‘Raising Kanan’ Recap: Raq is Given an Important Task + Burke’s Ex is Suspicious of Howard

Stefano sends for Raq. 

Raq and Unique eat ice cream together at her place. They have been sleeping together for a couple of weeks. While Unique wants to get closer, Raq lets him know that her home is for her and Kanan only. But they aren’t on the best of terms. Before Raq and Unique can get into the specifics of their fallout, men with masks break in and point their guns at them. Bags are placed over their heads as they are kidnapped. 

Meanwhile, Marvin and Lou Lou are at the club. Lou is very drunk and focused on women. Marvin is annoyed by his antics and notices a couple of men staring at them from afar. 

Raq and Unique find out they were kidnapped and taken by some of Stefano’s men. Unique isn’t feeling Stefano’s racism and he’s beaten up by Stefano’s men when he responds with quips. After Raq reminds Stefano that this is not how they conduct business, Unique is sent away so they can talk alone. 

Stefano tells Raq that he needs her to take out Sal. He’s a headache for the both of them, so he figures she may as well be the one to get her hands dirty since he cannot kill another boss. 

Raq lets him know she is out of the game and no longer taking lives. Sal says she only has two options, either Sal is killed or she and everyone she loves dies. So she agrees to do the job. However, she has Stefano promise that this task once complete means she has no more dealings with the Italians. 

Jukebox wants a fresh start.

When Marvin goes to the restroom within the club, he is followed by the two men who were watching him and Lou Lou. Turns out they are looking to buy drugs. They figured Marvin was a drug dealer they had purchased from in the past. Marvin accuses them of being racist and stereotyping him. He then gives them his number so they can call him the next time they party and need drugs. 

It’s the day of Burke’s funeral. Jukebox watches on from a distance for a bit in anger. She looks at Howard before storming off. 

Howard gives a touching speech about Burke’s commitment to the job and her ability to make him want to be a better cop. Her father and ex-girlfriend break down in tears. He says he wishes Burke would have realized how great of a cop she already was because she would probably still be alive.

Raq recaps her meeting with Stefano to Marvin. He is told he will be the one to kill Sal. And he “can’t miss.” Marvin is also permitted to sell the leftover drugs he has for his small profit and a small cut for Raq. He just has to make sure he’s not selling in their old spots. 

Jukebox visits her local army branch to sign up so she can move away. She signs forms so she can start the process of taking the tests and evaluations required. 

Unique and Stefano move forward. 

Back at Burke’s funeral, her ex attempts to tell her father that Burke was looking into Howard’s dirty ways before her death and she likely did not kill herself, he shoos her away. He blames her for Burke’s death and says she killed herself because she was gay. 

When Jukebox makes it home, she sees Nicole’s father having laughs with Marvin. He came over to tell her about an upcoming audition for a new girl group. However, Jukebox tells him she’s done singing. 

The feds tell Sal a hit has been placed on him because the other bosses want him dead. They will give him and his family a lifeline if he agrees to cooperate with their investigation. Sal tells them to leave.

Unique’s baby momma tells him his brother Ronnie freaked her and their son out. They caught him staring at the TV while it was off. And they don’t feel safe with him in the house. However, Unique insists everything is fine. Ronnie will be out of the hair soon.

He later meets up with Stefano and the two men hit it off as they talk about possibly doing business together now that Raq is out of the game. 

Sal is taken out. 

Marvin goes to Lou’s to ask him to be a lookout so he can do the job for Raq. But Lou Lou says he wants nothing to do with anything linked to Raq. So Marvin sets out to do the deed on his own.

Jukebox meets Lou Lou at his studio. He apologizes for giving her song away and not prioritizing her when she was trying to sing. And he offers condolences on Kenya’s death. So to make it up to her, he agrees to help her prepare for the girl group audition. 

While Raq is getting her hair done at the salon, Marvin kills Sal outside of his grandchild’s christening.

What are your thoughts on the episode?