diff --git a/graphistry/Plottable.py b/graphistry/Plottable.py
index bdd5fc83a..d808394b5 100644
--- a/graphistry/Plottable.py
+++ b/graphistry/Plottable.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 
 RenderModesConcrete = Literal["g", "url", "ipython", "databricks", "browser"]
+RENDER_MODE_CONCRETE_VALUES: Set[RenderModesConcrete] = set(["g", "url", "ipython", "databricks", "browser"])
 RenderModes = Union[Literal["auto"], RenderModesConcrete]
 RENDER_MODE_VALUES: Set[RenderModes] = set(["auto", "g", "url", "ipython", "databricks", "browser"])
 
diff --git a/graphistry/PlotterBase.py b/graphistry/PlotterBase.py
index 0a4f5ef96..3519c7e19 100644
--- a/graphistry/PlotterBase.py
+++ b/graphistry/PlotterBase.py
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ def description(self, description):
         return res
 
 
-    def edges(self, edges: Union[Callable, Any], source=None, destination=None, edge=None, *args, **kwargs) -> Plottable:
+    def edges(self: Plottable, edges: Union[Callable, Any], source=None, destination=None, edge=None, *args, **kwargs) -> Plottable:
         """Specify edge list data and associated edge attribute values.
         If a callable, will be called with current Plotter and whatever positional+named arguments
 
@@ -1514,6 +1514,7 @@ def plot(
             logger.debug("4. @PloatterBase plot: PyGraphistry.org_name(): {}".format(PyGraphistry.org_name()))
 
             dataset = self._plot_dispatch_arrow(g, n, name, description, self._style, memoize)
+            assert dataset is not None
             if skip_upload:
                 return dataset
             dataset.token = PyGraphistry.api_token()
@@ -2269,7 +2270,7 @@ def infer_labels(self):
         raise ValueError('Could not find a label-like node column and no g._node id fallback set')
 
 
-    def cypher(self, query: str, params: Dict[str, Any] = {}) -> 'PlotterBase':
+    def cypher(self, query: str, params: Dict[str, Any] = {}) -> Plottable:
         """
         Execute a Cypher query against a Neo4j, Memgraph, or Amazon Neptune database and retrieve the results.
 
diff --git a/graphistry/compute/chain_remote.py b/graphistry/compute/chain_remote.py
index 6c7a3957c..5cb8860b3 100644
--- a/graphistry/compute/chain_remote.py
+++ b/graphistry/compute/chain_remote.py
@@ -70,13 +70,13 @@ def chain_remote_generic(
     }
 
     if node_col_subset is not None:
-        request_body["node_col_subset"] = node_col_subset
+        request_body["node_col_subset"] = node_col_subset  # type: ignore
     if edge_col_subset is not None:
-        request_body["edge_col_subset"] = edge_col_subset
+        request_body["edge_col_subset"] = edge_col_subset  # type: ignore
     if df_export_args is not None:
         request_body["df_export_args"] = df_export_args
     if engine is not None:
-        request_body["engine"] = engine
+        request_body["engine"] = engine  # type: ignore
 
     base_url = ""
     url = f"{base_url}/api/v2/etl/datasets/{dataset_id}/gfql/"
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def chain_remote_generic(
 
     if output_type == "shape":
         if format == "json":
-            return pd.DataFrame(response.json)
+            return pd.DataFrame(response.json())
         elif format == "csv":
             return read_csv(BytesIO(response.content))
         elif format == "parquet":
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ def chain_remote_shape(
             print(shape_df)
     """
 
-    return chain_remote_generic(
+    out_df = chain_remote_generic(
         self,
         chain,
         api_token,
@@ -197,6 +197,8 @@ def chain_remote_shape(
         engine,
         validate
     )
+    assert isinstance(out_df, pd.DataFrame)
+    return out_df
 
 def chain_remote(
     self: Plottable,
@@ -281,7 +283,7 @@ def chain_remote(
 
     assert output_type != "shape", 'Method chain_remote() does not support output_type="shape", call instead chain_remote_shape()'
     
-    return chain_remote_generic(
+    g = chain_remote_generic(
         self,
         chain,
         api_token,
@@ -294,3 +296,5 @@ def chain_remote(
         engine,
         validate
     )
+    assert isinstance(g, Plottable)
+    return g
diff --git a/graphistry/render/resolve_render_mode.py b/graphistry/render/resolve_render_mode.py
index 858bc0ae9..0fae06840 100644
--- a/graphistry/render/resolve_render_mode.py
+++ b/graphistry/render/resolve_render_mode.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from typing import Optional, Union
 
-from graphistry.Plottable import RENDER_MODE_VALUES, Plottable, RenderModes, RenderModesConcrete
+from graphistry.Plottable import RENDER_MODE_CONCRETE_VALUES, Plottable, RenderModes, RenderModesConcrete
 from graphistry.util import in_databricks, in_ipython
 
 
@@ -15,14 +15,12 @@ def resolve_render_mode(
 
     # => RenderMode
     if isinstance(render, bool):
-        render = "auto" if render else "url"    
-
-    if render not in RENDER_MODE_VALUES:
-        raise ValueError(f'Invalid render mode: {render}, expected one of {RENDER_MODE_VALUES}')
+        render = "auto" if render else "url"
 
     # => RenderModeConcrete
     if render != "auto":
-        return render
+        assert render in RENDER_MODE_CONCRETE_VALUES
+        return render  # type: ignore
 
     if in_ipython():
         return "ipython"