After The Morning After – The episode opens with a makeup artist (Altovise Nicole Ferguson) complimenting Franklin Robert’s (Courtney B. Vance) work. She gives him a word of encouragement before he walks onto the stage. Officer Logan (Mark O’Brien) looks up from his drink at a news flash about Moses Johnson’s not-guilty verdict. Lieutenant Brannigan (Holt McCallany) suggests a not-guilty verdict means a suspect of a specific race has the authority to flee and fight law enforcement. He questions how police offers can do their job when 90% of the city’s population belongs to the same race. An intoxicated Logan demands Jalil Watts (Marcus Hopkins-Turner) turn down his music. Refusing to comply, Jalil curses him.

TV host, Gordon Neary (Walter Coppage) asks Franklin about his future. Franklin tells him that he is selling “truth and reconciliation.” Logan punches Jalil. Franklin explains how he wants a unified city and country. Logan continues to beat Jalil as Franklin invites the police to speak truthfully about their culture. Nicole Carter (Emily Althaus) watches Franklin interacts with viewers in astonishment.

Franklin watches as black people (Dre Marquis, Jeremy Phillips, Krystal Mcneil, Dana N. Anderson, Jaegen Ellison) share their law enforcement encounters. Waking up with a hangover, Logan’s brain gradually processes the memories from the night before. He frantically searches for his service weapon. Nicole asks Franklin if he is concerned about causing triggers. He tells her that his law school professor and mentor, Rudolph Kline, had six family members die in Nazi death camps. He calls off the victims’ names before asking how to keep the world from hiding from past shame. Answering his own question, he says by recalling what happened over and over again.

Brannigan confronts Logan about his service weapon. Logan denies knowing where it is before explaining how he had a drink at the Low Bar but nothing happened. Brannigan says he was involved in an altercation. Logan asks what happened to his service weapon. Brannigan assures him that they handled it.

Upon arriving at the office, Marisol (Malkia Stampley) is bombarded by Mia (Ariel Richardson) spouts out recent complaints from the community. Naimah Watts (Karen Aldridge) tells Marisol that her husband was physically assaulted outside the Low Bar. She claims law enforcement is treating the incident like it did not happen. She says people told her that Martha Roberts (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) is one of them. Marisol assures her that they are right.

Rick Leonard (David Parkes) tells Logan after six months of chauffeuring him around, he will return to work as a quieter, saner police officer. After downing a miniature bottle of alcohol, Logan visits Jalil in ICU. He breaks down when the nurse (Jacqueline Williams) approaches. He claims to be doing a follow-up. She says Jalil has not received a single visit from law enforcement and no forensic exam was ordered. She asks him to speak with the victim’s wife.

Brannigan suggests Big Phil (Jerod Hayes) move to Vice. Confused, Big Phil admits to not being sure if he is reading to move past the job or Norma Johnson (Andrene Ward-Hammond). He says Norma and Franklin’s relationship is still tight before deciding to stick it out.

Norma tells Franklin that she and Big Phil will watch David Roberts (Jarell Maximillian Sullivan), free up time for him and Martha to work with the community.

Judge Devins (Larry Yando) approves Franklin’s public disclosure request for complaints filed against the Chicago Police Department for the past 25 years. When Franklin questions the 18-month deadline, Devins stresses the importance of keeping citizen information private.

Logan returns to the ICU to discover Jalil died. The nurse tells him that the assault is now a murder. Panicking, he climbs into the elevator followed by two men pushing Jalil’s lifeless body on a gurney. Jalil’s body is delivered to the morgue.

At a local bar, Franklin tells Alex (Manuk Aret) that the deadline for the Chicago Police Department is 18 months. He assures him that miracles do happen. Alex hopes he is right.

Logan takes his frustration out on a gym bag. Brannigan tells him about looking through Irish churchyards at the names on gravestones. He informs him of Jalil’s death. Logan denies already knowing.

Dante Blake (Julian Parkers) asks Joshua Johnson (Bentley Green) what happened to his gun. Joshua claims to have tossed it into the lake. Dante tells him that he owes him “two stacks” after his cut. Joshua asks what he needs him to do. Dante tells him about his dream to acquire the property they are standing on to dedicate to black-owned businesses. He wants him to stay clean.

Logan is drinking alcohol when Leonard gets into the back seat. Leonard orders him to go to the Low Bar for a drink.

Martha speaks to the public about Jalil’s murder. She questions the police’s claims of there being no witnesses and CCTV footage. A reporter (Kenneth Yoder) asks who should be held accountable for his murder. Describing his question as “stupid,” she suggests he believes she has someone in mind. She assures him that she is only after the truth before accusing him of writing a story based on his “worldview.” She questions why the Mayor isn’t there, instead of her.

Wayne Morris (Paul Turner) complains about the constant alerts on his phone. He tells Leonard that his nephew installed a Watchtower Pointe in his Tesla. He says anything that comes near the device triggers the cameras and an alert. Logan grabs his phone when he isn’t looking. Scanning the alerts on the phone, he discovers a video of him beating Jalil. Frantic, he drives out to Wayne’s Tesla. Downing some alcohol, he knocks on Franklin’s door. He admits to killing Jalil as the episode ends.

 

61^st Street Review

Franklin Robert, a Civil Rights activist, has one aim, a unified city and country. Franklin and his wife, also a Civil Rights activist, are teamed up to take on corrupt law enforcement.

Police Officer Logan drinks heavily at the Low Bar when pounding music draws his attention outside. Intoxicated, he confronts Jalil Watts who refuses to turn down the volume. Logan severally beats him, leaving his service weapon at the scene. Lieutenant Brannigan and several colleagues process the crime scene like any other, concealing Logan’s service weapon from evidence. Jalil eventually succumbs to his injuries. Jalil’s wife, Naimah reaches out to Franklin and Martha for justice. Martha takes to the streets demanding answers from the Chicago Police Department. Logan’s conscious forces him to confess to Franklin.

Brannigan tries to convince Big Phil to take a Vice job but he refuses to leave Norma. Norma agrees to take care of David while Franklin and Martha can get out into the community.

Logan’s secret is threatened by Wayne Morris’ Tesla which is installed with a Watchtower Pointe and loads of cameras. The device detects movement from a short distance away and sends an alert to Morris’ phone. Logan takes his phone to discover a video of the incident.

The series juggles a controversial plot. Some viewers will feel it tells a “powerful story” while others lean toward it being “one-sided.” I, for one, decline to get drawn into such controversy. The show steers off plot by taking on other social issues. It portrays law enforcement corrupt as a whole.

The constant switching between Franklin and Logan made the intro confusing. It would have been more effective to present Franklin as a whole, followed by Logan.

The acting isn’t always believable. The cinematography could use some improvement. The episode deserves a 5. Get more 61^st Street recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating to our platform. Our onsite advertising is scalable and customizable, learn more click the link.