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\u201cWe changed the show a lot,\u201d co-showrunner and executive producer Justin Hillian told celebrity.land. \u201cI mean, we\u2019ve had seasons where it\u2019s been a thriller, a soap opera, [etc.]. We switch it up, and then we\u2019re always injecting new talent, new faces. I think that mindset has allowed us to keep going because there\u2019s always something new, something fresh to discover.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cAfter Season 2, 3, it was kind of like, all right, how long are we going to go for?\u201d actor Jacob Latimore, who has played Emmett since the start of \u201cThe Chi,\u201d admitted of his early days. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our job to make sure we\u2019re bringing it so the fans want more, but it was always nerve-wracking in between [season renewals],\u201d he added. \u201cSo to look back and see that it went for eight seasons, we\u2019re just grateful. Really grateful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
But the legacy of \u201cThe Chi\u201d should be measured by more than just its longevity. Its groundbreaking impact in TV land also lies in the nuanced storytelling it consistently brought to Chicago\u2019s South Side season after season.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cThe show is really about the city,\u201d Hillian noted, \u201cand so that gave us the leeway to try to include as many different types of people, tell as many different stories as possible. It was never about one person. Even though we had people who we love and who represent our audience, but it was always about the city.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Reflecting on the show\u2019s enduring success, Waithe believes it was rooted in one defining quality: the humanity at the heart of every character and storyline. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cWe create a world where these characters are all so human, and they feel like us,\u201d she pointed out. \u201cThey remind us of people we know. They remind us of ourselves.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\""The](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61b288190000642058bbf6.jpg?ops=crop_8_8_3492_2322%2Cscalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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“The Chi” often confronted the realities that gave rise to stereotypes about violence in Chicago. Hence, the first season revolved around the aftermath of two devastating murders on the South Side.<\/div>\n
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Conceived as an ensemble drama, \u201cThe Chi\u201d spent eight seasons following the interwoven lives of a resilient South Side community whose paths cross by chance but are bound by circumstance as they navigate life\u2019s everyday struggles together. While Waithe originally sought to avoid the violent clich\u00e9s surrounding her hometown, she was also adamant about confronting the realities that gave rise to many of them through her show.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hence, the first season of \u201cThe Chi\u201d centered on the fallout from two devastating neighborhood murders, tragedies that would kickstart the show\u2019s recurring theme of street violence and retribution for seasons to come. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
The ripple effects of those incidents are explored through the lives of Emmett (Latimore), Kevin (Alex Hibbert), Brandon (Jason Mitchell), Ronnie (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) and their loved ones \u2014 including Kevin\u2019s older sister, Kiesha (Birgundi Baker), and close friends Jake (Michael V. Epps) and Papa (Shamon Brown Jr.); Emmett\u2019s tough but understanding mother, Jada (Yolonda Ross); Brandon\u2019s level-headed girlfriend, Jerrika (Tiffany Boone); and Ronnie\u2019s estranged ex, Tracy (Tai Davis), who\u2019s also the grieving mother of one of the murdered boys.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
But that\u2019s only part of the show\u2019s story.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Where \u201cThe Chi\u201d truly set itself apart during its run was in how it refused to reduce its characters to the most traumatic, grief-filled moments of their lives. While violence often connects their stories, the series has always been invested in portraying their lives on a more human level; exploring not just how they struggle and survive on the South Side, but also how they love, grow, dream and build community with one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cThe whole point is to prove that these people are fully realized, not just stereotypes,\u201d Hillian explained. \u201cThat\u2019s why Lena wrote the show, to be like, no, these are people too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cThe whole point is to prove that these people are fully realized, not just stereotypes.\u201d<\/p>\n
– Justin Hillian<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cEvery number that goes in the death column is somebody\u2019s son. They have a father, they have a mother, they have cousins, brothers. You know, these people matter,\u201d he continued. \u201cAnd so, for me, that has always been the baseline for why the show exists. Then within that, you get to showcase all of the different facets of people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\u201cDear](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61c3c61900009f2558bc16.jpg?ops=crop_217_171_5691_3029%2Cscalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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\u201cDear White People,\u201d the Netflix series Waithe co-produced, inspired her to create \u201cThe Chi\u201d as an ensemble drama that follows multiple characters\u2019 stories.<\/p>\n
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Elizabeth Sisson\/Paramount+ with Showtime<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Waithe always envisioned building \u201cThe Chi\u201d around multiple perspectives to address a gap in Black television she noticed early in her career. In her eyes, there was far too much to say about the Chicago she knows to confine the series to one single story.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cI always wanted to be in an ensemble piece,\u201d she shared, pointing to series like \u201cSoul Food\u201d and \u201cA Different World\u201d as influences. \u201cBut it was a time when I was coming out when it was about [shows] with one lead character.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
It wasn\u2019t until Waithe came on board as a producer for Justin Simien\u2019s \u201cDear White People\u201d that she \u201cfell in love with multi-protagonist stories\u201d and found the blueprint for her own innovative series \u2014 one that would go on to depict the beautifully complex lives of Chicagoans and Black folks at large in a way that mainstream TV rarely allows.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cI really love what he did with that film and ultimately that series,\u201d Waithe said of Simien\u2019s vision. \u201cI was like, \u2019Oh, you\u2019re telling a singular story from four very different perspectives, and all those perspectives matter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
She added: \u201cFor me, I definitely was inspired when I was doing \u2018The Chi.\u2019 [Simien] read the pilot, and he was the first person to tell me, \u2018You got something with this. This is the best thing you have ever written.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Little did Waithe know that was only the beginning. What started as a love letter to Chicago would become not only one of her most successful projects to date, but also a defining work that helped to reshape contemporary Black television.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Ntare](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61bdde1700006d09b3d55f.jpg?ops=crop_58_16_3700_2658%2Cscalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine\u2019s Ronnie \u2014 responsible for one of the murders in the show\u2019s pilot \u2014 experienced many ups and downs before his demise.<\/div>\n
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Unlike other shows like \u201cThe Wire\u201d and Dick Wolf\u2019s \u201cChicago\u201d franchise, \u201cThe Chi\u201d was never a series concerned with systems and institutions. Rather, it\u2019s the kind of show that was always more worried about the <\/span>people<\/span> those systems affect and how they navigate life\u2019s hardships. That commitment is ultimately what allowed \u201cThe Chi\u201d to introduce such a sprawling ensemble of characters and storylines to curious audiences over the course of its run, even when its ambition felt overwhelming at times.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cI want \u2018The Chi\u2019s\u2019 legacy to exist the way it does, which is sometimes the storylines don\u2019t make sense. Sometimes it gets all over the place. But guess what? The conversations we\u2019re having \u2014 who else is having them? The characters that we represent \u2014 who else is doing that?\u201d Waithe noted of the series\u2019 impact. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s why people actually are there,\u201d she continued, \u201ceven though they\u2019re uncomfortable and squirming at some of the things we\u2019re talking about. They\u2019re like, \u2018I can\u2019t leave. I can\u2019t look away. I care too much.\u2019 And wow, what a relationship to have with your audience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cSometimes the storylines don’t make sense. Sometimes it gets all over the place. But guess what? The conversations we’re having \u2014 who else is having them? The characters that we represent \u2014 who else is doing that?\u201d<\/p>\n
– Lena Waithe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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There is something to be said for a modern show that\u2019s not only committed to representation through and through but also so willing to confront issues affecting the communities it portrays \u2014 many of which you\u2019d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere on TV. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
From challenging stigmas around mental health and non-monogamous relationships to exploring the complexities of Black masculinity, parenthood, queer and trans experiences and the realities of coming of age amid chaos, \u201cThe Chi\u201d always pushed the boundaries of the stories it chose to tell. And oftentimes, the show\u2019s writers\u2019 room served as the barometer for which conversations ultimately made their way onto the screen.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cAnytime we\u2019re arguing about something, and somebody sounds stupid or uneducated, or anytime we just really don\u2019t agree on something, that\u2019s where we want to lean in,\u201d Hillian said. \u201cBecause if it\u2019s striking a chord with us, we know it\u2019s going to strike a chord with our audience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Luke](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61badf170000890bb3d55d.jpg?ops=crop_57_114_5886_3737%2Cscalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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Luke James and L\u2019lerr\u00e9t Jazelle\u2019s characters, Trig and Fatima, depicted the complexities of a romance between a straight-identifying man and a trans woman on \u201cThe Chi.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Elizabeth Sisson\/SHOWTIME<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
That\u2019s one way to describe the impact of \u201cThe Chi.\u201d What many viewers have praised \u2014 and, at times, criticized \u2014 the series for is touching on topics you\u2019d least expect in ways that often go against the grain. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Sometimes, that looked like bringing LGBTQ+ stories to the forefront, such as the acceptance of out-and-proud relationships with trans women through Luke James\u2019 Trig\/Victor, a former gangster striving to overcome his street instincts as he supports his community. Other times, it meant exploring redemption through characters like Jason Weaver\u2019s Shaad \u2014 Trig\u2019s formerly incarcerated friend who shares his loving, softer side with the women in his life \u2014 or even Ahmad Ferguson\u2019s Bakari, a troubled young man in the streets who tries to turn over a new leaf, though not without complications.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
However unfamiliar those stories may have felt to audiences at times, \u201cThe Chi\u201d still made space for what people may not have ever encountered before the show came along. That alone is something Waithe takes pride in, even amid the criticism the series has received.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a desire sometimes to see things as they are,\u201d she said of audiences\u2019 \u201cfair\u201d critiques. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting because sometimes when I do that, people say, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s trauma porn.\u2019 But then, if you say, \u2018Well, what if we imagine a world in which this is not a big deal?\u2019 Then people say it doesn\u2019t feel realistic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cAs an artist, I really can\u2019t invalidate how people feel. I think they\u2019re right,\u201d Waithe added. \u201cWould there be pushback [against Victor\u2019s relationships]? Sure. Would Shaad maybe not be as nice to women? Maybe. I\u2019m not going to say that they\u2019re wrong because they aren\u2019t. But also, is there a world in which they <\/span>wouldn\u2019t<\/span> get pushback? Is there a world in which a man who comes out of jail is soft to women? Sure. Both are valid, and I think that\u2019s where I\u2019ve grown up to, is that they\u2019re not going to find a debate from me because I can say, you know what, you have a point. All I ask in return is that you see that I, too, could have a point.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Kiesha](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a614f16190000510458bb93.jpg?ops=crop_606_23_5177_3874%2Cscalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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Kiesha and Emmett finally get married in the series finale of “The Chi.\u201d<\/div>\n
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It\u2019s not easy to balance audience expectations for a show like \u201cThe Chi,\u201d which was always pushing against traditional ideas of what Black stories could and <\/span>should<\/span> look like on TV. Finding ways to hold space for joy and pain, sorrow and solace, laughter and tears was no simple task, but, at the end of the day, the goal was always to portray that fullness as honestly as possible, and maybe change a few hearts along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s really the experience of humanity, is what we try to capture,\u201d co-showrunner Jewel Coronel explained. \u201cBecause the truth is, no one has a perfect life, and they\u2019re not always laughing, but they\u2019re also not always crying. So, we try to manage that tension with moments of levity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Some of those moments are evident in the show\u2019s final season. Though billed as the \u201ccoldest winter ever\u201d for the South Side, Season 8 still made room for moments of warmth amid tragedy \u2014 perhaps none more significant than the long-awaited wedding of Kiesha and Emmett. From teenage hook-up buddies to devoted parents and partners, their journey has become one of the series\u2019 most dynamic arcs, with Baker and Latimore growing right alongside their characters as two of the show\u2019s original cast members.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cThe first day, the first episode was crazy,\u201d Latimore recalls, laughing as he looks back on filming the pair\u2019s first intimate scenes together and the many unforgettable moments that followed.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
But the wedding, he says, is \u201cthe big one\u201d he knows fans have been waiting for.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Birgundi](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61b13b1900002c2058bbf4.jpg?ops=scalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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Birgundi Baker portrayed Kiesha in all eight seasons of “The Chi.”<\/div>\n
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It\u2019s been quite the evolution for Baker, too, as Kiesha became the center of one of the most affecting storylines on \u201cThe Chi\u201d in Season 3. After surviving a traumatic kidnapping and rape that resulted in a pregnancy, audiences watched her slowly piece her life back together, as she built a blended family with Emmett and his children and forged an unlikely \u201csister wives\u201d bond with his ex, Tiffany (Hannaha Hall). <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
For Baker, hearing how deeply Kiesha has resonated with audiences, from young Black girls to older women, has been the greatest reward of all.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cThey tell me they love my character and can relate to her,\u201d she said. \u201c[They say] I remind them of either themselves or their sister or somebody that they know, and I think that\u2019s what TV is supposed to do. It\u2019s supposed to show people, represent real people, and make people feel seen. That\u2019s been the best part of playing Kiesha, because she\u2019s a strong, loving Black woman, and so a lot of women can take a lot from her.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Ahmad](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61b1c41700006d09b3d535.jpg?ops=crop_503_263_5371_3314%2Cscalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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Ahmad Ferguson (left) joined “The Chi” as Bakari in Season 3.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe Chi\u201d has been a transformative experience for other cast members, too, like Ferguson. Introduced in Season 3 as Bakari \u2014 who seeks revenge for his best friend\u2019s wrongful murder in the pilot \u2014 the actor connected with his then-recurring character on a deeply personal level, as he, too, has lost friends to gun violence for \u201cbeing at the wrong place at the wrong time.\u201d But portraying Bakari\u2019s \u201cunderdog story,\u201d he says, hit close to home as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cMe and Bakari are similar in the hunger that he has and the determination to be better; to want to make the right decisions,\u201d Ferguson shared. \u201cI feel like that\u2019s why people love Bakari. That\u2019s why people want to support him, and don\u2019t want to see anything [bad] happen to him. Because, flaws and all, you see his heart, and you see it\u2019s genuine. But growing up in these urban areas, it\u2019s hard to find a way out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
In many respects, Ferguson\u2019s part on \u201cThe Chi\u201d gave him a way out of his hometown of Gary, Indiana, a \u201crough place\u201d he says could\u2019ve gotten the best of him, too, had Waithe not offered him his breakthrough role.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cI spoke with Lena briefly as we were wrapping [the show], and I just told her, \u2018Thank you for everything. I don\u2019t know what I would be doing if I wasn\u2019t doing this,\u2019\u201d the young actor recalled. \u201cBecause I didn\u2019t go to [college] \u2026 but by the grace of God, I was provided an opportunity like \u2018The Chi\u2019 to keep me busy and show me what my future could be. To make me be like, \u2018OK, this is my walk, this is my purpose and this is what I\u2019m gonna do.\u2019\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Former](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61b7841700002709b3d54f.jpg?ops=crop_34_34_5886_3886%2Cscalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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Former child actor Shamon Brown Jr. began his journey with \u201cThe Chi\u201d at age 13.<\/div>\n
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Similarly, \u201cThe Chi\u201d changed the trajectory of Shamon Brown Jr.\u2019s life as well. The 22-year-old former child actor joined the series at 13, playing the lovable Papa, one of the original core kids alongside Hibbert\u2019s Kevin and Epps\u2019 Jake.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cGrowing up on a TV show like \u2018The Chi\u2019 is different than growing up on a sitcom or on Disney Channel,\u201d Brown recalled of his journey. \u201cI felt like, career-wise, I had a different stepping stone compared to other child actors. To do it on this show, it was amazing. I felt like it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I can speak for a lot of the other kids who grew up on the show with me when I say it definitely shaped us; not only for our future careers but our lives in general.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Over the past eight seasons, Brown\u2019s Papa has become one of the most beloved characters on \u201cThe Chi,\u201d known as the moral compass and voice of reason within his friend group. But like many on the show, the writers threw the young man a curveball toward the end of the series to see how he, too, experiences the kind of pain and complexity that comes with real life. Hence, his journey took a darker turn in Season 6 after his father\u2019s murder, and again at the start of the final season after losing another father figure, Pastor Zeke (Daniel J. Watts).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cI think that it was needed,\u201d Brown said of Papa\u2019s heartbreaking arc, noting that enduring such profound loss was \u201cone of the most human things\u201d that could have happened to his character.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cFor the longest time, we\u2019ve seen Papa as this golden child, perfect preacher boy. But this season, we finally get to see him break down,\u201d the actor continued. \u201cI feel like even when he lost his actual father, we never saw him get to be human and fully deal with his emotions past the funeral. So now, this season, he gets to focus on himself, as opposed to all the seasons where he\u2019s been focused on everybody else. Now you get to see him really deal with all his issues. Maybe not in the most positive way, but you get to see his journey this season of finally stepping into his reflection of self.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\u201cI\u2019m](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61a0321700006d09b3d521.jpg?ops=crop_3_16_1677_1035%2Cscalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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\u201cI\u2019m standing in the room with legends and greats, and it really means something when you just take a moment to see who you\u2019re surrounded by,\u201d Baker says of working with veteran actors like Wendy Raquel Robinson (pictured above) on \u201cThe Chi.\u201d<\/div>\n
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If nothing else, the final season of \u201cThe Chi\u201d has hammered home what made the Showtime series so special when it debuted nearly a decade ago. All the meaningful moments of redemption, triumph, community and love outweigh even the heaviest of losses the show\u2019s South Side residents have endured, right down to the full-circle series finale. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
From its earliest episodes, \u201cThe Chi\u201d has asked whether its characters could withstand the challenges life placed in front of them \u2014 betrayal, trauma, heartbreak, death, you name it. But after eight seasons, the answer is clear: their greatest strength came not from avoiding life\u2019s storms, but from learning how to weather them, together. And that\u2019s always been the spirit of the show.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cIt really is about a celebration of love and endurance,\u201d Hillian said. \u201cThe pilot, the way that first episode ends, it\u2019s like, oh man, are these people going to be OK? How is this going to resolve itself? The natural conclusion to that is these people are so strong, so determined and so together, there\u2019s nothing that can break them. So, even though there may be more tragedy to come, they\u2019re ultimately going to be just fine, because the city is going to keep on going.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\u201cThe](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a61b32b190000c92058bbf8.jpg?ops=scalefit_1280_noupscale\")
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