Al lends his social activism to a fashion company in trouble, Darius wonders why nobody in London knows what “jollof” is, and Earn finally catches up with Van.
We’re back in London, where we see a European fashion line that co-opts streetwear as part of its design, Esco Esco, in trouble over a racist collection they've created that's inspired by Central Park. And by “Central Park,” they mean they actually made Central Park 5 jerseys, complete with an ad depicting a white woman face down with Black people laying on a picnic blanket surrounding her. Good grief.
Our boy Al is called in for damage control, asked to lend his time and name to the company as a PR move. A clearly bored Al decides he’s in, but has a few requirements, like free clothes for three years, free tailoring, and an elaborate lunch of ribs with dry rub and some mac and cheese. Later, Earn tells Al that the whole thing feels like “an Uncle Tom photo opp” and Al shrugs it off, because it’s very hard for him to get designer clothes free from his stylist. Earn tells him he could just buy all the clothes, but Al says he shouldn’t have to; he works too hard. “You’re not worried about what the streets think?” Earn questions, which makes Al chuckle. “The streets? Man, fuck the streets. Man, I’ve shot people,” he retorts. Earn says if it was him, he’d probably make sure he's on the company board for at least five years so he could learn the infrastructure and then start his own company to help Black entrepreneurs.
Al teases him saying he knew he’d be on some “spook sitting by the door, Martin Luther King, Ebenezer Baptist Church shit” but seems to think about what he said.
Meanwhile, Darius, who'd requested jollof when everyone was placing their lunch orders—which oddly perplexed everyone—is approached by Sharon, the head of hospitality for the company. She mentions she received his order, and even though she and her husband are familiar with every Michelin spot around town, they aren’t sure what jollof is— “it’s Ghanaian, right?” Darius responds, “Who told you that? A Ghanaian?” She inquires if he has a usual spot for it and then offers to drive him there, and off they go.
Later at the press conference for the fashion line, we encounter Khalil (Fisayo Akinade), “activist, writer, foodie,” who introduces himself to an unimpressed Al, who is already familiar with him. Khalil is donning an airplane life preserver, complete with the tabs that read “BLM” on them (this might be a humorous reference to DeRay Mckesson’s blue vest). “Is this your first time apologizing for white people?” he inquires. “It’s the best. The dinners are top-notch. I haven't paid for a meal in 73 police incidents.” Al sits alongside Khalil on the designated “panel of experts.” After the company owner proclaims he’s the least biased person globally, a journalist rises to ask Al if racism is now obsolete. “Absolutely not,” Al states, before Khalil interjects, reassuring the white attendees by suggesting that, with the company’s new initiative, they project racism will conclude by 2024. This earns a disapproving look from Al.
DROP YOUR EMAIL
TO STAY IN THE KNOW
Darius and Sharon arrive at the Nigerian restaurant, where Darius quickly bonds with the owner, Mimi, over their shared Nigerian heritage (he's Ijwa, but his hair gives off an “Igbo” vibe). Sharon is taken with the food (particularly the jollof, though she's less fond of the goat) and the atmosphere. She mentions its "growth potential" and then inquires about the meaning of "Naija." She also tries to use Shazam to identify the Nigerian music playing in the background. Uh-oh.
After the press conference, Al joins a meeting with the diversity advisory committee. When asked for his input, he proposes an idea that Earn had shared with him: using their platform to support Black entrepreneurs. However, the others have different priorities. DeMarco, who has an air of being adjacent to Black culture, mostly wants business class tickets to Mauritius and the latest off-white Nikes. Another member suggests buying 1,000 copies of her book for sensitivity training. Khalil, still donning his airplane life preserver, is after tickets to the premiere of "Black Panther 2" (a humorous recurring theme this season). Al criticizes them for their self-centeredness, asserting that the streets don't trust them. He reintroduces Earn's concept, dubbing it the "ReInvest In Your Hood Campaign." After a squabble between Khalil and DeMarco, Al proposes that the funds be channeled through Khalil’s Open Arms charity. The committee, perhaps to placate Al's passion, advises him to direct his idea to Marchello. Energized, Al promptly records his “Reinvest in Your Hood” message on his phone as he departs.
Earn is seen exiting a hotel meeting and unexpectedly encounters Van. He's visibly upset; it's been weeks since he heard from her, with the only communication being the thumbs-up emoji from the previous episode. "Where have you been?" he demands, emphasizing their shared responsibilities and expressing his concern about her safety. Van downplays her absence, attributing it to work and personal time. She reveals a new wig she's purchased. When Earn mentions reaching out to her mother out of worry for her safety, their conversation is cut short. A blonde woman approaches, accusing Van of stealing the wig and audaciously attempting a citizen's arrest. A hotel manager intervenes, threatening to call the police on the accuser. Seizing the opportunity, Earn manages to negotiate a complimentary room, despite not being a guest, by falsely claiming Van as his fiancée.
Later, Darius heads back to the Nigerian spot, only to find it disappointingly closed. Instead, he hears Sharon calling out to him from a food truck named "Naija Bowl." She tells him, "We bought the place and now serve 'cheesy jollof'." When Darius inquires, "Where’s Mimi?" Sharon responds, "I don't know, we never exchanged info." She then serves him a dish influenced by his Georgia roots. Darius briefly contemplates before discarding the food in the trash and departing.
It emerges that Al's "Reinvest In Your Hood" campaign has been appropriated by ESCO•ESCO. They utilized the voiceover from his passionate video for their own advertisement, which appears unrelated to Black communities but is presented as "more inclusive." Al is incensed, exclaiming, "You 'All Lives Matter'ed' my idea!" Khalil steps in to calm him down, stating, “Why would a company create a campaign that tells Black people to stop buying their products and reinvest in their own community? That’s not a business. That’s charity.” He reveals he managed to secure 100K from them for his own cause and invites Al to see "Black Panther 2," mentioning, "Larenz Tate is in this one." Although Al declines, Khalil urges him to think about what he said.
Van and Earn are in the free room they’ve been hooked up with, and Earn apologizes for being harsh with her earlier, telling her he’s just worried. Van brushes him off, still vibing to BADNOTGOOD’s “In Your Eyes” which she says she’s been playing all around Europe, and hugs him. “You worry about everything,” she says, which he denies. “You know Darius says this is all a simulation,” she tells him. Just as they’re about to kiss, Earn asks if she stole the wig. Van doesn’t answer and kisses him. The next morning, Earn is awakened by the phone ringing, and finds he’s in bed alone.
The season has cleverly weaved the concept of ghosts into each episode, and this is the first one that strayed from that concept. Or did it? While the eeriness was absent this go-around, there’s always a lingering sense that something is on the horizon for our beloved four, something that probably isn’t good. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the coming four episodes.
Also, here’s hoping they left deranged Socks Not Sox somewhere on the side of the road in Budapest.