Episode 6 delivers monumental developments for our parallel narratives. After losing Booker, Diarra finally IDs the Coney Killer, and Danger agrees to help Bailey unburden herself from the militia. Both moves unearth a grander plot at play.
When Danger confronts Bailey over her alliance with the Vanguard, she offers some hard truths that change his mind. She insists the partnership is temporary to pay off the farm’s ballon debt. And Danger can’t return to Detroit because of a hit on his head. Danger realizes the bind Bailey is in, and agrees she needs leverage if she ever wants to be free from future Vanguard favors.
Back in Detroit, Diarra realizes a past associate is more involved than she first perceived. Erma Beaumont, the president of the Detroit Preservation Council, is a conwoman. After the death of her antique collector husband, Erma inherited his fortune and international money laundering scheme. She and Ron orchestrated the plot to find Duckett’s gold, using Diarra as their bloodhound. With the secret out, the gang plans a caper to find evidence and Ron.
As Diarra sneaks into Erma’s home, Danger infiltrates the Vanguard’s headquarters. Diarra finds Erma has been tracking her every move via a wire in a gifted snowglobe. She finds a landline phone and traces the last call — which rings to Danger in the Vanguard fortress. Erma, known as the Collector, contracted the militia to find the treasure.
After barely escaping, Diarra and the gang plan a con of their own to infiltrate Duckett’s wall at Trinity Baptist. They reunite Pastor and First Lady Thompson, filling the church again with loud, joyful noises. In the process, Diarra and Royce spin-the-block, cementing a possible future for their relationship — but freeing Chris remains a priority.
Sunday morning, each Ghetto Goonie has a role: Tea is to watch for Erma while Raqueeba distracts the security guards. Meanwhile, Mac and Diarra venture to the basement. After a boobytrap pierces Mac with an arrow, Diarra carefully solves the puzzle and reveals a tunnel behind the wall. But the joy is short-lived when Ron appears. In a double-cross, Ron murdered Erma, wanting the gold for himself. But Ron is killed when the Vanguard arrive for their cut of the $100 million. Diarra escapes through the open tunnel.
After the last two episodes felt somewhat stagnant, episode 6 hit a narrative peak for all our main and subplots. Valarie Pettiford’s reveal as our Coney Island killer was a surprise delivered with great execution. Pettiford is a great scene partner with both Kilpatrick and Glynn Turman, embracing a character against her typical archetype. Linking Danger and Diarra’s quests was genius, and helped elevate his storyline as it remained a bit unclear.
In addition to Pettiford, Amber Riley’s guest showing was a highlight — kudos to the writers for “Jesus Swing My Way.” And Christopher Powell’s comedic timing as Mac remains a highlight throughout.
Apart from the mystery, Diarra’s journey with Royce stood out this episode, touching a truly genuine moment for our multi-layered character. We forget at the heart of this comedic mystery-thriller, is a woman seeking healing from love’s detours. Thinking Swa was her last chance at love, Royce offers a new hope for the family she desperately wants. Something she now knows Chris will not provide.
Overall, a return to from for the multi-hypen genre series.
Rating: 8.5/10