Lena Waithe first gained attention for the Netflix dramedy, Master of None, starring Aziz Ansari. Waithe played Denise in the show, but along with acting in the series, she was also responsible for writing. She became the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series in 2017, for the incredible, much-lauded “Thanksgiving” episode. Her versatility also extends to showing off her acting skills in the 2018 film Ready Player One and the HBO science fiction series Westworld.
However, one of Waithe’s most impressive achievements is her role as creator of the Showtime drama series The Chi. Now in its seventh season, the series has proved that Waithe has a unique and compelling perspective, and will likely only continue to churn out high-quality entertainment in the future. Even though The Chi has somehow managed to fly under the radar for many television viewers, it is definitely still worth a binge-watch today.
‘The Chi’ Centers Around a Tight-Knit Chicago Neighborhood
The Chi debuted in 2018 to positive reviews, with Collider praising “the way it makes each of its stories unique and instantly worth investing in.” The series features a look at a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, with the characters’ stories all woven seamlessly into one another. The first season revolves around a tragic event that sends shockwaves throughout the community. By focusing on how the event impacts many different individuals, the writing accurately portrays how one single act can have a harmful and long-lasting ripple effect.
Because we see life through various characters’ perspectives, we can better understand how the neighborhood is degraded by violence, drug dealing, and poverty. Whether it’s an arc about an elderly grandmother being forced out of her home because of gentrification or a white cop who tries to help (but tends to just make things worse), The Chi offers an unflinchingly honest and dramatic look at Chicago.
Particularly heartwrenching are the storylines that center around a young boy named Kevin (Alex R. Hibbert) and his best friends. They try to take part in normal coming-of-age tribulations, but they’re also plagued by the violence that has spread throughout their community. The Chi makes sure to include some lighthearted moments (such as Kevin and his friends finding themselves roped into participating in a school production of The Wiz in Season 1), but it’s also clear how their childhood is constantly being cut short because of the trauma also taking place in their lives.
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The coming-of-age series, created by Lena Waithe, is a story about the consequences of street violence as normal life.
The kids joke around with each other, play video games, and survive their first co-ed parties, but they’re also struggling with gunfights at block parties and a heightened police presence around them. The Chi perfectly captures how hard it is to grow up in environments that aren’t always safe, but how, for some children, it’s also just a way of life.
The Actors in ‘The Chi’ Make the Series a Must-Watch
It’s not just Kevin’s story that we get an eagle-eye view of. We also meet Brandon (Jason Mitchell), who is an aspiring chef trying to create a better life for himself and his girlfriend, Jerrika (Tiffany Boone), Ronnie (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), who is directly touched by a violent event, and Emmett (Jacob Latimore), a playboy who hustles selling sneakers to pay child support. Despite the dark undertones of the events occurring in the neighborhood, The Chi also makes sure to include some levity, capturing the good times these characters experience, just as much as the bad.
The reason the viewer feels so invested in these characters has much to do with the stellar acting on display. Each character feels realistic, so we feel like we’re transported right to Chicago, watching their lives unfold. Waithe has such a talent for writing natural dialogue that flows, which also helps to effortlessly move between the different characters’ storylines.
Besides the main actors, many of whom have been with the show since Season 1, there have been some outstanding supporting cast members throughout the show’s run. Sonja Sohn (Will Trent) is particularly impressive as Brandon’s mother in the earlier seasons. Common serves as an executive producer for the show, and also pops up in the first two seasons as community leader Rafiq. Other actors such as La La Anthony, Kandi Burruss (of Real Housewives of Atlanta fame), Lil Rel Howery, and Lynn Whitfield have all brought their acting talents to the series. Even Waithe herself appears in Season 3 as a woman running for mayor. The Chi has been able to rely on this talented cast of regulars, but they’ve also brought in new actors to keep things fresh in subsequent seasons.
‘The Chi’ Continues To Shine in an Action-Packed Season 7
The show has morphed over the seasons as Kevin has grown up. Although Hibbert is still a cast member, he’s no longer the child he was when the show started. That means that The Chi doesn’t focus as much on coming-of-age themes in its current iteration, but it remains a gripping series about family, friends, and community. Despite some changes, the throughline of the show is still present: everyone is just struggling to survive in a community that is complicated by violence and by some powerful people’s quest for even more money and control.
It also continuously demonstrates that even communities that are surrounded by pain still somehow find the ability to laugh and love. Waithe noted in an interview with Collider that she wanted to truly capture the beauty of Chicago, saying, “It’s a hard-working city, it’s a strong city, it’s a resilient city, and it’s a beautiful city. It’s full of culture, music, art, love, and passion.”
The Chi is currently in its seventh season, and surprisingly, is somehow managing to grow its audience (which is not typically seen with shows that have been on the air for so long). The Season 7 premiere had the best ratings for any prior season of The Chi, resulting in Paramount+ with Showtime renewing the series right away for an eighth season. Even though the show is so far into its run, it’s not too late to catch this sleeper hit for yourself. With its authentic characters and compelling drama, no one should miss out on watching The Chi.
The Chi is now streaming on Showtime.
