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.

The episode title references the core metaphor of Lorde's 1968 poem:

The episode follows several intersecting storylines in 1990s Boston:

Jimmy Ryan finds himself facing problems that are significantly more dangerous than his own guilty conscience. Title Significance: " Coal " by Audre Lorde

Decourcy (Aldis Hodge) visits the Rohr household, attempting to manipulate Jackie's wife, Jenny, into providing information that could be used against her husband.