You don't have to let a story play out to notice bad writing. Bad writing is bad writing. It sticks out. Nobody has a problem with Stern coming back. It's how they're bringing him back. Ghost literally just got out of jail, which is a happy moment, but to add drama, Tasha being an idiot calls Stern. That doesn't take away from it being an overall great episode. But that and Tommy ditching his phone is a way of adding lazy and cheap drama.
Also, there is damn near 9 storylines going on:
1. Ghost getting out of jail and the aftermath of that
2. Tommy running things and now going to Chicago
3. Angela finding out who killed Greg
4. The Teresi ****
5. Stern being put back in the mix
6. Tariq having issues
7. Tommy and Lakeisha
8. Kanan and Dre
9. Jukebox and the kidnapping angle