Showtime’s The Chi: What to expect in season 2

Alex Hibbert as Kevin, Shamon Brown Jr. as Papa and Michael Epps as Jake in THE CHI (Season 2, Episode 01, “Eruptions”). – Photo: Parrish Lewis/SHOWTIME – Photo ID: THECHI_201_571.R.JPG

Will Papa and Kevin be able to convince Jake (Micheal Epps) to give up the gangster lifestyle? Quentin (Steven Williams) seemed to favor Jake more than Reggie. All signs point to the kids being left out of the black market hustles. If not, will one of them become just the latest statistic logged into the coroner’s office computer?

Everything is possible in The Chi, but one wrong move can end everything. The Showtime series The Chi is a sobering but artistic look into all the lives that can be led in those few square miles.

The Chi executive producer and showrunner Ayanna Floyd Davis, who went to graduate school in Chicago, believes this second season will be able to address more of the struggles in the Windy City. Davis told Awards Daily, that she is excited to join Lena Waithe in explaining the cities problems, as well as “these characters and tell these stories about a community that I was once a part of.”

Concerning the direction and mood of The Chi season two, Davis elaborated:

"We definitely made a conscious effort to balance the joy and pain of life in a community like this. I once heard someone say that people “like black people’s rhythm, but not our blues.” We got some rhythm and we got some blues. The challenge is trying to disburse that properly throughout the show. That’s why the first episode of season two starts out so aspirational with Brandon trying to rebuild his life after losing his brother. We want to stay true to the world and keep the grit, but also have some lightness and some fun."

Steven Williams is no longer the old head of gangster wisdom in The Chi season 2. Instead, Davis revealed that Curtiss Cook will play a more polished street gangster named Douda. Chicago is the home of Larry Hoover, the Gangster Disciples, and the present day murder capital of America, there had to be some tough underworld dealings exposed in season 2.

An accidental murder on the fringes of gang life led to Ronnie killing an innocent child, in revenge for the shooting death of Ronnie’s own young son. It is only correct to how the collateral damage of a city ignoring the worst actions within the city limits.

City Hall and the Chicago Police Department are viewed with more cynicism than the gangs running the less fortunate neighborhoods. Those neighborhoods have good reason to distrust the CPD, and season two will show a few examples of why citizens are suspicious of the badges.

Catch up on The Chi season one with Showtime on demand. The first few episodes of The Chi are available to watch for free at Sho.com now.