by Rebecca Farley | via Refinery29
Like Sam, Reggie isn’t doing well. His episode begins with a bit of Reggie backstory: He wanted to go to Howard, but Winchester had a better computer science program. So, he headed to Winchester, where he eventually came face to face with the gun of a campus security guard. DWP graciously gives us some history here. Giancarlo Esposito (our narrator) pops in to say that in 1825, security guards at Winchester started carrying weapons as a response to a nearby slave rebellion. And, uh, yeah, that’s the last time Winchester updated its campus weapons policy.
Reggie’s having panic attacks and flashbacks to the event in question. He’s also wearing a lot of chunky knit sweaters and he’s in therapy, though only because the university compelled him to be there. He’s also living with a white roommate named Clifton (Erich Lane). Clifton loves hot pockets (yum) and doesn’t use a washcloth (ew). He’s also very scared of dolphins and is currently sober in honor of Thane Lockwood (Brant Daugherty), the football player who died in season 1.
“I can handle white people. Clifton’s just so white,” Reggie tells his University-appointed shrink. The washcloth is a real sticking point for him. (As a result, we find out that Troy uses a poof to wash himself. Good info to have.)
So, how does Reggie go from Mr. Chunky Knits to Mr. In-A-Documentary-About-Racism? That rests on the shoulders of Troy’s father Dean Fairbanks (Obba Babatundé) Dean Fairbanks wants Reggie to overcome his trauma, and his words are helpful, even if they’re trite. “You got 99 problems — your head doesn’t need to be one,” he tells Reggie.
Reggie pooh-poohs the Dean’s help for most of the episode, resorting to other forms of comfort. He tries the Troy method, sleeping with a number of faceless women. It doesn’t work. (He yawns during sex.) He also tries the Kurt (Wyatt Nash) method, which involves MDMA and wearing a lamp on his head. (A reminder: Kurt is the leader of the comedy troupe Pastiche. Pastiche, if you’ll recall, was the catalyst for season 1. The troupe hosted a blackface party which Sam then justifiably chastised them for on Dear White People. Later, Lionel discovered that it was Sam herself who sent the invites for the blackface party.)
Early in the episode, Reggie also tries the Joelle method, sitting in on Bible study with her. Bible study probably is the most beneficent for Reggie. Joelle’s quote from the Gospel of Joshua is particularly applicable for Reggie, but he’s not ready for it. . .
Click HERE to read the rest of the recap, “Reggie.”