The Chi Season 7 Episode 9, titled "Last Respects," first streamed on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME on July 11, 2025, before its television airing set for July 13, 2025. The episode picks up directly from the explosive cliffhanger in Episode 8 when Emmett has been shot by Reg. Tension and emotional weight dominate the hour, as principal characters grapple with trauma, guilt, and looming consequences.
This is an episode that is more focused on the aftermath of the shooting, physical and emotional. Emmett's dubious survival constitutes the emotional majority of the episode, with alliances being formed and dissolved and long-standing relationships being destroyed. The characters must accept what has been destroyed and prepare themselves for what lies ahead.
The name of this episode, "Last Respects," is literally about Emmett living and figuratively accounting for several relationships.
Emmett's critical condition and the proposal in The Chi
The episode begins at the hospital. Emmett is taken in immediately after being shot by Reg. He is given surgery, and his condition is said to be unstable. For most of the episode, he flickers in and out of life, and his friends and family hold their breath and hope in desperation.
Later, Emmett awakens, a dramatic moment of relief that introduces new questions. The emotional highlight of the episode is when Emmett, still weak and recovering, calls for Kiesha. In a very intimate gesture, he proposes to her from his hospital bed. Kiesha's reaction is significant, but the show cuts before she gives any answer, leaving this storyline with a gigantic cliffhanger.
Kiesha's silence and emotional struggle in The Chi
Throughout the episode, Kiesha is silently heartbroken. Her love for Emmett is evident—she never departs from his side—but she is quiet. Her silence, particularly after the proposal, speaks volumes.
Kiesha's expression is a combination of love, confusion, and agony. The episode subtly reveals her conflict, and her choice is the most eagerly awaited question going into the next episode.
Reg faces isolation and doubt in The Chi
Reg, Emmett's shooter, is on the run now. Reg becomes increasingly isolated, particularly after his brothers, Jake and Trig, decide to cut all ties with him. Their rejection further fuels Reg's emotional instability and a feeling of betrayal. His isolation deepens as he begins to seek support elsewhere.
While Reg is shown trying to reestablish contact with old business partners like Keith, no new gun or unknown partner is introduced in this episode. The episode focuses rather on Reg's emotional collapse and desire to strike back or regain control. Whether he does or not is unknown, but the threat that he is about to release is known.
Nuck's cooperation with Detective Toussaint in The Chi
One of the other major plot twists is that of Detective Toussaint, who is determined to catch Reg. She bullies Nuck, Reg's old partner, into cooperating. Nuck flips, accepting a plea in exchange for immunity. His switch is a major development in the criminal underworld presented on the show.
With Hannibal's help, Nuck learns Reg's clandestine location and reports it to Toussaint. Reg is not captured in this scene, but it sets up a hanging confrontation for future episodes. Nuck's treachery is also presented as pragmatic but dangerous, prefiguring personal consequences if Reg ever learns the truth.
Alicia's hospital visit and strategic intent in The Chi
Alicia, Kiesha's mother and Emmett's business partner, visits Tiff in the hospital. The conversation is brief but dense. Alicia's voice is calm, but her speech reveals her to be a step ahead of herself. There is a mention of a big but unspecified idea, foreshadowing the growing strategic part Alicia is now playing in both business and family life.
Although her real intentions are not revealed, Alicia's composed and determined demeanor suggests that she will play an even larger role in the consequences of what has already happened. Her transformation is prefigured in this scene from a bereaved mother to an assertive individual who can mold things ahead.
Damien struggles with guilt in The Chi
Damien also carries the responsibility for what happened after he chose to include Reg, which resulted in Emmett getting shot. His gambling and affair with Reg eventually resulted in a violent altercation indirectly. Damien feels guilty and discusses needing to make things right in this episode.
His storyline remains one of inner struggle, and although he does not make any concrete moves yet, his promise to reform sets the stage for possible redemption.
What do Pastor Zeke and the rest of the characters do?
There is no concrete confirmation from official summaries or recaps for a subplot where Carolyn, Kenya, or Pastor Zeke discover anything specific in this episode. While Pastor Zeke is an ongoing recurring character, no mention is made of his receiving any new epiphanies or participation in any current subplot within Episode 9.
Any progress within these subplots can be seen later in the episodes or remain background threads for the moment.
The last cliffhanger of The Chi Season 7 Episode 9
As the season ends, there are several loose ends that have not been tended to:
Emmett's physical condition gets better, but his emotional destiny is uncertain.
Kiesha has not provided the answer, and viewers are left hanging.
Toussaint has Reg's whereabouts, which means that a confrontation looms on the horizon.
Nuck's treachery is already in motion—its revelation could be dynamite.
The tension is ramped up to a quiet but productive cliffhanger. No gunfight or unseemly general chaos at the close—only the observation that everybody is holding their breath for something greater in Episode 10.
The Chi Season 7 Episode 9, "Last Respects," is a somber, affective episode that propels the season's most meaningful conflicts. Emmett's recovery, Kiesha's silence, and Reg's isolation form the emotional center of the plot, as political and criminal tensions seethe beneath the surface. The episode resists high-octane action but leaves a lasting impression through emotional investment and percolating conflict.
Although certain subplots are relegated to future episodes or left underdeveloped, the core narrative is neatly focused and well-timed. As the season approaches its finale, Episode 9 can sustain tension without hyping drama, remaining true to the realism of The Chi.
Also read: Where to watch The Chi? A complete guide to the streaming options