‘The Chi’ Should Drop The Adult Drama And Focus On Its Kids

Lena Waithe‘s The Chi started strong out of the gate, but in the weeks since, the show has taken a step back from its amazing child actors and leaned into the drama among the South Side’s many interconnected adults. Sure, the adult plot lines are worth pursuing, but it’s the kids that make the show a complex, inter-generational portrait of life in Chicago, and it’s damn well time that they get their due.

The Chi‘s young cast is led by Alex Hibbert (Moonlight) in the role of Kevin, a sweet kid who witnesses a murder in his South Side neighborhood. Kevin is quickly dragged into the adults’ complicated world, preventing him from spending time with the girl he likes and his friends Papa (Shamon Brown Jr.) and Jake (Michael Epps), both of whom mercilessly make fun of him for his crush. When Kevin does get to spend time with his friends, they do regular middle schooler stuff like poke fun at Papa’s weight or bike around aimlessly, all while remaining acutely aware that they must stay out of the way of drug dealers or crooked police officers looking to do them harm.

Three episodes in, Kevin is the main link between the children and the adults, and frankly, he adds some much needed three-dimensionality to the adult characters. While the adults are constantly burdened by the consequences of the murder–to the point that they’ve become caricatures of the stereotypes they first seemed to reject–Kevin floats in and out, allowing the murder to impact his life but not dictate it. The best moments in the show come when Waithe allows the characters to just be themselves, but unfortunately, only Kevin and his young friends seem to be given a chance to do so.

No, the kids’ plot lines (apart from Kevin’s) don’t have much to do with the ongoing murder investigations or the consequences of those crimes. But the children do have a unique perspective and provide a way to expand the story beyond the “Chicago is a crime-filled city” stereotype that The Chi aims to reject. Not to mention, they add some much-needed charm to a show that risks getting bogged down by its own politics. If you have fully developed characters with a funny, self-aware perspective, why not use them?

If you’re still not sold on The Chi‘s amazing kids, check out their web series “Rules of the South Side,” where they talk about girls, growing up, and lying to your parents.

Stream The Chi on Showtime