The Chi
Social commentaryDeliberate critique of how society works.This show: 8/10GrittyRaw, unglamorous realism in both look and subject matter.This show: 8/10Ensemble castMany characters carrying equal weight.This show: 8/10Big city lifeThe metropolis itself as a character.This show: 7/10Working classOrdinary people, ordinary money, real stakes.This show: 7/10SerializedContinuous arcs where every episode builds on the last.This show: 7/10
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Starring
Jason MitchellJacob LatimoreNtare Guma Mbaho MwineAlex R. HibbertMichael EppsShamon Brown Jr.
Written by
Lena Waithe
Starring
Jason MitchellJacob LatimoreNtare Guma Mbaho MwineAlex R. HibbertMichael EppsShamon Brown Jr.
Written by
Lena Waithe
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
The Chi Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | E14 | E15 | E16 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.1 | |||||||
| S2 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.3 | |||||||
| S3 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 7.3 | |||||||
| S4 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.2 | |||||||
| S5 | 7.7 | 6.6 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 8.2 | |||||||
| S6 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.6 | |
| S7 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.9 | |||||
| S8 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.9 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.9 |
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About
"A neighborhood's quiet grief and resilience"
Set on Chicago's South Side, The Chi follows a sprawling web of neighbors, from teenagers and hustlers to parents and cops, whose lives intersect after a sudden act of violence ripples outward. Created by Lena Waithe, it's a slow-building ensemble drama more interested in community texture, grief, and everyday survival than in plot twists. Episodes lean into long conversations, neighborhood rhythms, and quiet moments of tenderness alongside real danger. It can feel meandering, but the performances and sense of place give it a lived-in warmth that turns strangers into family across seasons.
Watch it for
the richly drawn ensemble that makes a whole neighborhood feel like family.
Maybe skip if
you want tight plotting instead of slow, character-driven neighborhood storytelling.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
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Season 12018
7.83K108h 58m
On the South Side of Chicago, fates can change in an instant and beauty and community persist even when tragedy intervenes. As lives intersect, the people who call The Chi home strive to make the right choices and overcome life’s challenges.
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Season 22019
7.92K109h 28m
Brandon strives to make his food truck a success. Emmett makes an effort to get custody of his son, guided by Jada. Kevin reckons with the trauma of what he has experienced in his young life. Ronnie attempts to come to terms with killing Brandon’s brother.
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Season 32020
7.62K107h 42m
Emmett tries to alter the way his mother sees him, but Jada is on to her next chapter. Ronnie seeks to transform himself. The Williams family undergoes a seismic shift. Jake must choose between two competing guardians, and Papa finds unlikely love.
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Season 42021
7.21K101h 48m
Jake, Papa and Kevin confront the harsh reality of how the world views young, Black men in the aftermath of an act of police brutality. As the three friends reckon with a broken system, the aftershocks ripple across the South Side, inspiring friends and neighbors to rise up and take action.
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Season 52022
7.71K103h 37m
Emmett & Tiff forge a new path as Tiff grows closer to Rob. Kevin finds love where he least expects it, Jake & Jemma navigate life as a couple and Papa still knows how to get into trouble. Jada looks at life post-cancer and Trig considers a political run.
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Season 62023
8.22K164h 29m
This season, life in the Chi reverberates between the highest highs and lowest lows. Big dreams are finally realized but at a cost and everyone will be tested in unimaginable ways as they calculate the risks and rewards of their next big move.
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Season 72025
8.51K12
In season 7, with Alicia at the helm, the pivotal women of the series rise to reclaim their power. Yet, as loyalties are tested and new rivalries are stoked, it becomes clear that there's only one crown and it will come at a heavy cost.
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Season 82026
8.766010
In the eighth and final season of The Chi, the South Side faces its coldest winter ever. Following the shocking death, Victor and Shaad are wrongfully imprisoned, forcing Patience to lead their legal fight. Meanwhile, Emmett faces parenting crises ahead of his wedding, and a returning Reg brings chaos.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Jason Mitchell Brandon Johnson
Jacob Latimore Emmett Washington
Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine Ronnie Davis
Alex R. Hibbert Kevin Williams
Michael Epps Jake Taylor
Shamon Brown Jr. Stanley 'Papa' Jackson, Papa Jackson, Stanley 'Papa' Jackson Jr.
Birgundi Baker Kiesha Williams
Yolonda Ross Jada Washington
Hannaha Hall Tiffany, Tiff
Luke James Victor 'Trig' Taylor, Trig Taylor, Victor Taylor
Crew
Lena Waithe
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