The Chi creator Lena Waithe is ready for fans to tune into the “whole new story” they have planned for season three of the hit drama.

After the abrupt firing of one of their central characters, Jason Mitchell, following misconduct and harassment allegations on set, Waithe tells ABC Audio that the new season will officially leave the old narrative behind.

“To me, it’s a new day on The Chi,” she says. “And also death is something that’s always right around the corner in my city.”

With the past behind them, Waithe says the new season will now have “a little more real estate for some of the other characters and for some new faces.”

“We’ve got Lala [Anthony] coming up. Luke James. Kandi [Burruss] is coming through,” she says. “So we got a lot of cool stuff coming up.”

The Emmy award-winning writer also shares that she decided to be more hands-on this year.

“And I have a bigger hand in the writing this season, which is why I think it’s going to feel a little bit more poetic, a little more grounded, a little more human,” Waithe explains. “I don’t judge characters ever at all.”

If that wasn’t enough, Waithe reveals that the music will also offer a strong presence along with a season that is “really.. going to feel like home.”

“You gonna be like, ‘Whoa, what’s going on?!,” Waithe exclaims.

“And I know folks — we gonna have a lot of eyeballs on that season opener,” she continues. “But we welcome you. Like, ‘Come on. Come in. Come on in.’ And just know we gon’ tell a whole new story. And it’s also gonna be a little bit centered around black women. So stay tuned.” 

Season three of The Chi premieres Sunday, June 21 on Showtime.

By Candice Williams
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