Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
South Side drama
Chicago may be known for deep-dish pizza, the Sears Tower and the Bears, but the Windy City is also notorious for unusually high crime rates. Beyond the statistics and the headlines are stories of vibrant people struggling for a better life, and a new series shines a light on life on the city’s South Side.
A group of people find themselves bound together when tragedy strikes their neighborhood in “The Chi,” airing Sunday, Jan. 28, on Showtime. The gritty, 10-episode drama was created by Emmy winner Lena Waithe (“Master of None”), who based the series on her experiences growing up in Chicago. The program introduces viewers to a diverse community that includes youngsters, parents, dreamers, a drifter and a benevolent cop seeking justice.
“I hope when they watch the show, they connect with these characters. The truth is we’re all a lot more alike than we think,” Waithe said in a trailer for the show.
Jason Mitchell (“Mudbound,” 2017) leads the ensemble cast as Brandon, an aspiring chef who dreams of one day opening a restaurant with his girlfriend, Jerrika (Tiffany Boone, “The Following”). Young actor Alex Hibbert (“Moonlight,” 2016) plays Brandon’s brother, Kevin, a pre-teen whose life is disrupted when he witnesses something shocking. Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (“Heroes”) portrays Ronnie, a drifter. Carefree teen Emmett (Jacob Latimore, “The Maze Runner,” 2014) suddenly finds himself with new responsibilities, which he handles with advice from his mother, Jada (Yolanda Ross, “Stranger Inside,” 2001). Meanwhile, Det. Cruz (Armando Riesco, “Garden State,” 2004) keeps a watchful eye as he strives for justice, not incarceration.
“The Chi” is executive produced by Waithe, Elwood Reid (“Hawaii Five-0”), Aaron Kaplan (“Life in Pieces”), Rick
Famuyiwa (“Dope,” 2015) and recording artist Common, an outspoken Chicago native. The Grammy-winning rapper is undeniably excited to bring the story of his city to prime time.
“This is the story I want to tell about our city,” Common said in a promo for the show. “We are a colorful, incredible, beautiful people that are dealing with some tough situations.”
While police procedurals are familiar prime-time fare, fewer series explore how people in rough neighborhoods cope with the day-to-day challenges of life in the city. Showtime’s series takes a multigenerational approach with an ensemble cast that ranges from child actors to seasoned veterans of film and television.
Mitchell is a rising star in Hollywood, thanks to his recent turn in “Mudbound,” which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last January and garnered significant Oscar buzz for the actor’s portrayal of a World War II veteran. He began his career in such films as “Contraband” (2012) and “Broken City” (2013) before gaining attention from critics for his role as rapper Eazy-E in the 2015 biopic “Straight Outta Compton.”
Playwright, actor, photographer and documentarian Mwine was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his role in a national touring production of “Six Degrees of Separation” in 1992. He made his film debut in “Blood Diamond” (2006), and his TV credits include “Heroes,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “The Riches” and “Treme.”
Mwine’s “The Chi” co-star Ross also had a role in HBO’s “Treme.” Her work in the cabler’s “Stranger Inside” earned her a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. She’s appeared in other prime-time hits, such as “Third Watch,” “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Like Ross, Riesco is a “Law & Order” alum, though he’s more well known for his work in the independent films “Pieces of April” (2003) and “Garden State” (2004), along with the Hollywood action flick “National Treasure” (2004), the acclaimed drama “25th Hour” (2002) and the romantic comedy “Fever Pitch” (2005).
Other cast members have amassed an impressive list of big-screen and small-screen credits. A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, Boone is best known as Mandy Lang in Fox’s now defunct drama “The Following.” Hibbert appeared in the Best Picture Oscar-winning “Moonlight.” Latimore started his career as a rapper before turning his attention to acting in such films as “Ride Along” (2014) and “Collateral Beauty” (2016).
Sonja Sohn (“The Wire”), Jahking Guillory (“Kicks,” 2016) and Steven Williams (“The X-Files”) have recurring roles in “The Chi” as well.
Of course, the heart of the series is Waithe, whose passion for the subject matter and locale shine through. She’s given “The Chi” authenticity by filming the entire show on location in Chicago, her hometown, where she’d dreamed of becoming a television writer since she was a child. She’s written for Fox’s “Bones” and Nickelodeon’s “How to Rock,” among other television series. In 2017, she made history when she became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for an episode of “Master of None.”
Now a few weeks in, “The Chi” kicked off Showtime’s original programming with its Jan. 7 broadcast premiere. However, viewers could access the premiere episode as of Dec. 15 via YouTube, Facebook, SHO.com and other platforms when Showtime released the debut for early sampling.