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The following recap contains spoilers from season one of The Chi. Proceed at your own risk.<\/em><\/p>\n In Lena Waithe\u2019s <\/span>The Chi<\/span><\/i>, relationships are the primary currency. \u00a0We watch them grow, invert, and blow up. We suck our teeth, laugh, and get straight up pissed at the results of each bond, as the most seemingly inconsequential interactions have such permanent results. \u00a0At its start, a relationship is forged between us, the viewers, and the cute and clever, Coogie. We follow the witty, brightly dressed teenager as he rides his bike around Chicago ushering us into his neighborhood. \u00a0So when Coogie is abruptly murdered over a misunderstanding disguised as revenge, despite only just meeting the kid, we miss him; we feel cheated out of the chance to continue seeing life through his vibrant eyes. <\/span><\/p>\n Thus ultimately, the season begins with two murders. The first is that of hood famous basketball star Jason who lays lifeless in the street as Coogie, who did not commit the murder, takes his chain and sneakers. \u00a0Coogie\u2019s thieving costs him his life as he is gunned down by Jason\u2019s father-figure, Ronnie, as middle schooler Kevin inadvertently witnesses the shooting. This dynamic prepares us for the intersection of the multiple characters and their storylines, all the while hoping that no one else we have taking a liking to gets hurt. <\/span><\/p>\n While death is the backdrop, it the fullness of the lives of characters that keeps us watching. \u00a0We watch as they grow beyond their circumstances. We watch as they navigate what life throws at them. \u00a0And we watch as relationships are developed, transformed, and severed.<\/span><\/p>\n Ms. Ethel and Jada<\/b><\/p>\n We are first introduced to this pair when Ms. Ethel flings a dirty diaper at her nurse, Jada\u2019s head, and accuses her of stealing. \u00a0Initially, I wondered how Jada put up with the wonderfully foulmouthed, and stubborn old woman. Soon we come to understand Ms. Ethel as a woman desperately trying to hold onto her independence as her body begins to betray her. \u00a0Once Ms. Ethel and Jada bond over the fears of raising sons and grandsons in their neighborhood, their relationship is transformed into a mutual respect, accompanied with unsolicited dating advice from a Ms. Ethel who wants to see the kind, young woman happy. \u00a0Even after Jada is fired from her job for taking supplies to help patch up Ronnie\u2019s gunshot wound, she still checks on the old woman; Ms. Ethel, a woman with very little, shows her appreciation by giving her a wad of cash to hold her over until she finds another job. \u00a0What makes this relationship remarkable to me is that it is actually one of the very few ones between women that is given the screen time to unfold. I hope the second season offers more opportunities for female relationships to be explored. <\/span><\/p>\n Emmett and EJ<\/b><\/p>\n The little baby that plays EJ should win some form of award this season. \u00a0The way that kid cries and cries, really helps us the experience fatherhood from the immature Emmett\u2019s point-of-view. \u00a0In other words, his screams get on my last nerve; I can hear somebody\u2019s grandma\u2019s voice getting ready to come through me and say, \u201cShut that baby up!\u201d But in all seriousness, watching Emmett grow into a caring father and more responsible adult is one of the highlights of the season. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Brandon and Kevin<\/b><\/p>\n These two actually feel like younger and older versions of one another. \u00a0Both are nice guys, committed to doing what they feel is right, even when it comes at their own expense. \u00a0Little Kev got heart and so does Brandon. At one point I pounded my fist on the table in exasperation, \u201cHow many secrets is this little boy gonna have to keep?\u201d \u00a0I felt a similar anxiety when I had to sit and watch Brandon on the brink of making one bad decision after another – like fooling around with the boss\u2019s \u201cwife?\u201d as he moves through his season of grief. \u00a0Unsurprisingly, these are the same two I am gnawing my nails down to the bone, worried about for the upcoming season.<\/span><\/p>\n Greevy and LaVerne<\/b><\/p>\n At first, I thought Greevy was a no-good bum. \u00a0Not only was he seemingly a little too eager to reap the benefits of the sale of LaVerne\u2019s house, but the trifling negro didn\u2019t even go with his woman to her son\u2019s funeral. \u00a0While I still haven\u2019t forgiven him for not being by his woman\u2019s side during one of the most difficult times of her life, it is clear that he actually does care for her. I am definitely rooting for these two.<\/span><\/p>\n Brandon and LaVerne<\/b><\/p>\n When we first see this mother-son duo interact, LaVerne is drunk and hostile. \u00a0Judging by Brandon\u2019s girlfriend, Jerica\u2019s, response to LaVerne, I initially thought she was an angry drunk. \u00a0But as the season develops we witness tender moments between the two that make it evident that behind her rhetorical roughness is a mother\u2019s love. <\/span><\/p>\n Ronnie and Tracy <\/b><\/p>\n While like she says Ronnie is a grown man and she can\u2019t make him do anything, I still hold Tracy partly responsible for what happened to Coogie, and ultimately Ronnie. Perhaps it is my affection for Ms. Ethel, Ronnie\u2019s grandmother, that has me looking at Tracy like a siren. \u00a0While Ronnie murders Coogie partly out of love for the child he called his son, it feels like he does it (and generally will do anything) to get back into the warm embrace of Tracy. Granted, we do not know the history between Tracy and Ronnie, as Ronnie is at the very least a drunk, and Tracy a survivor of rape. \u00a0I am hoping that we will learn more about this with the upcoming season.<\/span><\/p>\n Brandon and Jerica <\/b><\/p>\n My allegiance to LaVerne and Brandon could very well be coloring my perspective of Jerica, but presently she annoys me. \u00a0It is obvious that she loves Brandon and supports his dreams, but sometimes I feel like she secretly wants him to be from somewhere he isn\u2019t. \u00a0Instead of trying to understand him during his moments of intense grief she jumps to conclusions and that rubs me the wrong way. On the other hand, one could see her as a strong black woman who loves her man but not at the expense of herself. \u00a0The verdict is still out on this one. I will have to see what happens with these two next season. <\/span><\/p>\n Jake and Reggie<\/b><\/p>\n This one is pretty obvious. \u00a0Older brother, Reg is a dangerous drug dealer who is grooming his brother for the family business. \u00a0It is so disheartening to watch Jake follow in his footsteps and become more and more distant from his friends Kevin and Papa. \u00a0Jake seems like a nice person who could have gone in any direction, but because of what he is exposed to, has been pushed towards a life of violence and crime<\/span><\/p>\n Reggie and Brandon<\/b><\/p>\n Reg\u2019s profession simply makes him a scary dude. \u00a0Brandon just got his food truck up and running and then experiences a financial set back with his mother delaying the sale of the house to attend Ronnie, her son\u2019s murderer, trial. \u00a0Brandon\u2019s morals, his drive to stand up to Reg and admit that he lost the gun that little brother Jake stole is admirable; however, in this landscape it makes him vulnerable. We already know he is gonna be using his truck to move weight and that he is gonna be conflicted about it, because in all reality he needs money. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Quentin, \u201cQ,\u201d aka Old Man and Pretty Much Everybody <\/b><\/p>\n This relationship as currency is what makes a mofo like Old Man aka Q so goddamn scary. \u00a0His affiliations are not immediate, thus his character and his motivations are not apparent. \u00a0If you don\u2019t know someone then it\u2019s tricky trying to figure out how to orient yourself to him, a person who seems to slither up to you in your moments of weakness, but at the same time weirdly reflects familial values. \u00a0But hey, if his own brother tells you to stay away from him, even if he dont explain fully why, then dammit, that\u2019s reason enough to run. <\/span><\/p>\n Everyone will be pushed into new situations that will force them to reorient themselves. \u00a0Brandon will have to honor his favor to Reg and use his new found independence as a food truck owner to sell drugs; he will keep this a secret from Jerica, who will sense there is something going on and this will cause a strain. \u00a0Kevin will be called to, at the very least, speak to the police about the murder he witnessed which will cause him to deal with the internal and external repercussions of \u201csnitching\u201d in his community. Jake will descend deeper into the criminal life with his brother as his guide. \u00a0Ronnie now unburdened with his secret, will have to navigate life in prison. Emmett will have to figure out how to get custody of his son and learn to live without the support of his mother, as career opportunities will move her outside of the state. Old Man \u201cQ\u201d will restructure the game. \u00a0And Papa, well he will continue to be the same, sweet, renaissance man whose example we hope will challenge others to redefine how they inhabit\/express their identity. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The following recap contains spoilers from season one of The Chi. Proceed at your own risk. In Lena Waithe\u2019s The Chi, relationships are the primary currency. \u00a0We watch them grow, invert, and blow up. We suck our teeth, laugh, and get straight up pissed at the results of each bond, as the most seemingly inconsequential […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173,178,179],"tags":[31,93],"class_list":["post-1907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film-tv","category-opinion","category-reviews","tag-featured","tag-the-chi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1907\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}My Favorite Relationships<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Ones that Grew On Me<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Ones That Frustrate Me <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Ones That Frighten Me<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
General Reactions<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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What to Expect Next Season<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n