The Chi

The Chi 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.

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."

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)

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
 * 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 3–6)
 * 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.
 * 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)
 * Lynn Whitfield as Alicia (season 6–present), Shaad's lover
 * 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), Papa's love interest & Zay's lover
 * Aaron Guy as Zay (season 6), Kenya's lover
 * Brett Gray as Damien (season 6-present), Darnell’s son, Emmett’s half-brother
 * Rotimi as Charles (season 7–present; guest season 6), A church goes connected to Pastor Zeke, former assistant who returns to church for second chance

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.

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

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".