What happened to Quentin on Chi? More like, what didn’t happen to Quentin on Chi? By now everyone knows that the neighbourhood kingpin elder is Quentin. He has returned recently to stake his claim, as he was gone for a while. He seems to retain civility to a degree though his work is illegal. He is interested in keeping the neighbourhood families safe and protected.
*Warning: Spoilers ahead!*
It seems like the script was hastily altered, and we therefore only get a vague sense of what happens to Quentin in the series.
We never see Quentin (played by Steven Williams) die as he dies off-screen. He was “dealt with” as it’s said. As he has been stealing and killing other characters on the show, it’s safe to assume he was killed somewhere in the city.
What Happened To Tracy
As the season unfolded, we learn of what happened to Tracy. I was shocked to see what happened to her as a teen. Her junkie stepfather bartered her to Quentin, and she ended up being a sex slave. She comes out of it intact, relatively, however.
Quentin Couldn’t Care Less
And so the well-mannered Quentin hides every kind of nastiness. We find out why Jason’s death was his obsession and that he waited patiently to avenge the murder of his son. Quentin never asks if Tracy needs anything in her time grieving. He couldn’t care less about her, not even what she wanted to happen. The irony was she convinced Ronnie to take control of the situation and it turns out we later find out that Quentin had the same frame of mind.
Devastating Revelations
The devastating revelation of Tracy’s story begins finally peels away the polite veneer of Quentin, as it explained her hard outer shell. Coincidentally, Quentin seems to play all his trumps, as he gets Reggie to rebel against his superiors with Trice, battered and locked in his car trunk. Quentin also gets brazenly into the detective’s car to talk business. In fact, on television, the most diabolical character today might just be Quentin.
A Great Finale
Ease On Down The Road is a great finale after all the momentum-building led to a reckoning within the sordid characters of “The Chi. Nearly everything happens as expected, there are no twists or shocks. Quentin avenges the death of Jason as Ronnie turns himself in.
Finally, we learn the truth about what happened to Jason. This truth, of course, does not change what happened after the death of Jason. Like Coogi, it turns out he just wasn’t in the right place at the right time. He was just out of luck, there is no grand conspiracy. The status of The Chi as a show gets solidified in Ease On Down The Road.
It almost seems like the show cares more about letting viewers hang out in the world it created than hanging out with drama.
Moving Beyond Stereotypes
This helps the characters of the show move beyond the plot’s broadly painted stereotypes. It has not created the plot point that engages viewers the most, however. It was great to see Emmett develop in his fatherhood role but in this episode, we see how important he thinks getting custody is. The casual vibe of the show works with the way Emmett narrates. It isn’t that hard to overlook the slow progress of the plot this season if you just accept the show as a glimpse into the life of Emmett. He never even gets trapped in Quentin’s schemes. I might even say this finale fails Quentin. For Emmett, this was a good pace but for the other more exciting characters, it just didn’t.
Killing The Cop
Jason’s death did give Quentin reasons for killing the cop which was great for the detective. Maybe this ensures that he is in next season’s central plot rather than making viewers unsure about where he stands. This season, Quentin was built up to be the main villain. The season ends with the consolidation of his power. The instant Quentin gives Tracy reassurance that everything works and is handled, it also makes the plot of Ronnie feel directionless. Early in the season, Ronnie and Tracy parted ways.
Something Feels A Bit Off
However, it is only because Ronnie loves Jason and Tracy so much that he is in this circumstance. Did you get affected by the past week’s reveal about Quentin raping Tracy? I sure did. Ronnie just didn’t seem to be connected to this experience, however. Quentin and Ronnie never had problems or animosity. I am not even sure if Quentin realizes how Ronnie relates to Jason and Tracy. In the unfolding of this season, the arc of Ronnie’s redemption was beautifully played. This growth was undercut by Quentin.
Also, about what happened to Quentin, can I mention that there was just something that felt a bit off about Tracy getting the justice she craved all season? From Quentin? Tracy’s justice is empty as paralleled with Lorraine and Coogi. They tell her that everything is fine but she doesn’t know for sure, does she? She may never acquire Lorraine’s resolve to see her son’s killer tried in court. This season, Tracy and Laverne did not have much to do. However, in their narrative, this final divergence feels real.
