'Power' Season 4, Episode 9 recap: “That Ain’t Me”

As the ninth episode of the fourth season of Power opens, Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) is attempting to be less terrible. He’s interviewing for a position at the boarding school in Connecticut Raina (Donshea Hopkins) told him about. (It’s the same school Angela attended.) Though the interviewer points out the decline in Riq's academics and behavior, the boy still aces the interview. Later, when Ghost (Omari Hardwick) drops the Riq off at school he proudly shows his son a news story that says his name has been cleared. Riq seems pleased, but he also asks if they should fear Kanan's (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) return. Ghost explains that Kanan will leave them alone because they are all witnesses to Juke Box's (Anika Noni Rose) murder. He also urges Riq to let go of his guilt. At Angela’s (Lela Loren) apartment, she and her sister Paz (Elizabeth Rodriguez) are getting ready for their day. Paz has been saying with her baby sister since the whole Mike (David Fumero) incident. She’s pissed that Angela used herself as bait, but she’s glad Mike is dead.

In a car somewhere in the city, Tommy (Joseph Sikora) and Teresi (William Sadler) are talking on the phone. Since Teresi was the one who took Mike out for Ghost and Tommy, he now wants a favor. He asks Tommy to come and see him in prison. Because Tommy is a felon, he’s going to need proof that they are family to get in to see him. Teresi assures Tommy that his mother Kate (Patricia Kalember) has all the proof he needs. He tells Tommy he’s not the kind of guy that would deny his own son. “That ain’t me,” he says.

At a warehouse somewhere, Tommy’s men are playing poker. They are all delighted that they’ve avoided a war with the Hermanas and they have turned in their coins to receive their new shipment of drugs which is set to arrive the next day. They all agree that as long as Tommy stays chill, they’re good. Unfortunately, stupid ass Dre (Rotimi) and Cristobal (Matt Cedeño) have other plans. They want the organization for themselves, and they’re going to have to do something drastic to get it from Tommy.

At the Feds, Angela meets with the new US Attorney for the Eastern District. New lady applauds Angela for her work on bringing Mike in. However, she explains that since they were not able to prosecute him they must win back the public's trust. The first step for the Feds is making an appearance at the Destroy Injustice Gala. This year, the Gala just happens to be honoring the newly exonerated James “Ghost” St. Patrick. New Attorney lady says that after the Gala, she doesn't want to ever hear St. Patrick’s name again. She also asks Angela her opinion about appointing the new Head of Criminal since Mike's death has left the job vacant. Her choices are either John Mak (Sung Kang) or Saxe (Shane Johnson). Angela thinks she deserves the promotion, but new lady basically laughs in her face.

Meanwhile, in Queens, Ghost and Councilman Rashad Tate (Larenz Tate) are walking the streets and getting interviewed by Olivia (the reporter that interviewed the St. Patricks and was real thirsty and in Ghost’s face a few episodes ago). This new ultra visibility is going to come back to haunt Ghost.

At the St. Patrick’s penthouse, Silver (Brandon Victor Dixon) and Tasha (Naturi Naughton) are still on and as bold as humanly possible. Silver is supposed to be dropping off some of the St. Patrick’s belongings that were seized by the FBI during Ghost's incarceration. Instead, in between smooches, Tasha tells him about her plans to expand the weave shop with Keisha (La La Anthony). She also tells Silver that she's going to divorce Ghost as soon as his real estate venture with Simon Stern (Victor Garber) gets off the ground. (Tasha, we love you girl, but sometimes you need to move in silence.)

At a gym somewhere, Riq is playing ball when Brains and Big Country finally run up him, The boy acts unbothered (personally I would've been afraid.) He assures the two that he’s not snitching because he would be guilty by association. He also asks them where his share of the money from the hit is. Riq’s balls must have dropped between this episode and the last one.

Later Ghost and Stern are meeting about their upcoming vote with the City Council. Stern is pissed that Ghost has made friends with Tate and he decides to take the reigns at the vote as a form of punishment. Ghost tells Stern that since he owns 51 percent of the venture, he wants a bigger role. Stern tells him nah. (When will this old white man learn Ghost ain’t the one?!)

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'Power' Season 4, Episode 8 recap: “It’s Done”

After a night of sexing Tasha (Naturi Naughton), Silver (Brandon Victor Dixon) wakes up in his bed alone. As he turns over, he sees a note from Tasha saying that she had fun. Shortly thereafter he gets a call from his doorman saying that he has a visitor. Walking toward his elevator, a barely dressed Silver greets (Ghost) who wants to know if Silver has any information about either themselves or Proctor (Jerry Ferrara) getting investigated. Silver tells him nah, but he'll keep him up to speed if that changes. As Ghost turns to leave, he spots Tasha’s earring on the floor. Ghost definitely knows Silver is sexing his wife. (But he also has no room to say anything.)

At the warehouse, Tommy (Joseph Sikora) is pissed that he hasn’t heard back from the Hermanas and he tells Dre (Rotimi) that he needs to gear up for war. Tommy isn’t certain that this is the right thing to do, but he’s made his choice, so he’s going with it. Dre claims that he’ll let his runners know and that he backs Tommy one hundred percent. (Lies he tells.)

On the street, Saxe (Shane Johnson) is on his way to meet up with Angela (Lela Loren) and Donovan (Ty Jones) to continue piecing together their theory that Mike (David Fumero) is the mole. As he’s about to hail a cab, Mike runs up on Saxe extra paranoid to ask if John Mak (Sung Kang) has spoken to him separately about the investigation. Saxe brushes it off and hurries along to Angela’s place. Mike is on the verge of losing it.

At the penthouse, Keisha (La La Anthony) is trying to get Tasha’s attention, but Tasha is too busy thinking about the good good that she got from Silver. Just as Tasha is about to tell Keisha about her new boo, Raina (Donshea Hopkins) walks in to show her mom a brochure for a boarding school. Immediately, Tasha notices the bruise on her daughter's arm. Raina covers for her brother and gets her mom to say she’ll consider the boarding school. Meanwhile, on the couch, Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) texts Brains telling him he wants in. (Ugh, I wish this boy would find some business.)

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'Power' Season 4, Episode 7 recap: “You Lied to My Face”

Ghost (Omar Hardwick) and Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) are on the train from Queens, and both of them are traumatized from fall with Kanan (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) and Juke Box (Anika Noni Rose). Tommy (Joseph Sikora) arrives back in NYC and visits his stash house to find his henchmen tied up. He learns that Ghost was the one who robbed him and he has questions. Just as he’s about to retaliate, Tommy gets a call from Ghost saying that Kanan is alive and that Tariq is in trouble.

Tommy jumps in his car to go and pick Riq and Ghost up. When they meet, Tommy tells Ghost about the ransom demand and about Kanan. The entire time the two men are having this conversation, Tariq is looking on. Before they head home, Tommy asks Tariq if Dre (Rotimi) knew that Kanan was alive. Tariq lies to protect Dre.

At the Feds office, John Mak (Sung Kang) tells Angela (Lela Loren), Mike (David Fumero) and Saxe (Shane Johnson) that they’ve been suspended and that they’ll probably be fired. Apparently, Mok was able to avoid the same plight. With no logins and no clearance, the team is ass out. John is still determined to get justice for Greg (Andy Bean). As they exit the meeting, Saxe tells Anglea that he’s coming for her. (LMAO OK Saxe.)

Ghost and Tariq are greeted by a distraught Tasha (Naturi Naughton) when they walk into the penthouse. Riq tells his mother that she lied to his face about everything. Before things go left, Ghost pulls Tasha into the bedroom and confront her about the ransom, Kanan, and everything that’s been happening while he was locked up. He tries to blame Tasha for their son spiraling out of control. Apparently, he thinks she had “one job” while he was away. Tasha isn’t having it. She reminds him that this all happened because he left the family and was too busy pretending to be someone he wasn’t with Angela. Ghost says, “I didn’t leave the family, I left you.”

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'Power' Season 4, Episode 6 Recap: “New Man”

Ghost (Omari Hardwick) is home — but he’s still being haunted by prison. He startles awake in the penthouse after dreaming about beating CO Marshall Williams’ (RIP Charlie Murphy) head in. Looking over, he realizes that Tasha (Naturi Naughton) didn’t sleep in the bed next to him. Why would she? Showering and putting on one of his usual suits, Ghost tries to become James again, but he’s not quite feeling like himself. Entering the kitchen, Tasha is there, but none of the kids are (apparently, they’re all at sleepovers). In the absence of his children, Ghost tries to approach Tasha about starting over. He promises that everything that went down between himself and Angela (Lela Loren) is a wrap. Tasha is unmoved. She tells her husband that she just watched Angela blow up her life for him. She also informs Ghost that she’s just dealing with him for the sake of appearances. What did he expect?

At Truth, the Feds have unlocked the doors and Ghost is feeling pretty pleased. He smiles for the first time in forever as he turns on all of the lights. That is until Simon Stern (Victor Garber) rolls up on him talking about a business deal and debt owned. Apparently Stern loaned Tasha some coins. In exchange, Stern wants Ghost to be the CEO of a new real estate venture. He needs Ghost’s Black face for the tax credit and publicity. In the midst of their conversation, Ghost’s burner phone rings. It’s Tony Teresi (William Sadler) wanting to know why Tommy (Joseph Sikora) hasn’t been in touch. Ghost tries to buy more time with the old Gangster (if you recall Teresi knows Ghost killed Marshal), he hasn’t been able to get a hold of Tommy since he got out, but Teresi is getting impatient.

In some empty house in Queens Juke Box (Anika Noni Rose) is holding Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) hostage, but the boy doesn’t know it yet. He’s so damn gullible that he believes he’s just chilling there until his new friend Slim (who is really Kanan (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) arrives. Juke Box is getting annoyed because Kanan hasn’t confronted Ghost yet and she’s had to come up with ways to get Tasha off of Tariq’s back.

In Manhattan, Tasha and Keisha (La La Anthony) are having brunch. Keisha is PISSED! She’s ready to reopen her weave shop and get it back legit, and she’s also irritated that she hasn’t heard a word from Tommy. Tasha tries to talk her friend off the ledge, but it’s clearly not working. Tasha texts Tommy to find out where he’s been but we all know, Tommy doesn’t have his phone.

In Chicago, Tommy meets with Jason Micic (Mike Dopud), the head of the organization. He tells Tommy that Ghost is out of jail (which Tommy didn’t know) and that he’s impressed with the work he’s done thus far. Jason informs Tommy that he thinks he would be a good replacement for Milan (Callan Mulvey) and that he wants him to run both the East and West Coasts. In return, Jason asks that Tommy cut all ties with Ghost (yeah, that’s never gonna happen). Though he’s ready to get back on the road for NYC, (why is he driving 22 hours?! I guess he doesn’t want a paper trail) Jason informs Tommy that he’ll be staying the night to celebrate his potential promotion Chicago style.

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'Power' Season 4, Episode 5 Recap: “Don't Thank Me”

Angela (Lela Loren) is trying to run her guilt away, but it’s not going to work. She finally tells her older sister Paz (Elizabeth Rodriguez) that she thinks Jamie (Omari Hardwick) is innocent. Paz is no fan of Ghost’s (after all he’s a liar, cheater and murderer.) However, she does tell her sister that if she knows something that proves Ghost didn’t kill Greg (Andy Bean) — she has to tell the truth. In prison, Silver (Brandon Victor Dixon) is doing his best to calm an enraged Ghost. With Proctor (Jerry Ferrara) out, Ghost doesn’t trust Silver to win his freedom. Silver calmly tells him that he has no other choice. He says, “I’m the ni**a standing between you and a needle.” With the asset forfeiture hearing approaching, Ghost has no other option than to put his life in Silver’s hands.

At the Feds, Angela (who seems to get more and more simple each episode) approaches Mike (David Fumer) about the surveillance tape. She thinks that the tape proves Ghost never hid the gun before she arrested him. Angela also notes that Mike was the one who last viewed the footage. Mike being the OG that he is (and Greg’s real killer) essentially tells Angela to STFU. Their conversation is interrupted by a delighted Saxe (Shane Johnson) who comes bursting in the room with evidence for the forfeiture hearing. The Feds have found a seven-figure check paid from Tommy (Joseph Sikora) to Club Truth. They are going to try and say that it was a hit payment. They think (or at least are going to claim) that Tommy paid Ghost to kill Greg.

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'Power' Season 4, Episode 4 Recap: “We're In This Together”

As I open this recap, I’d just like to acknowledge the fact that Tommy (Joseph Sikora) is even more insane that I’d previously thought which is saying A LOT — but we’ll get to that shortly. "We're in This Together" begins with Ghost (Omari Hardwick) lifting weights in the rec room. Resigned to his current situation, he seems determined to make the most of his prison time. This doesn’t stop Marshal Williams (Charlie Murphy), the prison guard/U.S. Marshall from antagonizing Ghost. In fact, he runs up on G and tries to choke him out with a barbell.

At the St. Patrick’s penthouse, Tommy is sleeping on the couch (They don’t have a guest room?!). He’s taken Ghost’s request to take care of his family to heart, but that doesn’t stop Keisha (La La Anthony) from blowing up his phone. Apparently, he slipped out of her bed in the wee hours of the morning and Keisha is not too pleased about it.

At the Feds, Saxe (Shane Johnson) and Mike (David Fumero) are still reeling from DNA fall out, and they are letting Angela (Lela Loren) HAVE IT. Though John (Sung Kang) sticks up for her at first, when the conference room clears he checks Angela for going behind his back and offering Ghost a deal. He tells her since she wants to be helpful; she needs to approach Tasha (Naturi Naughton) to get more info. Angela doesn’t want to, but she has no other choice.

Proctor (Jerry Ferrara) and Silver (Brandon Victor Dixon) meet with Ghost in prison, and they tell him that both Julio (J.R. Ramirez) and Dre (Rotimi) were picked up and questioned by the Feds. Ghost doesn’t seem too bothered because he knows his men are loyal. Silver reminds him that associating with known felons is not a good look. The attorneys inform Ghost that their new focus is on getting the gun thrown out. On the low, Ghost asks Proctor to look into Marshal Williams, and he reminds him to also inform Tommy about the money drop he needs to make to Teresi (William Sadler). Tommy must find out any info he can on the old gangster.

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'Power' Season 4, Episode 3 Recap: “The Kind of Man You Are”

Ghost’s (Omari Hardwick) legal troubles are now spreading out to his associates. As the episode opens, Tommy (Joseph Sikora), Dre (Rotimi), Julio (J.R. Ramirez) and Keisha (La La Anthony) are all hemmed up by the Feds and brought in for questioning. Though Julio and Dre paint Ghost as a do-gooder who gives back to those from the hood, Keisha inadvertently slips up and gives Angela (Lela Loren) information that could be used to break the spousal privilege between Ghost and Tasha (Naturi Naughton). Anglea wants to paint Tasha as Ghost’s accomplice.

In jail, Proctor (Jerry Ferrara) introduces Ghost to his second chair, Terry Silver (Brandon Victor Dixon). Immediately, Ghost and Silver aren’t feeling one another. Ghost seems desperate to get Silver to see him as an innocent man, but Silver just wants to win. Ghost walks through the day Greg (Andy Bean) died with Silver to try and establish an alibi. He doesn’t have one, but when looking at the crime scene, he does notice a phone in Greg’s drawer that hadn’t been there when he initially broke into his apartment. It’s new info for Proctor and Silver, but it might not actually help. Later, when the attorneys return, Ghost recalls being pulled over by Greg the day Greg died. He’s adamant that Angela knows about the stop. Silver and Proctor try to find evidence since Greg never logged it.

Somewhere in the city, Tommy drops Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) and Raina (Donshea Hopkins) off at school. After waving Rena goodbye, he tries to have a heart to heart with Riq, but the boy is still on BS. Tommy tries to reassure Tariq that his dad is innocent of killing Greg, but in seeing Tariq’s reaction, Tommy also realizes that something is not quite right with the boy.

Later, after determining the Feds are trying to break spousal privilege, Proctor decides they NEED to get Ghost’s DNA thrown out from the case, and he sets about trying to make that happen. Meanwhile, in prison, Tony Teresi (William Sadler) gets a packet of Ramen noodles delivered to his cell. We discover that a phone is actually embedded in the dry noodles. From the voice on the other line, Tony gets more deets on Tommy, and he learns Tommy runs with a man named Ghost. Though the voice on the other line has no idea who Ghost might be. Tony starts piecing things together.

At the Feds office, John Mak (Sung Kang) is pissed. He’s annoyed that the team got nothing from Ghost’s associates because he is determined that Ghost gets the needle and that Tommy and the whole organization go down as well. Once Angela tells him the info she got from Keisha in order to break spousal privilege his mood does brighten. Angela tries to reason with him about leaving Tasha out of the trial for the sake of the kids, but John wants blood. We also learn that Ghost’s old club manager Kantos (Adam Huss) is willing to talk to the Feds, but he wants full immunity. The Feds blow him off… for now.

In school, some asshole jock named Ethan sends out a mass text about Ghost being up for the death penalty. Rena get’s the text and is distraught, but Riq takes care of it before taking off to hang with Kanan (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson). Crying, Rena tries to run after her brother and is photographed by the paparazzi. At her apartment, Keisha tells Tommy she’s afraid Tasha will give them up if her kids are on the line. Tommy tries to reassure her that Tasha would never do that, but he also looks unsure.

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'Power' Season 4, Episode 2 Recap: "Things Are Going To Get Worse"

Prison looks very rough on Ghost (Omari Hardwick). Injured from his violent encounter with the prison guards at the end of the season premiere, Ghost is now dealing with blood in his urine and a possible broken rib. Gone is the polished and well put together James St. Patrick that we’ve grown accustomed to over the past three seasons of this series. At home, Tasha (Naturi Naughton) is trying to reassure Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) and Raina (Donshea Hopkins) of their father’s innocence, even though he won’t be home anytime soon. She also warns them to keep their family business to themselves and to NEVER refer to their father as Ghost. Tariq is insolent and rude, and he’s not trying to hear anything that his mother is saying.

Meanwhile, the sexual tension between Keisha (La La Anthony) and Tommy (Joseph Sikora) is building. Disturbed by the fact that Ghost hasn’t been granted bail, Keisha barges into Tommy’s loft to tell him she wants his and Tasha’s hands out of her business. Tommy tells her that he can’t have that, not with all eyes on Ghost and his associates. He assures Keisha that he has her back and that everything will work out in the end.

Back in prison, Proctor (Jerry Ferrara) visits Ghost in jail, he tells Ghost that his hands are tied until the prosecution shows their hand, but he also warns his client to suppress his baser self. Meanwhile, at work, Angela (Lela Loren) should be humiliated since her colleagues are discussing her sex life. In a back and forth split screen Proctor convinces Ghost and AUSA John Mak (Sung Kang) convinces Angela that neither of them can take the stand. The timeline and knowledge of their relationship hurts the Feds’ case and the love triangle between Ghost, Angela, and Greg (Andy Bean) would give Ghost a motive. Instead, John decides that he wants to go for Ghost, Tommy, and their entire drug empire.

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Will Ghost Be Able to Pull Off the Performance of His Life? Recapping the ‘Power’ Season 4 Premiere

Ghost is living his worst nightmare. As “When I Get Out” opens, he finds himself being booked in prison. As he disrobes, he reflects back to all of the warnings Tommy and Tasha gave him about Angela. He realizes that every poor decision he’s made regarding her has led him to this moment and yet, he’s almost in disbelief.At the river, Sandoval is preparing to dispose of the gun he used to kill Greg Knox when he gets the call about Ghost’s arrest. This news changes his plans, and walks away from the river, with the gun still in his jacket pocket. Meanwhile, in some deep dungeon somewhere, Tommy goes to retrieve Keisha who has been in hiding since Milan put a hit out on her. The two exchange a look. Could it be something between them?

At her home, Tasha is still reeling from the news of Tariq’s kidnapping. Unable to get in contact with a now imprisoned Ghost she calls Tommy who orders Dre to find out where the boy is. Arriving at Kanan and Jukebox’s hideout, Dre strikes a deal with the volatile duo and their friend. He agrees to pay them $50,000 a week as long as they leave Tariq alone. Dre also tells them about Ghost’s arrest. The news leaves Kanan positively gleeful. When Dre brings Tariq home, he feeds Tasha and Tommy a ridiculous story that Tommy doesn’t believe. If you recall, Tommy and Tasha think Kanan is dead. However, Tariq’s twin sister Rena also knows Kanan’s face. Dre’s gonna die over this; it’s only a matter of time.

In jail, Ghost uses his phone call to contact his attorney Joe Proctor who seems to have his ish to deal with. Proctor tells Tasha about Ghost’s arrest. Proctor visits Ghost in jail, and he tells him he needs to embody James St. Patrick while imprisoned. Ghost has no place there. We also learn that the feds have Ghost's fingerprints and DNA. Though Ghost tries to hold it together as he awaits is the bail hearing, one of the guards played by the late Charlie Murphy has no patience for cop killers, and he begins the antagonization and mind games.

With Ghost’s bail hearing a day away, Tasha goes in search of clean money to bail him out only to learn that Ghost has wiped their accounts. She also finds the necklace that he brought Angela. In the midst of this, the feds appear at Tasha and Ghost’s penthouse with Angela in tow. (Homegirl has a lot of nerve.) Rena arrives home as the search warrant is being carried out and gives Angela a much-deserved dragging.

Out streets, Tommy announces that with Milan out of the picture, he is the new connect. He also informs the crew that Julio is the new distributor. Dre is pissed about the news and confronts Tommy. Tommy tells him Julio has been fam forever, and he also lets Dre know that he doesn't believe a word he was told about Tariq’s friend Slim. Tommy knows Dre isn’t to be trusted.

Sparks Fly in Tonight's 'Greenleaf' Mid-Season Finale

The first half of the second season of “Greenleaf” has been a rollercoaster ride, to say that least. Though the series centers around a Black mega church and the family at the heart of it, it also tackles subjects like sexual abuse, infidelity, corruption and sexuality. Unfortunately, these are topics that the Black church has traditionally shied away from discussing, choosing instead to ignore things or sweep them under the rug entirely. As a firm believer of opening up about pain in order to heal it, I believe that OWN and “Greenleaf” have created a platform through art and entertainment for these ideas, thoughts, and values to be expressed and discussed. “Greenleaf” not only gives a holistic representation of the Black church and the people within those communities, but it often portrays people with issues that might prevent them from actually attending church. Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge) anchors the series. Returning home after her sister Faith commits suicide, she tried the to find the proper path to take down her Uncle Mac (Gregory Alan Williams) who sexually abused Faith. Unfortunately, Grace learns that Faith wasn’t the only young girl that Mac abused. Despite the evidence mounted against him, she’s been unable to get any charges to stick. Blinded by rage and revenge, Grace who’d been finding her way back to the pulpit as a head preacher at the family’s Calvary Baptist Church seems to be losing her faith once more. Her anger and lack of belief continues to drive a wedge between herself and her parents, particularly her mother, Lady Mae (Lynn Whitfield).

Despite her outwardly poised disposition, Lady Mae has her own secrets and burdens to carry. Still deeply hurt by her own painful and abusive relationship with her father, Lady Mae can’t seem to see eye to eye with her eldest daughter. We also learned this season, that Lady Mae had an extramarital affair that isn’t as dead and buried as she had hoped. Though she thinks her husband, Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David) is oblivious, the Greenleaf patriarch sees a lot more than he’s letting on. Things have been particularly precarious for Lady Mae since her ex- flame's son Aaron (William H. Bryant) moved into the Greenleaf mansion and snagged a postion at the church as their new attorney.

Though Bishop James always doted upon and indulged Grace, she has pushed him to his limit this season. As he struggles with a recent Parkinson’s diagnosis, he has yet to repair his deeply fractured relationship with his son Jacob (Lamman Rucker). After Grace’s arrival home, the tension between father and son was too much to bear. As a result, Jacob packed his family up, left the Greenleaf mansion and Calvary for a position at a rival church, Triumph. Since his move, Jacob has found himself in the clutches of fast-talking and conniving head pastor, Basie Skanks (Jason Dirden).

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'Greenleaf' S2/E7 Recap: Everyone Is Unhinged

It's been exactly one year since Faith Greenleaf took her own life and Grace returned to Memphis, her family, and Calvary. Yet, there has been no real healing during this time. All of the suffering and secrets that led to Faith’s tragic end have finally exploded, sweeping everyone in the Greenleaf family away in a tsunami of grief and pain. As the day of Faith’s memorial approaches, Grace is having nightmares about her Uncle Mac. She’s no longer able to keep her composure, and it irks her to no end that her parents aren’t taking action against him. However, everyone grieves differently. Lady Mae and Bishop are at their wit's end as well, not just with trying to process the loss of their youngest daughter but also with Grace who can’t seem to let it go. Like oil and water, Grace and her mother clash, with Lady Mae revealing her terrible secret about her relationship with her abusive father. Too clouded by her own anger, Grace doesn’t pick up on it, but Bishop does.

Meanwhile, Mac has resurfaced. With the time to take any action against him regarding his case running out, he’s attempting to restart his life by bribing Memphis’ Deputy Mayor for a job. He's also trying to weasel his way back into the Greenleaf’s lives. He even has a new boo, Loraine who instead of trusting her gut about Mac, seems too thrilled to have a man. She really needs to get a clue.

With Faith’s memorial closing in on her and her opportunity to get Mac back in jail slipping through her fingers, Grace finally receives her last lifeline from the detective she reached out to earlier this season. If you recall last season while living in his old building, Mac befriended a troubled young girl named, Michaela Reese. In their report, the police noted that Mac seemed to have some sort of relationship with the girl, but they never followed up. Grace does their job for them. Though Michaela is adamant that Mac never laid a hand on her, we know their relationship was still not appropriate. Michaela reaches out to Ma to let him know about Grace’s visit. Expecting the same listening ear that she has grown accustomed to, its obvious that Mac’s brush off hurts her feelings. Michaela might just blow this whole case against Mac wide open.

'Underground' Recap: Things Come Full Circle In 'Auld Acquaintance'

Christmas time should be the season of giving, but on Underground, we know there is no such thing. After being caught teaching other slaves to read and write Daniel is back to work, but this time without his eyes to guide him. As a punishment for his perceived crimes, he’s been blinded. As one of the skilled carpenters on his plantation, I was actually astounded that this was done to him. It moves well beyond the realm of cruel and horrific, but then again so is the institution of slavery. During the antebellum period, a slave was worth the equivalent of what a car is worth today, which means that labor would be extremely costly to lose. Knowing this, I’m unable to reconcile why Daniel’s master would choose to blind him when his sight is such an integral part of his work.

Further North, Cato is plotting and planning. After stealing Mr. Donahue’s unfinished biography of Patty Cannon, and giving it to the infamous slave catcher, the two discover that Donahue doesn’t have too many kind things to say about the diabolical red head. He seems specifically perturbed that she has not been able to catch Harriet Tubman. Patty’s blood lust for Harriet is Cato’s way in. He provides her with some information that she did not have previously, the song of freedom. “Heaven’s Door” is actually the opening credits for the series; however, it's not a song from the period (John Legend produces it). Still, songs similar to it are what guided the enslaved on their way to freedom. With the song, Cato is able to find his way into Georgia’s safe house. Unless he’s back in touch with his humanity, things are probably going to get really bad for everyone.

The history books tell us that Patty Cannon was actually a real person. It is said that she lived in a house that straddled the border between Delaware and Maryland, and she made her money by selling free Black people into slavery. This is what she put Cato up to in last week’s episode. However, the real life Patty Cannon would have already been dead during Underground’s timeline. After being arrested for four counts of murder in 1829, the infamous slave catcher hung herself in prison.

In Ohio, white abolitionists have turned their back on Georgia after discovering her Black ancestry. It's amazing how Underground draws parallels to “well-meaning” whites and liberals in the present day. However, Elizabeth is fed up with their treatment. Under Harriet’s guidance, she helps the Sewing Circle devise a plan to steal money from a pro-slavery church on Christmas Day to keep the boarding house up and running. After doing a little sin to help the cause, Elizabeth decides she won’t be stopping there. Determined to do whatever it takes, she blackmails her white comrades into donating to the cause.

Down South on the Macon Plantation, James is preening like a peacock in the Big House. Mistress Suzanna has pitted him against T.R.; a devious plan that I’m certain will play out in years to come. Though he obviously feels guilty about exposing Rosalee, he wants no parts of her escape plan. After all, despite the horrors that surround him, his life is pretty good. He even tells Rosalee that she messed everything up when she ran. Rosalee might be branded and back in her old housedress for the moment, but she and Noah aren’t the same people they were when they first left Macon. They won't be sticking around this time.

Somewhere between South Carolina and the rest of the world, August and another one of Patty’s men have Ernestine tied up in a boat. Though she tries to escape their grasp several times, she and August bond over the memories of their sons. During her last attempt to escape through a thick fog, August kills the other man and he and Stein head back down South. But why though? None of this makes sense, and I still don’t trust August. Perhaps this is his chance to escape Patty Cannon as well.

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'Underground' Recap: Plans Are Shattered In "28"

As the old saying goes, the best-laid plans often go awry. In the seventh episode of season two of Underground, plans are shattered spectacularly. One of the horrors of slavery was the fact that those in bondage could never feel as if they were standing on even ground. There was too much at stake and too many uncontrollable outliers that could tear everything apart at the blink of an eye. Every single character featured in this episode of Underground got the rug pulled out from under them.

As we’ve done for the majority of this season, Underground opens with Bookem Woodbine’s Daniel. Hidden away in the night, he’s teaching a small number of slaves to read. Unfortunately, his secret gets out, and before they even have a chance to act, enraged overseers on horseback surround Daniel and his comrades. From the looks of it, Daniel’s daughter might have been the only escapee. Though the laws varied by state and year, it was forbidden for slaves to read and write. It was also illegal to teach slaves to read or write. For both white and Black people, the punishment if caught could range from public whippings to death.

In “28” we watch Cato revert to his former self. Under the treacherous Patty Cannon’s direction, he’s tasked with capturing sixty free Black people and sending them into slavery. That’s thirty men for his freedom, and thirty men for the freedom of his girlfriend Devi (Rana Roy). When she learns of his plot, Devi is disgusted. She tells Cato that he’s only returned to the States to justify the horrible things he’s done and is going to do. In retaliation, he has her sold away with only 28 people left between himself and his freedom. Like he did when he was a driver on the Macon Plantation, Cato turns his back on his people to look out for his own interest, no matter how despicable his actions may be. Slavery was a horrendous institution, and while he shouldn’t be excused, Cato has learned to turn off his emotions to survive the inhumane and shameful state of his life.

Rosalee and Noah return to the Macon Plantation to discover nothing is as it was before. Ms. Ernestine has been sold away, the drunken overseer that tried to attack Rosalee is still alive, and James has been taken under Mistress Macon’s wing and brainwashed. Though Noah tries to get Rosalee to see reason, after their initial plan proves useless, her emotions, desperation, and determination get the best of her. When she goes to get James from the Big House, he raises the alarm, and she’s captured and branded for her crimes. In the midst of this, Noah discovers that she’s carrying his child.

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