The episode follows several intersecting storylines in 1990s Boston:
Jackie Rohr (Kevin Bacon) uncovers one of Decourcy Ward’s informants and begins a plan to use him as a pawn to discredit Ward, who is the Assistant District Attorney.
The episode title references the core metaphor of Lorde's 1968 poem: [S2E3] Is the Total Black, Being Spoken
The poem also touches on how words are "coloured by who pays what for speaking," reflecting the social and economic power structures that influence how marginalized voices are heard or silenced.
Siobhan’s client, Kelvin Campbell, is released from custody. However, he remains haunted by the events that occurred on Valentine’s Day. The episode follows several intersecting storylines in 1990s
Just as coal becomes a diamond under extreme pressure, the poem suggests that Black people can transform their suffering and "total blackness" into something valuable and radiant—a "jewel in your open light".
" Is the Total Black, Being Spoken " is the third episode of the second season of the crime drama series . Its title is taken from the opening lines of the poem " Coal " by Audre Lorde , which explores themes of Black identity, the power of language, and the transformation of individual experience into something visible and beautiful. Plot Summary However, he remains haunted by the events that
The line "I / Is the total black, being spoken" suggests that the speaker's identity is inseparable from their Blackness and that this identity is forged and expressed through language.