While Ezekiel is initially uncomfortable, with Alicia proposing millions and holding fundraisers for his church, she puts Ezekiel’s semblance of a conscience at ease.

Links

Where To Watch This:
 

Review and Commentary

Highlights

How Reg Is Preparing For War [82/100]

With Reg previously being a hot head, seeing him operate in a calculated manner shows growth – especially taking note that Nuck is not Douda. So with that in mind, it means having to be careful since Nuck has a notable way of running things. He wants his people to eat, but he also wants a standard set that allows them to operate in the dark and not attract attention. While Nuck doesn’t dip into politics, loan sharking, and all that, from what it seems, what he knows, he excels in, and I would assume, the only people who would know he is the boss are those who are about that life.  

So when it comes to Reg, who is a known hot head, you can see why he is laying low, seeing what’s going on, and moving with a bit more sense than he would during the Douda era. However, perhaps the most interesting aspect here is the involvement of Jake and Victor. With Jake, this has taken over his storyline, and with him doing crimes with his brother, there is a need to ask if he’ll become collateral damage?

The same can be asked of Victor. With Victor losing his political position and now, at best, being an employee of Tiff, he has experienced a fall from grace. The way things seem to be unfolding for him is a return to his former self, potentially to prevent his brother from undoing the arguably good Nuck has done.

Though when you consider Alicia’s plans, and the big picture, there is the need to question who is the person that, for the more violent side of The Chi, needs to be worried about the most.

Bakari’s Storyline [83/100]

I feel like Bakari is the new Emmett, in some ways. We see multiple people trying to invest in him, and you’re left to wonder whose perspective and time he will take note of the most? Nuck, Professor Gardner, Alicia, and, in some ways, Judge Bradley, all clearly see something in Bakari. But, unlike Emmett, Bakari isn’t on the straight and narrow. From his association with Nuck, which puts him on Reg’s radar, it is clear that, if The Chi maintains its usual operations and someone has to die or have their life threatened, Bakari is on the list of folks to die.

For I doubt Zay is going to be the sole person of note that is going to have a bullet go through them this season, or early in the next. It has to be either Bakari, Jake, Reg, or even Victor, and of all those listed, Bakari would be the death that would be the most devastating.

Lesser Storylines Getting Minimal Screentime [80/100]

From Damien talking about gambling more, Tiff talking about her love triangle, and even the whole Dom and Jamal wedding, it has always been clear that The Chi isn’t great about balancing its large cast. Still, at least it seems there is a recognition that some storylines hold more value than others, so while checking in is good for characters like Dom and Jamal, it doesn’t mean they should have enough time to make you question why they are still here? Instead, it feels more like a reminder that life keeps going on, even when the majority of the characters aren’t looking.

On The Fence

Worrying If They’ll Give Detective Toussaint A Consistent Storyline [75/100]

The Chi used to have a heavy police presence, to the point that you could submit The Chi was Showtime’s answer to The Wire, at one time. However, since the first season, the writers have been hot and cold regarding many aspects of Chicago, from its politics to its police, but the police, whether local or federal. Yet, it also has been something they just can’t stop flirting with.

Detective Toussaint, in particular, is someone they keep bringing back and while we are invested in her story and what she can do, I need her to be someone they commit to being part of the show, and not just a reminder that cops do exist, despite all the murders and other debauchery characters get away with.

Is Poppa and Lynae Going To Become A Thing? [73/100]

I want more for Poppa. Beyond Brandon and Jerrika, one of the initial hooks for me was this confidant chubby kid who didn’t win you over because he was funny but because he held a certain amount of maturity, albeit sourced in his faith in the lord, but still being far more mature than Jake or Kevin were, or are. So with that in mind, I’d hope he wouldn’t end up with Lynae, who is in that weird place at least a quarter of the cast are where, the storyline they were introduced in concluded, and now they have a slice of life role where they are expendable yet held on for no apparent reason.

Plus, I don’t want to see drama between him and Bakari. While it isn’t the same as the drama Jake and Kevin had, it has the smell of a rehash if they go down that road.

Overall

Our Overall Rating [79/100]

While The Chi remains in that place where you can’t firmly say it is good or getting better, it never loses the feeling that it is trying. Now, are all efforts equal? Absolutely not. But the few standouts in Nuck and Bakari help compensate for the inconsistent, if not overall weak, storylines that remain on the show.

Check Out Our Past Coverage Of This Series

TV Shows We’re Covering This Season

Images used for editorial and commentary purposes. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.

Listed Under Categories:
Related Tags: , , , , ,

Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.