'Godfather of Harlem' Episode 3 review: 'Our Day Will Come' sees two powerhouses voice their opinions loud enough to rouse people
This review contains spoilers for 'Godfather of Harlem' episode 3: 'Our Day Will Come'
Sometimes all you need is a voice. A voice that's inspiring enough to stir up a revolution when injustice attempts to slink away from your face. And that's exactly what 'Our Day Will Come' looks to convey.
This episode isn't about Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), rather it's about his estranged daughter, Elise Johnson (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy), a drug epidemic and the contrasting views of Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch) and Giancarlo Esposito's enigmatic playboy, Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
The third episode picks up with Bumpy running his drug trade while Elise, who is fresh out of rehab, slips back to her drug addiction and shoplifts to make the moolah for buying drugs.
She eventually gets caught and a cop rapes her when she's bought in for questioning. News reaches Bumpy and Malcolm X who rush to her rescue and each man has their own idea of making the cop pay.
While Bumpy rolls up his sleeves to pummel the man to death, Malcolm decides to bring in his men and launch a protest. According to him, Justice will be served, but not at the cost of Bumpy looking back at prison life again.
In the meantime, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. is making headlines as the bad boy with a penchant for women. Esposito, keen to rid himself of the image looks at an opportune moment to wash his hands off the defacing news and promptly shows up at Elise's justice protest.
With people gathering in support, he proclaims himself to be the man to bring justice for the atrocity. If he looked at ensuring his playboy antics would be a distant memory, this move paid dividends.
Malcolm further stirs up the pot by using the platform to strike back rather than showing the cheek to be struck. The situation becomes a debate ground for where change has to come from — the heart or the mind?
The focus then shifts back to a still morose and grumpy Bumpy who is desperately trying to make amends with Elise. His fractured relationship with her doesn't go any further.
He realizes that she ID'd the wrong man — a white cop when the actual perpetrator was black. She says Malcolm's ideology rubbed off on her and she intends to protect their own, making the white cop take the fall. She insists that the duo move their own way.
Eventually, the number of protesters double and as Malcolm, Powell, and Bumpy try and get on top of things, Elise takes the matter into her own hands. She takes the stage to say that it's time to rise.
"Just like you see me like a junkie, they see you as n****s," she proclaims. "I am not your project, I am not your headline", she goes on. "I am so much more than you have ever been able to see. Today I am taking myself back, it's time for me to rise, it's time for all of us to rise," and that gets the crowd going.
A bit of truncheon-walloping by the cops follows and Bumpy gets them all to stop by saying that justice is served and the cop is arrested for his crime.
While Elise takes center stage, there are minor subplots that manage to get some screentime. The Teddy Greene (Kelvin Harrison Jr. ) and Stella Gigante (Lucy Fry) relationship fizzles out after the former feels that Stella's doing the whole thing for thrills.
He witnesses the protest and in the police action that follows after Elise's rousing speech, he gets bashed up in the process. In a blink and a miss moment, there's a passing reference to Joseph Charles Bonanno Sr. and his rivalry with Chin Gigante (Vincent D'Onofrio)
Bumpy eventually exacts revenge on the black cop who raped Elise by subjecting him to the same treatment. Meanwhile, Elise's daughter, Margaret (Demi Singleton) figures out the truth about her mom and that leaves Bumpy with some explaining to do.
'Our Day Will Come' is all about Elise and her addiction. It's also about how two people in power look at snatching opportunities to make headlines. Esposito plays a charming Powell to perfection.
His enigmatic persona is a thing to watch out for and he's a man who gets what he wants, the way he wants it. It's interesting to see how his relationship with Bumpy and Malcolm will be painted in the episodes to come.
The soundtracks complement the plot and deserve recognition. 'Our Day Will Come' is a good watch and explores Bumpy's personal life. So far, it's been a perfect blend of his gangster and human side and 'Godfather of Harlem' may look to continue in the same vein.
'Godfather of Harlem' episode three is available on EPIX.