Professor Reynolds continues to focus on Tariq.
It’s homecoming weekend at Stansfield and Tariq is grateful to have a re-up. He notifies Brayden that they now have drugs to sell on campus again. However, the supply isn’t as big as it usually is due to supplier issues. Brayden wants to sell c*caine, but Tariq tells him it’s too “hot” to do on campus. Either way, both prepare to make a lot of money in the coming days.
Since it’s homecoming, parents have the option of attending class with their kids. Tariq goes to class alone and sees that Lauren’s mother is sitting next to her.
The new book assignment is on “invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison. Tariq speaks about the book and says that people can’t tell the truth because others don’t want to hear it. This catches Professor Reynolds’ attention and after class, he talks to Tariq about this perspective. He feels like Tariq is hiding something and he wants Tariq to trust him. But Tariq says no one can be trusted before walking away.
Effie returns.
2-Bit goes to visit Spanky’s mother, Mrs. Richards. She tells him she heard Spanky snitched but she believes he’s being lied on. 2-Bit says he handled the people in prison who said it and he will handle anyone else who utters the words. They hug and he gives her some cash. When he walks off, he has a smirk on his face.
After Tariq accepts an invitation to go to lunch with Lauren and her parents, they go to his room first to talk. She asks Tariq why he was so cold towards her the night before. Tariq says he didn’t think it was a good idea to pursue her when she just broke up with Malcolm. There’s a knock at the door and Effie walks in.
Effie isn’t all the polite and Lauren returns the shade. She then assumes that Effie is why Tariq has been blowing her off, so she rescinds the lunch invitation and storms off.
At this point, Effie tells Tariq she brought drugs for them to sell during homecoming. And they can split the profits 50/50. However, Tariq lies and says he is no longer in the game. Effie feels she’s being lied to and Tariq tells her to leave.
Tariq feels the pressure from 2-Bit.
2-Bit arrives at Stansfield and asks Lauren and her parents if they know where the freshmen dorms are. He says he’s looking for his little cousin Tariq. Lauren and her parents confirm they know Tariq and tell him where his dorm is. Before walking away, 2-Bit asks Lauren not to tell Tariq he’s there to see him. It’s a surprise. Lauren agrees not to spoil this surprise.
Professor Reynolds meets with his agent. His agent loves the first draft of his new book. Apparently, Reynolds decided to use Tariq’s papers and write a book based on Tariq’s life growing up with a drug dealer as a parent.
2-Bit makes it to Tariq’s room and pulls his gun out on him. He says that Ghost promised to take care of him when he got out, so Tariq needs to pay up. And the next day he wants $24,000 or he’ll kill Tariq. Tariq says Ghost didn’t leave him money like that and he’s been struggling to even pay Maclean.
But 2-Bit isn’t hearing this. And he tells Tariq he better come up with the money or he dies.
Effie and Tariq link up.
After 2-Bit leaves, Tariq calls Daniel Warren, the estate lawyer.
Daniel isn’t much help and tells Tariq he can’t get any money until he graduates with at least a 3.5 GPA. So Tariq calls Tasha and asks how he can trust a girl who betrayed him. Tasha says it’s not about Tariq trusting her. It’s about him getting the girl (Effie) to trust him.
Professor Reynolds reads Tariq’s extra assignment paper about power in relationships. In the paper, Tariq talks about how someone he likes ended up choosing him over their boyfriend. This infuriates Reynolds as he comes to the conclusion once again that Tariq is sleeping with Professor Milgram.
Tariq invites Effie back to his dorm and says he will tell her which students want c*caine as long as he gets half the profits. She agrees to this and tells him she turned on him prior because she needed the money. And they are both two people who do things that need to be done. Tariq says he really liked her, so he didn’t like how she did him. But he really needs the money to pay Maclean.
They have s*x.
Cane has plans for Tariq.
After he leaves, Reynolds is outside watching him. He follows Tariq as he goes to see Dru. He listens in as Tariq says he’s making a lot of money with Course Connect. Before Reynolds can send a text to Milgram urging her to be careful with Tariq, he gets an email from his agent telling him the publishers love what he’s written so far.
Brayden is out to eat with Trace, his sister, and her parents. He learns that Trace is high from c*caine. Brayden then asks his sister where she got it from, and she refuses to tell him.
Cane and Guap from GTG help a young man named Barz paint his face with the school colors so he can go on campus and kill Tariq. He’s been told that Tariq is their competition and he must be eliminated to get back in good with Monet.
Monet comes to campus to see Zeke before his big game. He’s nervous because scouts will be there to watch. He’s talking to Milgram at first, and Monet notices when Zeke nearly calls Milgram by her first name.
Barz fails.
Brayden sees Tariq and tells him that someone is dealing c*caine on campus. He wonders if it’s Effie because they are playing her school for homecoming. But Tariq says he doubts this because Effie would have contracted them. Even though Brayden thinks they are losing out on money by not selling c*caine, Tariq tells him that they need to stay in their lane. They sell weed and pills only.
Tariq attends the basketball game and sits next to Monet and her kids. He gets a text from 2-Bit telling him to meet at the concession stand. So Tariq asks anyone if they want anything since that’s where he’s headed. While en route to the concession stand, he notices he’s being followed by Barz. So he texts 2-Bit to meet him at the pool instead.
When he gets there, he gets in a fight with Barz, who pulls out a knife on him. Luckily, 2-Bit arrives in time to kill Barz by drowning him in the pool. When he asks who is trying to kill Tariq, Tariq says he has no idea. After a text comes in from Barz’s phone, 2-Bit sends a photo of his corpse to the number.
Tariq takes Barz’s phone with him and 2-Bit says he now wants more money now that he killed Tariq’s attempted killer. He also urges Tariq to clean up his fingerprints from the crime scene.
Cane is in trouble.
Once Tariq takes back his seat next to Monet, Cane begins to wonder what happened to Barz. He gets a text from his associate Guap saying Barz’s death is on Cane. And he’s going to kill Cane.
Cane gets upset and leaves the game. Tariq notices, and minutes later, Barz’s phone rings. When Tariq picks up and doesn’t speak, Cane tells him he’s going to kill whoever is behind this.
Tariq is disturbed.
So he tells Effie they can’t hang out later. She ends up running into Brayden and telling him she’s been selling c*caine on campus with Tariq. This is her way of getting even.
Guap causes more problems.
Everett parties with Zeke after the game. Dru calls him and he ignores the call. Not too long after, Dru calls Zeke and learns about the party. He decides to pop up to see Everett. After they leave the party, Guap shows up with the rest of the GTG crew. He wants to get even after Barz was killed trying to kill Tariq for Cane. So he plans to shoot Zeke in the knee to end his basketball career. After Dru tells him to just shoot him instead, Guap says no and taunts him about his s*xuality.
At this point, Dru beats up Guap and doesn’t stop until Zeke urges him not to take a life. Everett sees all this and runs away. And Zeke walks off too in disgust of Dru’s actions.
Monet goes off on Dru about this later because the rule has always been to keep Zeke out of the family business affairs.
Later on, Dru tells Cane to handle GTG. They must die to end this. And Monet doesn’t have to know what happened. He’s also surprised to hear that Lorenzo had Cane jumped by prison guards.
Tasha gets involved.
Tariq calls Tasha and tells her someone tried to kill him. But he doesn’t want to give too many details because he wants to keep her out of it. Tasha isn’t having it. And she demands he tells her everything he’s been up to.
After they talk, Tasha calls Lorenzo and tells him a hit was put on Tariq. And if anything happens to Tariq ever, she’ll make sure something happens to one of his kids.
Monet gets a recap from Lorenzo. She tells Dru that a young man died at Stansfield. And she believes it was a GTG member that Cane hired to kill Tariq. However, Tariq killed him instead. So GTG tried to shoot Zeke out of revenge. She knows Dru took the fall for Cane, but he’s too far gone. After Dru says that Cane is out to kill GTG, she tells Dru that’s the last thing he’s doing for the family.
Cane goes to the GTG hideout. He kills two of them but leaves Guap alive. They make a deal that ensures Cane will get half of everything moving forward.
Cane is out.
When he goes back to the house, Diana tells him he’s been banished from the family. And he’s not allowed back inside the house. When Cane asks if they chose Tariq over him, she says it’s not about Tariq. Cane went against the family. She gives him some cash and urges him to leave town. Before he leaves, Monet watches him through the window. She then closes the curtains in disgust when he looks up in her direction.
After Tariq makes it back to his room, Brayden goes off on him for lying and selling drugs with Effie behind his back. Although Tariq says he needed the money to pay Maclean, Brayden isn’t buying this. And he says he is no longer helping Tariq with Course Connect.
Professor Reynolds downloads Course Connect onto his phone.
Monet and Tariq form an understanding.
Tariq meets up with Monet at a public place. She says Cane made the move on his own. And she didn’t want Tariq killed. But Lorenzo heard from Tasha.
Tasha can’t call him ever again.
And while Monet has no problem with Tariq killing Cane if he comes for Tariq, she will kill Tariq herself if he seeks Cane out to kill him. They will continue to work together and more drugs just came in. The timing is perfect since 2-Bit just sent a text wanting more money.
What are your thoughts on the episode?
