The Chi Season 6 Episode 6 Review: Boys II Men
Denis Kimathi
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Our deeds of the past will always catch up with us. And even when we've reaped their consequences, their effects might ripple through the rest of our lives, and we'll spend it making up for our actions.
It might sound very bleak because it is if our deeds were terrible. Newton's Third Law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When someone does bad things, they will get bad things in return.
If someone's lucky, they might get a chance to make up for their mistakes, else, there is no telling how these mistakes will affect their life.
A lot went down on The Chi Season 6 Episode 6, and we'll dive into it in depth, so if you're yet to get caught up, beware of spoilers.
Events happened against the backdrop of the kids of The Chi finally crossing from childhood to adulthood, marked by graduation from high school.
Every graduate was confronted by what future they wanted to make for themselves, and to say it wasn't an obvious decision would be an understatement.
First, there was Kevin, who had the opportunity of a lifetime to make money doing what he loved the most. It is something most people will never get to experience. But despite the thrill associated with such an opportunity, there were some hurdles he needed to cross.
And while I'm up here, I encourage you all to do what you love, even if everyone thinks you're crazy. You blaze your own trail and never let anyone tell you you can't do something. I know The Chi's gonna be with me wherever I go. And I'm planning on going all over the world.
Kevin
Like we said in The Chi Season 6 Episode 5 review, being proud of where you come from is great, but that pride should not cause your fall. Joining a gaming team was a great opportunity, and turning it down because he was born and raised in Chicago would have been a stupid decision on Kevin's part.
Moving to LA will never change these facts about him.
Nina's reaction disappointed Kevin and me, but it wasn't surprising. Nina loves her children and would do anything to protect them, but sometimes it can suffocate. It might have been why Keisha was so rebellious when she was younger.
Dre understood Kevin better because she knew how big of an opportunity this was. The perks of being a therapist are that you can live multiple lives through your clients and learn a lot.
While Nina wasn't well versed in the modern gaming culture, Dre had an inkling that passing up on a multibillion-dollar industry would be more than silly.
Papa and Pastor Jackson's relationship was troubled. It was built on fear of authority for the most part. Pastor Jackson feared God, and he transferred that fear to his son.
Children grow up, and it catches many parents by surprise. In their defense, one cannot tell when that growth occurs. For some parents, it is a rude shock when one day they realize their little kid isn't so little after all.
The episode is entitled Boys II Men, which may or may not have a connection to the pop culture phenomenon. However, that's irrelevant because the theme was to show growth as Papa, Kevin, and Jake graduated from boyhood to manhood.
And in my opinion, they hit the nail on the head.
Seeing Papa stand up to his father like that was a welcome change. While everyone should respect their parents, that respect should not be out of fear.
Papa: What's your least favorite thing about being a father?
Pastor Jackson: I have a fear that I won't be there for you when you need me. I never want to let you down, son.
There had been a lot of deep conversations between Papa and his father about responsibility, honesty, manhood, freedom, and all those deep adult topics.
We had grown to love this new Pastor Jackson, but there was always an eerie sadness in his scenes because we knew something was coming, and finally, it did. Douda had Pastor Jackson killed.
The magnitude of this action's effect on Chicago and the neighborhood might be unquantifiable. Papa will never get answers. As his dad was dying, Papa was partying right after a major argument that saw him storm out.
He will always blame himself for the coming months and probably the rest of his life because he might feel responsible for some reason.
Pastor Jackson's death might be the only thing that wakes Chicago up to the reality of the lion in their midst. It's such a shame that it will take the death of a community pillar for people to wake up.
The revolt against Douda had begun, but it might have been too little too late. However, better late than never.
Douda: Bakari, I need to have a word with you.
Victor: If you need to talk to him, we need to be present.
Douda: No, he doesn't need a chaperone.
Shaad: Well, he got two of them right here.
Something was amiss, and everyone could feel it. A parent's job never ends because even with Emmett being a grown man, Jada could help but worry about him.
For this reason, people should not take bringing a life into this world lightly. Even when they're adults, they'll still need you, and the worst you can do is be absent.
Dre reconnected with an ex, and oh, is that bound to be messy!
I don't care how she dresses the situation, but maintaining an above-average relationship with someone you had a romantic relationship with is almost always a bad idea. Sure, some different dynamics are involved in lesbian relationships, but at the core, all relationships are about feelings.
And feelings are uniform across the board. Sooner or later, these feelings become too messy, and untangling them might become impossible.
Since Dre and Nina's marriage had issues before, they should be careful not to fall into the same trap twice.
The episode was packed with shockers, but the biggest was that Bakari had a sister.
From the first scene they shared, the resemblance was uncanny. I wanted to pass it off as the signature The Chi casting where related characters have a semblance, but it was too similar.
Bakari and his sister were almost identical in their facial appearance and mannerisms.
It turns out the actress who played the character is Amari Noelle Ferguson, Ahmad Ferguson's sister. That's where the resemblance came from. I'm not a fan of nepotism, but I love it in this case.
She was like a gift from the gods for Jemma who had been struggling to find another artist to justify refusing to go to college.
The character's introduction was a welcome addition to the show.
She was unabashedly gay and wasn't afraid to lean into her masculinity. Chicago might have their own Young M.A.
She spelled danger as there were some things she hid from Bakari. She also flirted with all the girls, and Jake had never jumped onto Jemma's side faster than when he spotted her making a move.
Finally, she was a rapper and a good one, for that matter. Maisha was shaken.
Victor and Quincy's gathering gained more members, and they each opened up about what was happening in their lives. It was then that the first problem with this group became apparent.
There was a lot of holding back, where everyone didn't even scratch the surface of their issues, and overall, it didn't feel productive.
If they had gone into details (which was almost impossible), they would have known that all their troubles converged at Douda.
Emmett: I think I got myself into some big trouble just because I wanted to be the big man.
Darnell: But what kind of trouble?
Victor: When we ask questions, it shouldn't be about the details; it should be about how we can help.
Even with that glaring problem, something positive came out of it, and they asked the right question of how they could help one another. And the answer was clear: protect each other from Douda.
The episode stressed that concerning the future, the right decision is one someone makes for themselves based on what they want.
However, it would have been beneficial to have a character who doesn't know what they want and try to figure that out.
Extra Thoughts From the Graduation Dais
- Keisha's growth has been awe-inspiring. She could have become a careless adult but made a complete 180. She was the episode's MVP.
Niggas around Douda die, Emmett
Keisha
- Oh, Emmett, bless his heart! He thought he could scare Douda? Someone who kills people for sport? Sometimes, using your brain instead of flexing your little muscle is wise. At least the gun was off his hands.
- Alex Hibbert had one job, and he delivered. Tell me you didn't feel the impact of that speech.
- How funny would it be if his sister stole Bakari's girlfriend? Very funny, I think.
- Things must have been bad for Pastor Jackson to call for Douda's murder subconsciously.
All I know is for as long as Douda is alive, this city will always be in the devil's hands.
Pastor Jackson
"Boys II Men" felt like this season's turning point. It explored a lot while not giving away all the information about the season.
And we'll be here to see what they come up with.
What did you think? Chime in in the comments section.
Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.
