(L-R) – Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Jason Mitchell, Alex Hibbert, Jacob Latimore — Photo: Michael Buckner/SHOWTIME(LOS ANGELES) — Newly-minted showrunner Ayanna Floyd had a clear vision for the second season of Showtime’s drama The Chi.
“We go deeper, keep the grit of season 1, but I think this year is more heartfelt and funnier,” the veteran of shows like Hannibal and Empire tells Entertainment Weekly. “We do have some fun.”
She also makes this prediction: “Season 2 is going to be better.”
Creator Lena Waithe’s show takes an unvarnished look into life in Chicago, centering on four men at different points in their lives — from navigating school in a city so violent there’s no guarantee you’ll grow up, to raising a new baby, to a life behind bars.
“I wanted to go deeper in the characters and ground and explore and humanize this journey for black men in Chicago and make people see them the way I see them,” Floyd tells EW. “I felt like the best version of the show was exploring the four stages of black manhood.”
But it’s not all about the men, who include Jacob Latimore’s Emmett, Alex Hibbert’s Kevin, Jason Mitchell’s Brandon and Ronnie, played by Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine. Yolonda Ross, Tiffany Boone, and Waithe also star.
“I don’t think you can tell a man’s story, particularly a black man’s story, without a black woman’s story,” Floyd points out.
Floyd tells the magazine, “It’s a really complete season; it’s emotional, it’s fun, and it’s more Chicago. It really feels like the South Side.”
The Chi returns Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.
Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.