The Chi: Season 7 Episode 9 – Recap and Review
While new characters have been pouring in all season, the ones introduced in “Last Respects” are the most likely to earn their keep.
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Episode 9 “Last Respects” Details
- Available On: Showtime
- Public Release Date: July 11, 2025
- Director(s): Shanrica Evans
- Writer(s): Resheida Brady-Anderson
Episode 9 “Last Respects” Recap (With Spoilers)
You Can’t Shoot People And Not Expect Repercussions: Reg, Victor, Jake, Shaad, Emmett, Damien, Jada, Darnell, Tiff, Nuck, Toussaint, Hannibal, Angie, Kiesha
Reg’s shooting of Emmett complicates his life immensely. The overwhelming majority of people don’t see Emmett as the one who overreacted, but Reg, and the only thing keeping Darnell from doing what Emmett did is the mix of him trying to come to terms with what is a slow decline for Jada, and the immediate life-or-death situation Emmett has. Which, you know, leads to him threatening to disown Damien, especially since Jada reveals that Damien asked her for money.
Now, outside of Emmett’s blood relations, the rest of his family, be it Kiesha and Tiff, or even Victor, Shaad, Jake, and Papa, show up. Tiff is struggling to navigate this with Rob’s death still fresh, never mind Victor’s brother being the one who put Emmett into this situation, and him not even telling her that Reg is back. Kiesha? Well, with not being married to Emmett, she is on the outside looking in, struggling with her helplessness in the situation to the point that she leaves to stay busy.
The combination of Tiff’s feelings and his own leads Victor, with Jake co-signing, to kick Reg out of Jake’s apartment. In some ways, this is a good thing. Reg likely wouldn’t be above having Jake, or even Hannibal, put in a situation to save himself. However, a Reg on edge is far more dangerous than one who feels comfortable.
But, between Nuck, Detective Toussaint, and now Hannibal, it is hard to say if Reg will get to ramp things up. Nuck pulls up on Hannibal, meeting his wife, Angie (Kyla Pratt), in the process. She is protective of her husband and not fond of the idea of Reg being anywhere near her home. So, with that in mind, Hannibal is willing to join the “Take Down Reg” movement. Leaving it so, of all those who are part of Reg’s life, outside of Shaad, it seems he has no long-term allies anymore.
Keeping Things Going: Papa, Sarah, Ezekiel, Renee, Carolyn, Kenya, Charles, Kiesha, Dom, Shawnita, Diane
It’s not clear how bad things were before, but Ezekiel’s association with Sarah has seemingly depleted the coffers to the point that not only does Sarah drop him, but Ezekiel has to preach at Papa’s family church. Note: He did buy the building, so it is technically his. But Diane questions it, solely to Papa, every step of the way.
But, in Ezekiel’s defense, he wanted to try something different, maybe got too big for his britches, and he got humbled. Even in his first sermon, he acknowledges the shift in his life and how his relationship with Papa set him on this necessary journey.
One, you might be surprised to hear Charles is sticking around for. Despite it seeming that the relationship was built on the influence and money Ezekiel had, unlike Sarah, Charles is still there even when things are rough. However, what is also of interest is that there is a slight push from Renee, with Ezekiel vulnerable, single, and humbled, for Carolyn to consider the idea of renewing that old thing. Carolyn isn’t into it, but finding Zay’s old gun in Kenya’s underwear drawer suggests she will at least push to co-parent better with Ezekiel.
Which leaves the topic of Smokey’s. It is hard to say how much time passes in the episode, but it becomes clear to Kiesha that Smokey’s will need management. Since it is not a role she wishes to play, and Dom would rather manage the back of the house, someone has to do the front. Enter Shawnita (Punkie Johnson), a friend of Dom’s cousin, whom we last saw dating Roselyn, who aced the interview and gets hired to fill in while Emmett is unable to do the job.
New Beginnings: Alicia, Tiff, Emmett, Kiesha, Nuck, Reg, Hannibal, Keith, Candice, Jackie, Emmett, Kiesha
Taking note of what happened to Emmett, who is likely seen as one of the good ones, Alicia finds herself pushing Tiff to have a will and even alters her will so that Tiff can become her heir. That’s a lot for Tiff, and although it’s appreciated, since Alicia doesn’t do things like this on a whim, it’s overwhelming as she goes through such an emotional period.
Hence why she perhaps slips up and decides to engage with Nuck in a way that is a little flirty. Thankfully, though, Nuck is focused on what he needs to handle, and with getting where Reg is staying from Hannibal, that’s all he can focus on.
However, unlike before, Reg isn’t sitting idle anymore. At Candice’s home, he learns Keith is her cousin, and he is staying there too. The men get to talking, mainly talking down about Emmett, and it is brought up that Keith knows someone who could be a shooter for Reg, that’s a woman, but is queer, so there shouldn’t be any problems. Jackie (Aina Brei’Yon) shows up, has the attitude Reg wants and needs, and gets hired.
Now, as for how long she’ll be working? That’s hard to say. Emmett does wake up at the end of the episode, and promptly proposes to Kiesha, so his next move is anyone’s guess since this could be a wake up call for him.
New Cast and Characters
Jackie (Aina Brei’Yon)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Jackie is an associate of Keith who is about their money, is good with a gun, and becomes Reg’s right hand as he pursues his return to prominence.
Shawnita (Punkie Johnson)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Shawnita is a friend of Dom’s cousin who, while Emmett is unable to perform his front office duties as manager of Smokey’s, Kiesha hires her to do the job in Emmett’s stead.
Angie (Kyla Pratt)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Angie is Hannibal’s wife and if you ever wondered why he is often calm, cool, collected, happy even? It is because Angie doesn’t play about her husband or their marriage.
Other Noteworthy Information
- Dom and Jamal go to couples therapy regarding him wanting a child.
Links
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Review and Commentary
Highlights
Darnell [85/100]
It is genuinely hard to say when was the last time The Chi got a legit emotional reaction out of me. I may roll my eyes sometimes, certainly be entertained, but in terms of getting to the point of choked up, tears, seeing beyond a character, and feeling an actor’s performance affect me? I don’t think since Kiesha and her mom going to therapy together, I have felt that.
So for Darnell, on his own, as he navigates his wife dying, his son’s condition, and Damien, brilliant as he is, screwing up in ways that feel as random and dangerous as if he were in a gang? You can sense how overwhelmed he is, disappointed, and really coming to his wits’ end.
I would even say, as noted below, even with there being zero chance Emmett would end up dying, you got the rare sense that, just because you know that, it doesn’t mean the character does as well.
More Interesting Female Characters [86/100]
What I appreciate about the new set of female characters introduced in this episode is that they are bringing something different. Starting with Jackie, am I the only one surprised she is the first woman we’ve seen on this show that is about that street life? Most of the women who may have been part of a criminal organization, or adjacent, like Alicia or Roselyn, have been older, prim, proper, capable of getting violent, but above that.
Jackie, on the other hand, that’s a thug, and I think a character like her is overdue and putting them with Reg? I hope that, no matter what happens to him, their fate isn’t tied to him in terms of dying because of him or getting written off if he goes to jail. There is potential there.
The same goes for Angie. While you could submit that she is giving Tiff vibes, she is Hannibal’s wife, and there is nothing about Hannibal that makes you think he is like Emmett or would marry someone like Tiff. So, with that in mind, and what Hannibal does for a living, it would be interesting to see what Angie has to offer.
In my mind, with how protective she is about her man, while making it clear she isn’t a pushover, this could be the ideal couple we’ve been waiting on for The Chi. I mean, it isn’t clear how much or often we may see her, but it is Kyla Pratt. I’d hope this isn’t just another case of The Chi wanting a famous face and name on the show to add to its collection.
Which leaves Shawnita. To me, Shawnita has a strong personality, main/lead character energy, and really capped off this episode, showing The Chi could, and should have more women who take up space. Not just in the form of the scene focusing on them, whether or not men are around, but allowing them to have presence, unapologetically, without there being a threat of violence.
At one time, we hoped that with Maisha, she’d get the chance to do that, but like many, once they got involved with one of the male characters on the show, they became secondary, inconsistent, and eventually written off. So here is hoping with this new batch, while each one isn’t presented as a potential long-term figure, they get to fully show up, show out, and open the door for characters who don’t eventually feel dimmed or supporting one of the male characters’ journeys.
Jamal’s Legacy Need [80/100]
I’m still not strongly into Jamal’s story, but I can appreciate his talk of legacy depending on where they take it. If he brings up the idea that he doesn’t want to be the end of his lineage, and he wants to see his kid go further than he did, I can get behind it. If it sticks to ego, as Dom presents it, however, then it will be another wasted opportunity for The Chi.
Low Points
It’s Impossible To Suspend Disbelief Enough To Think Emmett Would Die [63/100]
Who really thought Emmett was going to die? It would be way too big of a shock, and while The Chi has killed off notable characters and even written them off, at this point, Emmett dying is something I can’t see for anything except a series finale. After all, the show found a way to survive without Kevin, move on from Jason, and close Ronnie’s chapter. So as much as Emmett’s end could mean Papa moving into first position, maybe having one of the ladies become the center of the show, it just wasn’t realistic.
But, again, that is what made Rolando Boyce’s performance as Darnell so great because, even though you knew nothing would happen to Emmett, you could feel his character didn’t know that, and it made it sad to believe, at least, he didn’t know Emmett would be okay – in the same episode at that.
On The Fence
Ezekiel’s Storyline (Featuring Why Is Charles Still Around?) [73/100]
Considering all that could have been done with the Sarah storyline, having her show up, attempt to show out, then leave when things got rough, as much as it was a lesson for Ezekiel, it also felt like a waste of time. But, look at his storyline – it hasn’t really lived up to its potential, despite how it has been setup to multiple times.
I mean, considering this reset Ezekiel is going through, it happening because Ezekiel was dating a white woman? Charles has been here all this time, originally presented as a threat to Ezekiel’s empire, and now he is sticking beside him despite having nothing to offer? Why wasn’t he the one to take down and force Ezekiel into a soft reset? I’m not saying have a whole storyline taken from Greenleaf, but at least honor characters potential for not only good, but chaos.
And don’t get me wrong, I appreciated Ezekiel’s sermon regarding his relationship with Papa, especially with finding out Papa’s dad was killed by Nuck. Also, him being humbled opened up time for him to connect more with his ex-wife, former mother-in-law, daughter, and grandson. Which, we are enjoying. But, sometimes you can’t excuse the means just because you like the end result, and with this being a TV show, not a movie, and this storyline is ongoing, I’m hoping between being called out for his past, Charles kicking him while he is down, something happens which is in line with a trajectory that makes sense and not done for the sake of some sudden drama or maybe a budget cut.
Wondering About Jake’s Trauma [72/100]
Untapped potential runs rampant on The Chi, and Jake is a strong example of this. While he, like Papa, have sort of meandered since losing Kevin and their primary love interest, Jake was setup with a storyline worthy of him just as much as Papa. Lest we forget, Jake, similar to Bakari, was raised in gang life but while Bakari stayed in, Jake got out of that.
Yet, despite not being jumped in and part of that life, he still has a pass where he can walk into Nuck’s HQ and talk to the big boss. In my mind, there should be more done with a character who has the privilege of access without the liability that often comes with that. I mean, even beyond his gang affiliation, there is diving deeper into the dynamic of his brother, relationship with mom, having paternal figures, but not his actual father, or even what Emmett meant to him.
Granted, was Emmett like how Brandon was to Kevin? No. But I think it is fair to say, the show has gone back and forth between trying to portray Jake as hard while making it clear that he is more vulnerable than he lets on. I just wish they would explore, if not honor, that.
Overall
Our Overall Rating [76/100]
Sometimes, what The Chi presents to you is that it is easy to be underestimated because it doesn’t truly utilize the talent it has. Both in terms of those it attracts and those established, it doesn’t push them to where or what they could be, and often goes the route of least resistance.
Because of that, we don’t often get to see Darnell in such a way that he could get an emotional reaction out of you. When it comes to conversations like Jamal pushes about legacy, they don’t stay with you since they don’t go where they need to go and as much as you have to appreciate the influx of genuinely interesting characters, there is always the worry that, like Alicia, and sometimes Nuck, they start strong then slowly but surely seem neutered, with random acts done to try to reinvigorate them.
Check Out Our Past Coverage Of This Series
The Chi: Season 7 Episode 8 – Recap and Review
Alongside some familiar faces joining The Chi, there is a tease that a long-standing cast member could be on their way out.
The Chi: Season 7 Episode 7 “Unfinished Business” – Recap & Review
The Chi pushes you to question if Douda’s death, the time jump earlier this season, actually changed anything for the positive.
The Chi: Season 7 Episode 6 “Do The Chi Thing” – Recap & Review
The good ones die young.
