When a black teen is shot dead by a cop for a suspected robbery in Chinatown, Joe organizes a Black Lives Matter protest near the Harmony Dumplings. Nicky decides to throw her support on the protest, bringing Jin, Althea, Ryan, and Henry along, although Mei-Li is reluctant, as it brings memories of her own experiences with racism years ago.
Tropes featured in this episode:
- I Am Spartacus: Everyone in the Harmony Dumplings rise up to protest Joe's arrest by urging the cops to take them as well.
- Interplay of Sex and Violence: Nicky and Henry have a very sexual sparring in the beginning.
- Outliving One's Offspring: We see a brief scene of Andre's tearful mother being interviewed after her son's death.
- Police Brutality:
- Andre was shot by a cop simply because he happened to skateboard near a jewelry shop. He did have a criminal record, but Henry points out that it didn't justify him being shot so callously.
- Joe is nearly arrested for inciting unrest, despite him clearly stating during the BLM protest that he does not condone violence in any form.
- Ripped from the Headlines: The episode is inspired both by the Black Lives Matter movement and increased racism against East Asians in the United States in 2020.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: The reason why Mei-Li has reservations about supporting the protest. She herself was a target of a racist attack years ago, one that nearly caused her to close down the Harmony Dumplings.
- "Shut Up" Kiss: Joe kisses Ryan to stop him from apologizing about his unwillingness to commit to their relationship.
