‘Greenleaf’ Recap: Basie is Given an Ultimatum + Grace Reveals a Devastating Secret

Mac continues to haunt Grace.

The episode opens with Grace watching a younger version of herself running away from something on the Greenleaf estate. Mac walks up to her saying she can’t hear you.

Grace replies to Mac, “I didn’t say anything.”

“Good girl.” – Mac

Grace then wakes up from the nightmare sweating.

Later on, Grace sees Sophia and asks about cotillion. Sophia tells Grace that her dad can’t come because he is busy.

Sophia then asks about Darius. Grace lets her know that they’re taking a break. Sophia then gives sound relationship advice.

“Well, you know the key to making a relationship work, right? Having one.” – Sophia

Kerissa reveals to James and Mae how Basie stole the church’s money.

Kerissa shows James and Mae the evidence she has on Basie Skanks embezzling money from the church. He apparently uses the alias Bass Reeves to assist in the scheme.

James and Mae are shocked to learn this is actually happening.

“This is an unholy mess.” – Mae

James says he is going to use this evidence to get Basie to resign from the church. Kerissa wants to make sure that James also demands Basie passes the church to Jacob, and James and Mae agree.

When Kerissa leaves, Mae asks, “Triumph will become Calvary II, right?”

“In due time, Mae. In due time.” – James

Isaiah is driving with Zora in the passenger seat. She’s asking about her cotillion suit but he brushes her off. He’s not interested in going.

Charity is in the Nashville studio with Jabari. He wants her to work on a track. As he leaves to book a hotel room for Charity, she insists she can stay in his guest room. However, he says, “It’s best this way, for your privacy.”

Mae is meeting with the secretary going over notes, and she is told Bishop Jefferies left a message. Grace stops by and insists on helping her out for a program Mae is planning.

James stops by Basie’s office to confront him about the embezzling. James tells Basie that he knows about him stealing the church money for gambling.When he tries to blackmail Basie, demanding he resign and leave Jacob in charge, Basie calls his bluff and kicks him out of the church.

Back at the studio, Charity and Jabari are playing the reference track they made for his artist. She loves it, but she feels that it still needs more work. Charity is questioning why she wants it changed, but Jabari thinks the changes requested are for the best.

Charity is sensing that there may be more going on between Jabari and the artist.

Grace gets inspired by Ms. Ester to speak up.

Grace and Mae are meeting with Ms. Ester at the retirement home. They are making conversation and Ester tells Grace how the last nursing aide treated her badly. She went on and told management about her treatment, and that former aide was fired. Their conversation seems to inspire her.

“You can’t just let somebody treat you that way and not say anything.” – Ms. Ester

Later on, Basie is on the phone when Victor returns.

Basie gets off the phone and says, “Victor, I was just about to call you.”

Next, Basie and his wife are in his office, treating his wounds from the beating he suffered. Basie failed to pay back Victor in time, suffering the beating in retaliation.

Tasha is crying, and angry with Basie for letting the gambling get this bad. She tells Basie to listen to Bishop James and turn himself in.

“I told you to quit playing. Why didn’t you listen? Why?” – Tasha

“ You did. I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear.” – Basie

Jabari frustrates Charity even further.

They are wrapping up at the studio and Charity and Jabari are invited out to eat by their client. However, Charity seems to be disappointed in how things went with the client. But she is really frustrated with the mixed signals Jabari is giving her.

So she flat-out asks him how he feels about her.

“Do you like me?” – Charity

Jabari says he likes her and he’ll tell her more after they wrap up with their client.

Grace pulls up to their home. Mae mentions she doesn’t want to end up in a retirement/nursing home.

“Don’t quote me, but I hope I go fast and before your father.” – Mae

Mae reveals to Grace her fear of having to end up in a place where Ms. Ester lives, having to give up her current lifestyle.

Isaiah uses his car to assault Zora.

While they are still driving, Isaiah presents tickets to his concert which is the same night as her Cotillion. Zora tells Isaiah that she doesn’t want to go to the concert, but rather her cotillion. Isaiah then asks who she’ll take instead, she replies, “I’ll find somebody.’

While salty from the answer, he purposely slams on the car breaks, and Zora slams into the dashboard, hitting her forehead.

But Isaiah blames the injury on her not wearing a seat belt.

“How many times I gotta tell you to put that thing on right? – Isaiah

Zora then demands to be taken home.

Kerissa and James are talking about Basie. James tells her that Basie didn’t take his offer. Kerissa is concerned about Jacob getting the church and James assures her this will happen.

Tasha stops by and tells them that Basie was beaten up by guy he owes money to.

Basie reconsiders James’ offer to step down.

James takes Tasha back to Triumph and he sees Basie beaten and bloodied. Basie asks Tasha why he went to James about his situation. James replies, “Why would you put your wife in this position?”

James then demands he goes to the police and turns himself in. James then offers that he can do this in his own way if he hands over the church to the Police.

Basie still scoffs at the idea but Tasha is done with this situation and wants Basie to go along with it.

“Please, baby, just do what he says. Listen to him, please. Do it for us. Do it for me.” – Tasha

Basie agrees and says he will retire the upcoming Sunday, talk to the elder board and hand Jacob the keys.

Grace is out by the lake where Faith passed away. She walks around and stumbles upon a path.

Kerissa and Jacob are arguing about Kerissa telling his parents about his deal with Basie when Zora arrives after the abuse experienced in Isaiah’s car. She runs in and avoids a conversation with her parents.

During their discussion, Basie calls and tells Jacob that he wants to give the church to Jacob after what happened.

Jacob declines the offer, but Basie isn’t ready to give up. Basie then tells him that him running Triumph is bigger than both of them.

“I failed my flock. I put my own church in danger.” – Basie

In the bathroom, Zora examines the knot on her forehead. She covers it up with make up.

While on the path, Grace walks until she sees an entrance to a mine-shaft. She hears Mac’s voice.

“You’re gonna have to take that little secret to the grave.” – Mac

Basie convinces Jacob to take the offer.

Jacob meets with Basie in the Triumph sanctuary, and Jacob is still apprehensive about taking Basie’s offer. Basie encourages him to take the church and combine it with his Real Church of Memphis.

“All the reasons why you say you shouldn’t, are the reasons why you should.” – Basie

Jacob seems to mull it over and Basie continues to persuade him to take the offer.

“I’m not giving you anything. You’ll be laying your life on the line for a friend.” – Basie

Meanwhile, Mae and James are talking about making sure the Basie scandal is done.

James says he will turn Basie in to the police after his service. Mae then brings up this also ending the guilt James has for the accident that involved Basie’s father.

James says this conclusion will close that story, and Mae says, “don’t be so sure.”

Mae is in the living room at the home on her phone, calling Darius and invites him over.

Jacob wants to remain obedient and Charity and Jabari reveal their feelings.

At their home, Jacob tells Kerissa that Basie will hand over the church to him. Kerissa thanks him for doing this and encourages him to do this. He then asks Kerissa to pray that they won’t mess this chance up and remain obedient to God.

Charity and Jabari are in the studio talking and Jabari takes this time to answer her question. He tells her that he does like her and didn’t want to hound her because of what’s been happening in her life.

“I don’t want to be cavalier with someone who has so much going on.” – Jabari

They then passionately kiss at the piano.

Grace reveals her dark secret.

Darius and Grace are talking and Grace feels comfortable enough to explain her secret to him.

She then tells Darius that Mac tried to molest her when she was a child. She tells a story of how she went to see a Civil War relic on the Greenleaf property and ended up fighting Mac off of her before he got too far.

“What’s awful is that I never told.” – Grace

She feels guilty that she never said anything and feels that her sister would still be alive if she did otherwise.

She begins crying, but Darius consoles her, letting her know that she is doing the right thing by opening up to him.

James asks Sophia if she’s ready for Sunday school. He also tells her that he is going to see Jacob installed as a new pastor at Triumph. Lastly he offers to escort her at the cotillion. She graciously accepts.

Grace heads back down to the mine shaft and smiles, because she no longer hears Mac’s voice.

Jacob is installed at Triumph.

Back at Triumph, Basie speaks to his congregation, letting them know that he is stepping down. He also lets them know that Jacob is taking over and they will be left in great hands.

After his speech, he introduces Jacob to the congregation and they cheer.

Grace is still running on the property, and leads to the lake where Faith drowned. She also doesn’t hear Mac there either.

James walks into the Basie’s old office and sees Tasha. Tasha tells him that Basie ran off. James suggests he knows where he ran off to, and she says she doesn’t know.

James asks why she didn’t run with him, and she said she wouldn’t go. She heads off to church’s reception to explain to the elders what happened.

Suddenly, Lionel calls James and tells him that there is something they need to talk about, “in person.”

He then tells Mae, and she has a concerned look on her face.

What are your thoughts on the episode?