By: Mark T. Wilson
The Chi is in the midst of Season 6 and so far, we can tell that nothing is off limits. With a wide range of storylines going on, no one seems safe. And for that reason, this has been the best so far and it’s still early.
One question I do have is why are the writers doing Emmett so dirty? Since the beginning, Emmett has been seen as the lost cause but in the last 2 seasons, he has turned everyone around. Now it appears, that his growth will come with a price tag. And no, we’re not talking about paying Douda back with greenbacks. Someone will die.
This is what happened with Brandon. He was the first Emmett. The kid who wanted more but made a decision that forever changed his life and The Chi. Emmett, the womanizer, looking for a come up found his success in the unlikeliest of places. He brought out Smokey’s, got married, moved out of his mother’s house, and was walking a righteous path.
Then Douda came with a proposition and Emmett jumped at it. While the money was a lure for him, the real reason he agreed to the partnership was to put his family in a better situation. Think about it. He brought Tiff a car and then got a house for him and Kiesha. Emmett is actually trying his best to do the right thing that many young black men in the hood wished they could do.
But there will be consequences. Everyone has a price to pay on The Chi.
Emmett is in danger. Kiesha knows it. Tiffany can feel it, and his father sees it. But Emmett is stuck. He needs help and the one person who’s going to risk it all is Darnell.
Will Darnell Die On The Chi
Although he hasn’t been there for his son growing up, he’s there now and the way his story is being portrayed, he will be the ultimate sacrifice. No one threatens Douda and gets away with it. But most importantly, it was the scene where the men of The Chi were talking in the Center and Emmett explained how he had never seen his father struggle so he had no idea how to make it out of his own struggle.
With sons of his own, Emmett will now know about sacrificing for his own kids once Darnell gives his life to save Emmett’s. This is the way it has to be.
It’s sad because Darnell has become one of the best characters on The Chi. Talk about a person doing a complete 180. He has one of the better story-arcs over the years and the relationship between him and Emmett is exactly what the show needed.
A father sacrificing his life so his child can live is something we don’t get to see in black TV dramas because the father is never present. What the writers of The Chi are setting up will have many in tears but it will provide the foundation needed for Emmett to see what it takes to move forward in life and be that strong male figure for his kids.