# The Chi

The Chi (/ˈʃaɪ/ SHY) is an American drama television series created by Lena Waithe about life in a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. It premiered on Showtime on January 7, 2018. In August 2022, the series was renewed for a sixth season. On June 21, 2023, it was announced that the sixth season would consist of 16 episodes split into two parts. Part 1 premiered on August 6, 2023, and part 2 premiered on May 12, 2024. In May 2024, the series was renewed for a seventh season which is set to premiere on May 18, 2025.

## Premise

The Chi is described as following "a fateful turn of events that sends shockwaves through a community on the Southside of Chicago and connects the lives of Emmett, Brandon, Ronnie and Kevin in unexpected ways."

## Cast

| Name | Portrayed by | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons |
| Name | Portrayed by | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Brandon Johnson | Jason Mitchell | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Ronnie Davis | Ntare Mwine | Main | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Emmett Washington | Jacob Latimore | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Kevin Williams | Alex R. Hibbert | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Jerrika Little | Tiffany Boone | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Jada Washington | Yolonda Ross | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Detective Armando Cruz | Armando Riesco | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Reg Taylor | Barton Fitzpatrick | Recurring | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Jake Taylor | Michael V. Epps | Recurring | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Stanley "Papa" Jackson | Shamon Brown Jr. | Recurring | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Kiesha Williams | Birgundi Baker | Recurring | Recurring | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Victor "Trig" Taylor | Luke James | Does not appear | Does not appear | Recurring | Main | Main | Main |
| Otis "Douda" Perry | Curtiss Cook | Does not appear | Recurring | Recurring | Main | Main | Main |

### Main

* Jason Mitchell as Brandon Johnson (seasons 1–2)
* Ntare Mwine as Ronnie Davis (seasons 1–3)
* Jacob Latimore as Emmett Washington
* Alex R. Hibbert as Kevin Williams (seasons 1–6)
* Tiffany Boone as Jerrika Little (seasons 1–2), Brandon's girlfriend
* Yolonda Ross as Jada Washington, Emmett's mother
* Armando Riesco as Detective Cruz (seasons 1–2)
* Rolando Boyce as Darnell (season 2–present), Emmett's father
* Barton Fitzpatrick as Reg Taylor (season 2; recurring; season 1), Jake's older brother and gang leader
* Shamon Brown Jr. as Stanley "Papa" Jackson (season 2—present; recurring; season 1), Kevin and Jake's best friend
* Michael V. Epps as Jake Taylor (season 2–present; recurring; season 1), Kevin and Papa's best friend and Reg and Trig's younger brother
* Birgundi Baker as Kiesha Williams (season 3–present; recurring; seasons 1–2), Kevin's older sister
* Luke James as Victor "Trig" Taylor (season 4–present; recurring; season 3), Reg and Jake's estranged older brother
* Curtiss Cook as Otis "Douda" Perry (seasons 4–6; recurring; seasons 2–3)
* Lynn Whitfield as Alicia (season 7; recurring season 6), Shaad's lover

### Recurring

* Lucien Cambric as Jason Roxboro (season 1)
* Jahking Guillory as Charles Frederick "Coogie" Johnson (seasons 1, 5, and 6)
* Brian King as Detective Wallace (season 1)
* Steven Williams as Quentin "Q" Dickinson (seasons 1 and 5), a kingpin elder
* Tosin Morohunfola as Trice (season 1)
* Byron Bowers as Meldrick (season 1)
* Sonja Sohn as Laverne Johnson (seasons 1, 3 and 4), Brandon's mother
* Cedric Young as Sonny (seasons 1–3), Q's brother and Emmett's boss
* LaDonna Tittle as Ethel Davis (seasons 1–3), Ronnie's grandmother
* Tyla Abercrumbie as Nina Williams (seasons 1–6), Kevin and Keisha's mother
* Sherrice Eaglin as Vanessa "Peaches" Taylor (seasons 5-6) Jake Trig and Reg mother a recovering a heroin addict
* Hannaha Hall as Tiffany, the mother of Emmett's child
* José Antonio García as Mr. Gasca (seasons 1–2), Kevin's teacher
* Genesis Denise Hale as Maisha
* Mariah Gordon as Andrea (season 1)
* Chris Lee as Hannibal (seasons 1–3), Brandon's cousin
* Tai Davis as Tracy Roxboro, Jason's mother
* Common as Rafiq (seasons 1–2)
* Crystal Dickinson as Detective Alice Toussaint (season 2)
* Miriam A. Hyman as Dre (season 3–present), Nina's partner who is a high school counselor
* Jasmine Davis as Imani (seasons 3 and 4), Trig's girlfriend
* La La Anthony as Dominque "Dom" Morris (seasons 3–present)
* Cortez Smith as Nuck (season 3–present), Douda's former right-hand man, In season 6 finale, he kills Douda and take over, as new leader of the 63rd street mob.
* Judae'a Brown as Jemma (season 3–present)
* Kandi Burruss as Roselyn Perry (season 3–present), Douda's estranged wife
* Lena Waithe as Camille Hallaway (season 3), a mayoral candidate
* Lil Rel Howery as Zeke Remnick (season 3), Sonny's landlord.
* L'lerrét Jazelle as Fatima (season 5–present), Victor's love interest
* Ahmad Ferguson as Bakari (season 3–present)
* Tabitha Brown as Octavia (season 4)
* Jason Weaver as Rashaad "Shaad" Marshall (season 4–present)
* Vic Mensa as Jamal (seasons 4 and 6)
* Da Brat as LaPorsha (seasons 4 and 6)
* Cory Hardrict as Dante (season 4–present)
* Zaria Imani Primer as Lynae (season 4–present)
* Iman Shumpert as Rob (seasons 4–6), Tiffany's love interest
* Amari Ferguson as Britney (season 6)
* Kadeem Hardison as Professor Gardner (season 6)
* Jill Marie Jones as Bianca (season 6)
* Leon Robinson as Alonzo (season 6), Alicia's ex-husband, Rob's father
* Kennedy Amaya as Kenya (season 6–present), Papa's love interest & Zay's lover
* Aaron Guy as Zay (season 6–present), Kenya's lover
* Daniel J. Watts as Pastor Keke, (seasons 6–present)
* Brett Gray as Damien (season 6–present), Darnell's son, Emmett's half-brother
* Rotimi as Charles (season 7–present; guest season 6), a former assistant of Pastor Zeke, who returns to church for a second chance

## Episodes

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | December 15, 2017 (2017-12-15) (online) January 7, 2018 (2018-01-07) (Showtime) | March 18, 2018 (2018-03-18) |
| 2 | 10 | 10 | April 4, 2019 (2019-04-04) (online) April 7, 2019 (2019-04-07) (Showtime) | June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16) |
| 3 | 10 | 10 | June 21, 2020 (2020-06-21) | August 23, 2020 (2020-08-23) |
| 4 | 10 | 10 | May 23, 2021 (2021-05-23) | August 1, 2021 (2021-08-01) |
| 5 | 10 | 10 | June 24, 2022 (2022-06-24) (online) June 26, 2022 (2022-06-26) | September 4, 2022 (2022-09-04) |
| 6 | 16 | 8 | August 6, 2023 (2023-08-06) | September 24, 2023 (2023-09-24) |
| 6 | 16 | 8 | May 12, 2024 (2024-05-12) | June 30, 2024 (2024-06-30) |

### Season 1 (2018)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Rick Famuyiwa | Lena Waithe | December 15, 2017 (2017-12-15) (online) January 7, 2018 (2018-01-07) (Showtime) | 1BEO78 | 0.533 |
| 2 | 2 | "Alee" | David Rodriguez | Elwood Reid & Lena Waithe | January 7, 2018 (2018-01-07) (online) January 14, 2018 (2018-01-14) (Showtime) | 1BEO02 | 0.570 |
| 3 | 3 | "Ghosts" | David Rodriguez | Adam Glass & Ayanna Floyd Davis | January 21, 2018 (2018-01-21) | 1BEO03 | 0.707 |
| 4 | 4 | "Quaking Grass" | Tanya Hamilton | Story by : Elwood Reid & Mike Flynn Teleplay by : Elwood Reid & Justin Hillian | January 28, 2018 (2018-01-28) | 1BEO04 | 0.751 |
| 5 | 5 | "Today Was a Good Day" | Darren Grant | Marcus Gardley | February 11, 2018 (2018-02-11) | 1BEO05 | 0.679 |
| 6 | 6 | "Penetrate a Fraud" | Roxann Dawson | Casallina Kisakye | February 18, 2018 (2018-02-18) | 1BEO06 | 0.673 |
| 7 | 7 | "The Whistle" | David Rodriguez | Lena Waithe & Dime Davis | February 25, 2018 (2018-02-25) | 1BEO07 | 0.791 |
| 8 | 8 | "Wallets" | Tanya Hamilton | Adam Glass & Marcus Gardley | March 4, 2018 (2018-03-04) | 1BEO08 | 0.675 |
| 9 | 9 | "Namaste Muthafucka" | Zetna Fuentes | Adam Glass & Sylvia L. Jones | March 11, 2018 (2018-03-11) | 1BEO09 | 0.797 |
| 10 | 10 | "Ease on Down the Road" | Justin Tipping | Elwood Reid | March 18, 2018 (2018-03-18) | 1BEO10 | 0.872 |

### Season 2 (2019)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 11 | 1 | "Eruptions" | Jet Wilkinson | Ayanna Floyd Davis & Lena Waithe | April 4, 2019 (2019-04-04) (online) April 7, 2019 (2019-04-07) (Showtime) | 2BEO01 | 0.454 |
| 12 | 2 | "Every Day I'm Hustlin'" | Darren Grant | Joe Wilson | April 14, 2019 (2019-04-14) | 2BEO02 | 0.375 |
| 13 | 3 | "Past Due" | Justin Tipping | J. David Shanks | April 21, 2019 (2019-04-21) | 2BEO03 | 0.339 |
| 14 | 4 | "Showdown" | Carl Seaton | Casallina Kisakye | April 28, 2019 (2019-04-28) | 2BEO04 | 0.392 |
| 15 | 5 | "Feeling the Heat" | Jet Wilkinson | Ayanna Floyd Davis & Joe Wilson | May 5, 2019 (2019-05-05) | 2BEO05 | 0.439 |
| 16 | 6 | "A Leg Up" | Cheryl Dunye | Justin Hillian & Dime Davis | May 12, 2019 (2019-05-12) | 2BEO06 | 0.397 |
| 17 | 7 | "A Blind Eye" | Rebecca Rodriguez | Cinque Henderson & J. David Shanks | May 26, 2019 (2019-05-26) | 2BEO07 | 0.350 |
| 18 | 8 | "Lean Into It" | Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Terri Kopp | June 2, 2019 (2019-06-02) | 2BEO08 | 0.328 |
| 19 | 9 | "Guilt, Viral Videos, and Ass Whuppings" | Tanya Hamilton | Joe Wilson | June 9, 2019 (2019-06-09) | 2BEO09 | 0.427 |
| 20 | 10 | "The Scorpion and the Frog" | Jet Wilkinson | Ayanna Floyd Davis | June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16) | 2BEO10 | 0.474 |

### Season 3 (2020)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 21 | 1 | "Foe 'Nem" | Jet Wilkinson | Lena Waithe & Justin Hillian | June 21, 2020 (2020-06-21) | 3BEO01 | 0.348 |
| 22 | 2 | "Brewfurd" | Rashaad Ernesto Green | Marcus Gardley | June 28, 2020 (2020-06-28) | 3BEO02 | 0.347 |
| 23 | 3 | "Buss Down" | Gandja Monteiro | Lolis Eric Elie | July 5, 2020 (2020-07-05) | 3BEO03 | 0.351 |
| 24 | 4 | "Gangway" | Jet Wilkinson | T.J. Brady & Rasheed Newson | July 12, 2020 (2020-07-12) | 3BEO04 | 0.367 |
| 25 | 5 | "Terror Town" | Jet Wilkinson | Ricardo Gamboa & Nambi E. Kelley | July 19, 2020 (2020-07-19) | 3BEO05 | 0.438 |
| 26 | 6 | "Woo Woo Woo" | Darren Grant | Jewel McPherson | July 26, 2020 (2020-07-26) | 3BEO06 | 0.525 |
| 27 | 7 | "A Stain" | Sam Bailey | Marcus Gardley & Jade Branion | August 2, 2020 (2020-08-02) | 3BEO07 | 0.415 |
| 28 | 8 | "Frunchroom" | Jet Wilkinson | Justin Hillian | August 9, 2020 (2020-08-09) | 3BEO08 | 0.430 |
| 29 | 9 | "Lackin'" | Alonso Alvarez Barreda | T.J. Brady & Rasheed Newson | August 16, 2020 (2020-08-16) | 3BEO09 | 0.384 |
| 30 | 10 | "A Couple, Two, Three" | Rebecca Rodriguez | Justin Hillian & Jewel McPherson | August 23, 2020 (2020-08-23) | 3BEO10 | 0.382 |

### Season 4 (2021)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 31 | 1 | "Soul Food" | Gandja Monteiro | Lena Waithe & Justin Hillian | May 21, 2021 (2021-05-21) (online) May 23, 2021 (2021-05-23) (Showtime) | 4BEO01 | 0.335 |
| 32 | 2 | "Cooley High" | Gandja Monteiro | Jewel Coronel | May 30, 2021 (2021-05-30) | 4BEO02 | 0.404 |
| 33 | 3 | "Native Son" | Samir Rehem | Patrik-Ian Polk | June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06) | 4BEO03 | 0.310 |
| 34 | 4 | "The Girl From Chicago" | Samir Rehem | Resheida Brady | June 13, 2021 (2021-06-13) | 4BEO04 | 0.284 |
| 35 | 5 | "The Spook Who Sat By The Door" | Gandja Monteiro | Ricardo Gamboa | June 20, 2021 (2021-06-20) | 4BEO05 | 0.235 |
| 36 | 6 | "Candyman" | Nancy C. Mejía | James Rogers III | June 27, 2021 (2021-06-27) | 4BEO06 | 0.284 |
| 37 | 7 | "...Black Messiah" | Kimi Howl Lee | Jewel Coronel & Kristiana Rae Colón | July 11, 2021 (2021-07-11) | 4BEO07 | 0.253 |
| 38 | 8 | "Love Jones" | Katrelle N. Kindred | Justin Hillian & Resheida Brady | July 18, 2021 (2021-07-18) | 4BEO08 | 0.324 |
| 39 | 9 | "Southside With You" | Nancy C. Mejía | Jewel Coronel & Deonte' Staats | July 25, 2021 (2021-07-25) | 4BEO09 | 0.258 |
| 40 | 10 | "A Raisin in the Sun" | Gandja Monteiro | Justin Hillian | August 1, 2021 (2021-08-01) | 4BEO10 | 0.289 |

### Season 5 (2022)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 41 | 1 | "Overnight Celebrity" | Nancy C. Mejía | Lena Waithe & Justin Hillian | June 24, 2022 (2022-06-24) (online) June 26, 2022 (2022-06-26) (Showtime) | 5BEO01 | 0.152 |
| 42 | 2 | "Oh Girl" | Katrelle N. Kindred | Jewel Coronel | July 3, 2022 (2022-07-03) | 5BEO02 | 0.187 |
| 43 | 3 | "This Christmas" | Katrelle N. Kindred | Resheida Brady | July 10, 2022 (2022-07-10) | 5BEO03 | 0.209 |
| 44 | 4 | "On Me" | Deondray Gossfield & Quincy LeNear Gossfield | Kristiana Rae Colón | July 17, 2022 (2022-07-17) | 5BEO04 | 0.235 |
| 45 | 5 | "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" | Boma Iluma | Ricardo Gamboa | July 24, 2022 (2022-07-24) | 5BEO05 | 0.249 |
| 46 | 6 | "Bring It On Home To Me" | Cierra 'Shooter' Glaudé | Shaye Ogbonna | July 31, 2022 (2022-07-31) | 5BEO06 | 0.203 |
| 47 | 7 | "Angels" | Cierra 'Shooter' Glaudé | Mia Brumfield & Jewel Coronel | August 7, 2022 (2022-08-07) | 5BEO07 | 0.196 |
| 48 | 8 | "Sweet Thing" | Nancy C. Mejía | Resheida Brady | August 14, 2022 (2022-08-14) | 5BEO08 | 0.207 |
| 49 | 9 | "I'm Looking For A New Thing" | Marvin Lemus | Ricardo Gamboa | August 28, 2022 (2022-08-28) | 5BEO09 | 0.218 |
| 50 | 10 | "I Am The Blues" | Nancy C. Mejía | Jewel Coronel | September 4, 2022 (2022-09-04) | 5BEO10 | 0.148 |

### Season 6 (2023–24)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| Part 1 ||||||||
| 51 | 1 | "New Chi City" | Nancy C. Mejía | Lena Waithe & Justin Hillian | August 6, 2023 (2023-08-06) | 6BEO01 | 0.192 |
| 52 | 2 | "Mo' Douda, Mo' Problems" | Johnson Cheng | Jewel Coronel | August 13, 2023 (2023-08-13) | 6BEO02 | 0.196 |
| 53 | 3 | "House Party" | Rashaad Ernesto Green | Resheida Brady & Mia A. Brumfield | August 20, 2023 (2023-08-20) | 6BEO03 | 0.151 |
| 54 | 4 | "ReUp" | Anthony Shim | Kristiana Rae Colón | August 27, 2023 (2023-08-27) | 6BEO04 | 0.169 |
| 55 | 5 | "One of Them Nights" | Johnson Cheng | Racquel Baker | September 3, 2023 (2023-09-03) | 6BEO05 | 0.170 |
| 56 | 6 | "Boyz II Men" | Shanrica Evans | Whitney Beckwith & Jewel Coronel | September 10, 2023 (2023-09-10) | 6BEO06 | 0.117 |
| 57 | 7 | "Long Live" | Boma Iluma | Mia A. Brumfield & Kristiana Rae Colon | September 17, 2023 (2023-09-17) | 6BEO07 | 0.163 |
| 58 | 8 | "Who Shot Ya?" | Rashaad Ernesto Green | Resheida Brady | September 24, 2023 (2023-09-24) | 6BEO08 | 0.165 |
| Part 2 ||||||||
| 59 | 9 | "The Aftermath" | Boma Iluma | Lena Waithe & Justin Hillian | May 12, 2024 (2024-05-12) | 6BEO09 | 0.096 |
| 60 | 10 | "Want This Smoke" | Stacy Pascal Gaspard | Jewel Coronel | May 19, 2024 (2024-05-19) | 6BEO10 | 0.096 |
| 61 | 11 | "Saints & Sinners" | Malakai | Racquel Baker & Mia A. Brumfield | May 26, 2024 (2024-05-26) | 6BEO11 | 0.118 |
| 62 | 12 | "City of Gold" | Deondray Goosfield & Quincy LeNear Gossfield | Kristiana Rae Colon | June 2, 2024 (2024-6-2) | 6BEO12 | 0.132 |
| 63 | 13 | "Legacy" | Malakai | Whitney Beckwith & Jewel Coronel | June 9, 2024 (2024-6-9) | 6BEO13 | 0.092 |
| 64 | 14 | "Smoke & Mirrors" | Deondray Goosfield & Quincy LeNear Gossfield | Racquel Callahan | June 16, 2024 (2024-6-16) | 6BEO14 | N/A |
| 65 | 15 | "Tower of Terror" | Justin Hillian | Mia A. Brumfield & Jewel Coronel | June 23, 2024 (2024-6-23) | 6BEO15 | N/A |
| 66 | 16 | "Thanksgiving" | Deondray Goosfield & Quincy LeNear Gossfield | Resheida Brady | June 30, 2024 (2024-6-30) | 6BEO16 | N/A |

## Production

On January 30, 2018, Showtime renewed the series for a second season which premiered on April 7, 2019. On April 30, 2019, Showtime renewed the series for a third season which premiered on June 21, 2020. On May 20, 2019, it was announced that Jason Mitchell would not be returning to the show for season 3 because of "misconduct allegations". His character was killed off in the season 3 premiere. On September 8, 2020, Showtime renewed the series for a fourth season which premiered on May 23, 2021. In March 2021, production on the series was paused due to a positive COVID-19 test. On August 2, 2021, after the conclusion of the fourth season, it was announced that the series was renewed for a fifth season. The fifth season premiered on June 24, 2022. On August 18, 2022, the series was renewed for season six before the conclusion of season five. On May 8, 2024, Paramount+ With Showtime renewed the series for a seventh season that wrapped production on early October 2024. The seventh season is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ With Showtime on May 16, 2025, before making its air debut two days later on Showtime.

## Release

The Chi premiered on January 7, 2018, on Showtime.

## Reception
### Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 87% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Like an optimistic companion to The Wire, The Chi explores the complexities of life in the South Side of Chicago, with a tender touch and a clear affection for its captivating characters." On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

### Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2018 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | Rick Famuyiwa | Won |
| 2018 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series | Lena Waithe | Nominated |
| 2018 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Jacob Latimore | Nominated |
| 2018 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Common | Nominated |
| 2018 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Barry M. Berg, Common, Derek Dudley, Rick Famuyiwa, Aaron Kaplan, Erin Mitchell, Elwood Reid, Shelby Stone and Lena Waithe | Nominated |
| 2018 | ReFrame Stamp | IMDbPro Top 200 Scripted TV Recipients | The Chi | Won |
| 2021 | Gracie Allen Awards | Writer Scripted - Drama | Lena Waithe | Won |
| 2021 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series) | Alex R. Hibbert | Nominated |
| 2021 | ReFrame Stamp | IMDbPro Top 200 Scripted TV Recipients | The Chi | Won |
| 2021 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Series - Leading Young Artist | Alex R. Hibbert | Nominated |
| 2022 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | The Chi | Nominated |