Hakeem Franklin

**Hakeem Franklin** is a main character in the first season of *Maddox*. He is portrayed by Wesley Carter.

## Biography

Hakeem is the son of Ali and Tamika Franklin and half-brother of Jamal Franklin on his father's side. He grew up with a love of film, which he picked up on from Jamal. In elementary school he met and befriended Ehsan Patel. At some point in his life, he started playing basketball.

## *Maddox*

### Season 1

In "Pilot", Hakeem is invited to Boogie's back-to-school party, which he is excited about because he has a crush on Boogie, and invites Ehsan and Mars to join him. At the party, Hakeem films some party footage before he bumps into Boogie and has a short but friendly conversation with him. The conversation ends suddenly when Jaz and Andrea show up at the party with vodka, taking Boogie's attention. Upset about this turn of events, Hakeem regroups with Mars and Ehsan to vent. Boogie eventually catches up with them, apologizes to Hakeem for abandoning him earlier and hangs out with all three of them. At the end of the party, Boogie thanks Hakeem for attending and asks him to send over the footage he took at the party. Hakeem looks elated as he cycles back to his house.

In "Coming of Age", Hakeem tells Mars that he will not be joining Alphabet Soup, as he has chosen to prioritize revitalizing the school's defunct film club, The Reel Deal, with Ehsan. Though Mars is upset by this, Hakeem promises to join Alphabet Soup if the scheduling of the two clubs does not conflict. As Mars's campaigning efforts for Kelsey's continue to escalate throughout the week, Hakeem and Ehsan try to check in with them, and Mars accuses Hakeem of not really caring about them. At the end of the week, after it is announced that Kelsey has won a seat on the student council, Hakeem and Ehsan find Mars crying in the theater studio. Mars admits that they feel ignored by their family’s refusal to acknowledge their gender identity and reconcile with Hakeem as he and Ehsan comfort them.

In "Don't Worry, You Will", while Hakeem, Mars and Ehsan put up posters together to promote the revival of The Reel Deal after receiving approval from Mr. Parrish to restart the club, Boogie approaches them and expresses interest in signing up for the club to have another extracurricular on his record before basketball season starts. After he leaves, Hakeem and Mars debate whether or not he was flirting with Hakeem, which Ehsan immediately shoots down.

In "How Come My Body", Hakeem is surprised by Ehsan's interest in joining the basketball team and makes fun of him for considering it. At basketball tryouts, Hakeem performs well, but is shocked when Jet makes homophobic comments about him and Ehsan and dismisses Ehsan's attempts to reach out to him for emotional support as a result. The next day, Hakeem apologizes to Ehsan for his behavior and the two reconcile. Ehsan opens up to Hakeem about his dyslexia evaluation for the first time and Hakeem hugs him and promises to support him.

In "Be Sweet", Ehsan tells Hakeem and Mars about a text he receives from Dallas about hanging out that weekend. When Mars suggests that all three of them hang out with Dallas, Hakeem seems enthusiastic. During basketball practice, Boogie tells the team about his upcoming date with Jaz, but downplays it to Hakeem privately later on. Hakeem asks Dallas if he thinks Boogie is interested in guys, but Dallas refuses to speculate about Boogie's sexuality behind his back. That weekend, Hakeem joins Dallas, Ehsan, Mars and Kelsey as they all watch a strange, avant garde movie together. After the movie, Hakeem expresses confusion to Mars about their decision to invite Kelsey to the movie as she isn't friends with any of them and is openly hostile towards Dallas, but Mars does not explain themself. At school the next week, Hakeem is explaining Boogie's comments about his date with Jaz not being serious to Mars and Ehsan when he sees Boogie and Jaz enter school together hand-in-hand. When Boogie notices Hakeem watching him, he quickly walks away.

In "We Talk All the Time", Hakeem provides supportive words to Ehsan when he tells him and Mars that he has been diagnosed with dyslexia. During lunch a day later, he is having lunch with Mars and Ehsan when Kelsey walks up to their table and tells Mars that their friendship will not work and asks them to leave her alone. Hakeem and Ehsan try to get Mars to open up to them, but Mars shuts down the conversation.

In "Tell Me You Love Me", after the student council announces the end-of-year dance for freshmen and sophomores, Hakeem texts Boogie asking if he'll be there, and Boogie promises to make it. At the dance, Boogie and Dallas cross paths with Hakeem, Mars and Ehsan and the five have a friendly conversation until Jaz steals Boogie away to dance, which frustrates Hakeem. Mars drags Hakeem and Ehsan to the dance floor to improve their moods, where they are joined by Andrea. Later, as the rest of the group leave to get punch, Hakeem is stopped by Boogie. The two sneak into the theater studio, where Boogie asks Hakeem when he first realized he's gay and how long he's known. He admits that he has feelings for Hakeem and is unsure how to deal with them. Hakeem offers to kiss him, which he accepts. Afterwords, Boogie kisses Hakeem back. Before the two can digest the moment, Boogie receives a tearful call from Dallas and rushes out of the studio.

In "Burning", Ehsan advises Hakeem to give up on Boogie as the two watch Boogie present Jaz with a bouquet of roses. Refusing to give up, Hakeem insists that his kiss with Boogie at the end of the previous semester has to mean something. During basketball practice, Hakeem tries to organize a hangout with Boogie, who uses a date with Jaz as an excuse to say no. Just before the final game of the season, Hakeem tries once again to reach out to Boogie, but is shot down. Dallas apologizes to Hakeem on Boogie's behalf, blaming it on the pressure of the game. Ehsan reassures Hakeem that Boogie is not worth the additional stress. During the game, a distracted Hakeem fumbles several plays. contributing to the team's loss. Though Coach Maple offers words of comfort to end the season, they do little to lift Hakeem's mood. After school days later, Hakeem walks into an Alphabet Soup meeting and tells its faculty advisors, Mr. Parrish and Mr. Ngo, that he would like to join the group, and is welcomed into the room.

In "The King", Hakeem realizes with Ehsan and Mars that he has not been invited to Boogie's party despite supposedly being his friend. Hakeem and Ehsan arrive at the party in time to see Boogie and Jaz dancing in the centre of a jam circle. Once the two finish dancing, Hakeem tries to get Boogie's attention and is brushed to the side as the couple leaves together. Ehsan suggests splitting the couple up. Hakeem eventually finds Boogie alone and confronts him about his silent treatment. Boogie calls Hakeem a nobody, asks why he has even come to the party despite not being invited and accuses him of obsessive behavior. Hakeem quietly reminds Boogie that he kissed him back at the end-of-year party before regrouping with Mars and Ehsan and leaving the party with them.

In "It's All in Vain", Mr. Parrish pulls Hakeem aside during an Alphabet Soup meeting and gives Hakeem detention for not disclosing damaged Reel Deal equipment as the head of the club. Hakeem texts Ehsan with his suspicions that Boogie is actively sabotaging him.

In "Boys Don't Cry", Hakeem attends detention after school on Friday. When Hakeem defends Dallas against Jet's bullying, Jet eats Hakeem's lunch sandwiches in retaliation. Hakeem accuses Boogie of sabotaging The Reel Deal's equipment, which Boogie denies, admitting that the film club has been one of the most fulfilling parts of his school year. Hakeem alludes to their kiss at the end-of-year party as another potentially fulfilling part of Boogie's year, to which Boogie has no response. Later on, Hakeem asks Jet to stop playing with a tennis ball as he and the others are trying to draft the essays requested of them by Mr. Parrish reflecting on something personal to them. In response, Jet makes a crude comment about Hakeem's sexuality. At the end of detention, Hakeem hands in his essay, which is about ending a friendship with someone he once held to a high standard. He leaves detention with Dallas by his side.

In "In August", Hakeem and Ehsan notice Mars's low mood on their way to lunch, but Mars does not share its root cause. When he spots Dallas sitting alone, Ehsan encourages Hakeem and Mars to join him, and the three sit with Dallas. Hakeem notices Boogie and Jaz enter the cafeteria hand-in-hand but says nothing. After school, Hakeem, Ehsan and Dallas play video games at Hakeem's house, welcoming Dallas into their friendship group. On the last day of school, Jet makes fun of Hakeem for pursuing a relationship with Boogie, after which Hakeem, Ehsan and Mars fill Dallas in on the kiss between Hakeem and Boogie at the end-of-year party.

## Relationships

### Love interests

#### Boogie Forman

Hakeem has a crush on Boogie which developed the summer before his freshman year of high school through their interactions at basketball camp during the summer.

## Trivia

* Hakeem's favorite filmmakers include Spike Lee, Barry Jenkins and Jordan Peele.