Ep 2. The Ethiopian Executioner

The show Sunnyside follows the story of Garrett Modi, a disgraced former councilman of New York City who finds himself helping a group of immigrants pass their citizenship test. In season 1 episode 2, titled "The Ethiopian Executioner," Garrett and his students faced more challenges in their quest for citizenship.

The episode begins with Garrett and his students at the Sunnyside Community Center, where they have been studying for their citizenship test. A new student, a man named Mubarek, joins their class and immediately causes some tension. On the surface, Mubarek seems to be a friendly and kind person, but everyone in the class, especially Jun Ho, is suspicious of him.

Meanwhile, Brady, one of Garrett's former colleagues from his days as a councilman, has come to visit him. Brady is now working for the immigration office and wants Garrett to help him find a fugitive who is about to be deported. The fugitive is an Ethiopian man named Diberi, who was convicted of murder in his home country and fled to the US to escape execution.

Garrett reluctantly agrees to help Brady, but things quickly get complicated when they realize that Mubarek, the new student in their class, is Diberi's cousin. Mubarek reveals that he knows where Diberi is hiding and agrees to help Garrett and Brady find him. However, things don't go as planned, and they find themselves in a dangerous situation.

As the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that Mubarek has his own agenda and is not just helping Garrett and Brady out of the kindness of his heart. The tension between Mubarek and Jun Ho escalates when they discover that they have a shared past. Meanwhile, Garrett struggles to navigate the complicated world of immigration law and the moral dilemmas that come with it.

Overall, "The Ethiopian Executioner" is a tense and thought-provoking episode of Sunnyside. It tackles important issues related to immigration, citizenship, and the complexities of the legal system, while also exploring the personal relationships and motivations of its characters. With strong performances from the cast and a well-crafted script, it is a standout episode in an already impressive first season.