'The Chi' Season 3 Episode 1 Preview: How will the Showtime drama deal with the absence of Brandon and Jerrika?
Season 3 of 'The Chi' will be without Brandon and Jerrika, (Jason Mitchell and Tiffany Boone) and that brings up the question of: "How will 'The Chi' fare without two integral characters, both of whom have built a loyal fanbase over the last two seasons? Mitchell was fired from the hit Showtime drama after allegedly inappropriate (unspecified) on-set misconduct reported by two people — including Boone, who exited the show after the fiasco.
While the new installment boasts of new characters, the storyline will predominantly follow the rest of the characters' lives that have changed over the two seasons. To quickly recap, Brandon and Jerrika ended their relationship. It also saw Brandon forgive Ronnie (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), the man who killed his brother. The finale saw him make a decision to work with the detectives. As far as Jake (Michael V Epps) and Reggie's (Barton Fitzpatrick) storylines go, Jake gets arrested for selling drugs outside the high school and Reggie gets shot by assailants on bikes.
Kevin (Alex R Hibbert) decides to go to private school while Papa (Shamon Brown Jr) promises to stay supportive and make their relationship a lot stronger. Meanwhile, Emmett (Jacob Latimore) and Tiffany find common ground as she agrees to whatever decision they make despite knowing that a fourth child would be hard to take care of. Detectives Cruz (Armondo Riesco) and Toussaint (Crystal Anne Dickinson) continue to investigate Otis Perry. From what we know so far, Brandon will be killed off on the show and that comes in as a huge blow.
The special clip by Showtime ahead of the new season premiere sees Emmett and Keisha (Birgundi Baker) in an intense, but fun conversation where the latter expresses her fear of leaving the town, while Emmett urges her to go as there's nothing the south side has to offer.
They might not be romantically involved anymore, but that hasn't stopped the sizzling chemistry the duo share. Emmett is witty and charming while Keisha with her stubborn, but considerate-at-times attitude, makes them both a good pair and the clip just shows just why fans would want them to be back together. This would also mean Emmett would take over Brandon's role and fill in his shoes.
There have been enough fan theories and opinions doing the rounds ahead of Episode 1. "I love this show and really wish they could've gone a diff direction with Brandon. It's sad that a mother had to lose both of her children. A very sad reality we face today!" a fan wrote. "I think next season is gonna be surprisingly good without Jason Mitchell. I was one of the many people that thought this show would fall off without the Brandon character because he was a major part of the show but I might be wrong and this is something I would be happy to be wrong about," observed a fan.
"I think for those worrying about the loss of the characters Brandon and Reg, I really think the show will survive and be fine. The Chi is, was, and will always be an ensemble show, and yes those characters were definite favorites, but I think their losses will be dealt with by the strength of the ensemble as a whole," a fan theorized. He continued: "The heart of the Chi though I think in many ways are the youngsters, Kevin, Jake, and Papa, and it really will be interesting to see the growth of them as young men coming up. You can clearly see here, the growth and maturity of Emmett and Keisha as well since last season. I'm looking forward to a great new season."
The official synopsis reads: "A wedding alters Kevin (Alex Hibbert) and Kiesha's (Birgundi Baker) lives. Emmett (Jacob Latimore) juggles his business and his growing family. Ronnie (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) struggles to find his way. Jake's (Michael V Epps) estranged brother Trig (Luke James) lands back in town on a mission."
What are your thoughts on the new season without Brandon? 'The Chi' Season 3 premieres on Sunday, June 21, at 9 pm ET on Showtime.