The Chi is not a show that should be missed.
Still, Sunday night is a tough spot to hold onto with huge events like The Image Awards, the Grammys, and the Super Bowl infringing on the slot for the past few weeks.
We thought fans of The Chi could use a quick catch up on what’s happening with their favorite characters so they could be ready to tune in to episode 5 next weekend.
Here are 6 things to know about the main characters on The Chi:
Laverne can be loving.
Brandon and Coogie’s mom, Laverne (Sonja Sohn), didn’t seem like a loving mother for the first couple of episodes. By now, we have realized that this alcoholic who lost her son way too soon is just reeling from a very hard life. Somehow, she managed to raise two good boys despite their volatile surroundings, so she must have done something right. When she has a heart to heart with Brandon and reveals she wants to sell her house because it’s too hard to live there without Coogie, we realize she’s in so much pain and worthy of our sympathy. She also proves she doesn’t hate her older son, Brandon, even though she favored her fallen teenager. It turns out; she always knew Coogie needed her more so she made more of an effort with him than she did with Brandon. While that’s not necessarily a PC approach to parenting, we get it.
Ronnie is battling big demons.
Ronnie (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) has been a victim, a villain, and something in between for much of the series so far, and we’re finally starting to understand this complex character. When we first met him, we saw him mourn the loss of Jason, the boy he raised as his own, and his commitment to tracking down his killer to provide comfort to the boy’s mother, Tracy (Tai’isha Davis). Later, we start to wonder if his intentions are as pure as we thought, or if he’s just trying to get back into his ex’s pants. When he killed Coogie, he became a villain of epic proportions while remaining somewhat sympathetic, if not at least relatable.
Revenge is a powerful emotion and in the moment he pulled the trigger on the innocent teen, he truly believed the kid was responsible for murdering his son. His immediate look of regret was enough to make us believe he wasn’t all bad. He’s haunted by Coogie’s ghost and seems genuinely remorseful for pulling that trigger, especially when he learns that Coogie didn’t kill Jason. Then, he seemed to be on a mission to find Kevin, another innocent kid who just happened to witness him shooting Coogie, and he’s transformed into an utter threat to this sweet boy’s life. By episode 4 of The Chi, we realize that Ronnie persuaded Kevin to lure Brandon to him and he’s once again a major threat to one of the show’s good guys. After a tussle, Kevin, not Brandon, shoots him and once again, he’s responsible for another child’s loss of innocence.
READ MORE: ‘The Chi’ premiere recap: wrong place, wrong time
Brandon is in hot water.
Brandon (Jason Mitchell) has been depicted as a hero of sorts throughout the series and his intentions have always been pure. He wants to create a better life than the one he grew up with; he’s dedicated to his job and his girlfriend, and he’s hell-bent on looking out for his mother, despite her shortcomings. Seeing his heartbreak at the loss of his little brother was wrenching and forced fans to root for him from the start. Even when he took a darker turn when he learned Ronnie killed Coogie, he still maintained his upstanding persona. After he learns that Kevin set him up to meet with Ronnie, he shows compassion and understanding for the kid who almost had him killed. He also steps in to protect Kevin after the youngster shoots Ronnie, instead of focusing on saving his own skin. Now that the confrontation with Coogie’s killer is behind him, he’s still not in the clear in the streets or at home. His relationship with Jerrika is on the rocks and the tension between him and his mom’s boyfriend is mounting. He also has a drug dealer with a missing gun to deal with and his habit of confronting issues head-on may not bode well in this particular scenario.
Kevin is safe…for now.
Kevin (Alex R. Hibbert) has given viewers reason to worry since the start of The Chi and we can finally breathe a little easier knowing he’s safe from Ronnie. After weeks of worrying that Jason’s father figure would kill him for witnessing him kill Coogie, we now know that Ronnie never intended to hurt the kid. He did, however, convince him to lure Brandon to him so he could confront him about what really went down the night Coogie died. Even though Kev is in the clear from Ronnie, he’s facing more trouble than ever. Internally, he will have to deal with the fact that he shot a man (Ronnie) and externally, he lost Reggie, the drug dealer’s gun. The only thing as bad as having a murderer on your tail is having a drug dealer looking for the gun you lost. Nothing is ever easy in The Chi, so we’re feeling pretty nervous about how this will turn out.
Jerrika doesn’t get it.
Brandon’s girlfriend, Jerrika, (Tiffany Boone), started out as a cheerleader for her man and seemed like a great partner for the aspiring chef. The couple’s big plans for the future were bright, and we felt bad that Brandon’s mom ragged on her so for being successful. Now that Brandon has lost his brother and been tormented by the notion of seeking revenge on Ronnie for the murder, it’s clear Jerrika isn’t even trying to grasp what he’s going through. She’s hard on him when she learns he has been checking into Coogie’s death and is infuriated when she suspects he’s seeking his own kind of justice. When she finds the gun used to shoot Ronnie in Brandon’s backpack, she hits the roof and kicks him out without even trying to find out what went down.
Emmet is on the right track…or is he?
Emmet (Jacob Latimore) started out as a character that was easy to hate. He was a disrespectful player who didn’t claim his own son and dismissed his baby momma when she demanded financial support. This disrespectful brat who clearly didn’t care about how hard his single mother works to provide for him didn’t show any redeeming qualities. Now that he has stepped into his role as a father, he’s starting to grow on us. He seems intent on finding work so that he can support his son and he’s torn between seeking a legit but low-paying gig or heading into the streets, dealing drugs for Reggie. We will have to wait and see what path he chooses.