We’re back! The Godfather of Harlem is back and better than ever. After hiding out from Five Families for nearly three months, Bumpy Johnson is ready to take his place back in Harlem. There’s only one problem; there’s no dope to sell. Well, he manages to figure that out like he does everything that went down in the latest episode of Godfather of Harlem. ALERT: This recap contains spoilers from the first episode of the second season of the Godfather of Harlem.
What You Missed
The French Connection
Hope those Twitter fingers are ready! ONE HOUR till the premiere of Godfather of Harlem Season 2 right here on Twitter at 9PM EST/ 6PM PST @epixHD Don't forget to tag us and use the hashtag #GodfatherofHarlem to chat with the family! pic.twitter.com/oj9Cy7yINJ
— Godfather of Harlem on EPIX (@GodfatherHarlem) April 19, 2021
Synopsis: After three months in hiding from Chin Gigante and the Italians, Bumpy Johnson takes action to lift the sanctions on his head. By forging new alliances with his European suppliers, Bumpy aims to reunite safely back with his family in Harlem.
Five Questions That Need Answers
When will Vincent Gigante and company realize who Elise Johnson is?
Vincent Gigante, Ernie Nunzi and company continue to hunt down Bumpy Johnson for the majority of the first episode. Nunzo gets a bit excited when he learns that a woman from the Nation of Islam is delivering lunch to him. At first, Nunzo and Gigante believe that she is the key to killing Johnson. However, the two hitmen they send to take him out during lunch fail on their mission. Still, Gigante and Nunzo now know that she is a connection to him. This revelation brings to light the uneasiness of their father-daughter relationship. Gigante, Costello and Bonanno know who Mayme and Margaret Johnson are. In contrast, the only people that know who Elise is to Bumpy are Malcolm X, Mayme Johnson, Del Chance, Nat Pettigrew and the two friends Mayme brought to their home after Bumpy got shot. No one he works against knows that Bumpy has a second daughter. It’s probably best that way.
When will Stella Gigante take advantage of Ernie Nunzi?
Three months after the death of Teddy Greene, Stella Gigante remains holed up in her room wallowing up in sadness. Having tried to commit suicide, her parents refuse to let her go anywhere without their supervision. Still, the Gigantes know they can’t keep her locked up in her room by herself forever. In an effort to get her fresh air, Vincent Gigante enlists Ernie Nunzi to be her chaperone. How could this go wrong? It’s not like Vincent Gigante sent him on a mission previously involving his daughter that played out horribly wrong already or something.
During their first meet-up since Greene’s death, Stella tries to shoot herself in the head. In a sense, she’s testing Ernie to see how he’d react. At this point, it’s hard to tell if Stella feels bad for Ernie or she’s gaining his trust, so that she can backstab him in the end and run away. Without Teddy Greene in the picture, Stella just may be the most unpredictable character in the show. She has no ties to anyone, which is dangerous. That is unless she falls in love with Ernie. Who knows?
What will Joe Bonanno do?
Joe Bonanno is an interesting character because he has reason to dislike everyone involved in his business. Last season, Gigante tried to jack up the tax for him to sell dope in Harlem. Then, Johnson discovers that Gigante killed his son and uses it to start a war in his favor. Wrapping up the season, it is revealed that Johnson broke the Five Families’ orders by killing Richie Zambrano. At the top of the season, Bumpy Johnson steals 500 keys of dope from the Five Families and puts them in an awkward position. Gigante votes to kill Johnson, but the Five Families vote to work with him instead. Yes, Johnson backstabbed him for his own gain, but Gigante killed his son. Why would Bonanno hate Johnson more than he hates Gigante?
What role will Jean Jehan play in this new season?
Jean Jehan may just be the most important man in all of Harlem at the moment. Although this is his first episode in the show, he controls everything because he controls the dope. No one can kill him because without him there is no dope. At the same time, he has no one’s loyalty. Then again, neither does Johnson. The two bond together over being outsiders in this world. However, there’s one big difference. Jean Jehan is still a white man in the 1960s and Bumpy Johnson is a Black man in the 1960s. There will always be places and locations that Jehan will be allowed into that Johnson won’t be. Elise Johnson alluded to this in season one.
What will happen to Sam Christian?
The most important play of the season premiere involves a new character, Sam Christian. Sam Christian, played by Clifford “Method Man” Smith Jr., is hired by Bumpy Johnson to steal 500 keys of dope from Jean Jehan. By doing this, Johnson and Christian will control the dope supply and force the Italians to work with them. Christian goes along with the plan and Johnson returns to working with the Five Families. There’s just one problem. At the end of the episode, we see the Five Families agree to work with Johnson, but we don’t get to see the dope actually distributed to them. Could Christian end up stabbing Johnson in the back? Better yet, what if the Five Families break their promise after getting the drugs? Once they get the drugs, they could go kill him and Bumpy.
