News & Interviews for The Chi: Season 3

Critic Reviews for The Chi Season 3

All Critics (2) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (2) | Rotten (0)

After two seasons of male-centered violence, this season challenges audiences to think of all the ways women, especially Black women, are affected by violence-both directly and indirectly.

Aug 28, 2020 | Full Review…

Arionne Nettles

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

"The Chi" continues its riveting storytelling in Season 3 - in spite of (or maybe due to?) the off-camera troubles that have plagued this Showtime series.

Jul 17, 2020 | Full Review…

Michael Starr

New York Post

Top Critic

View All Critic Reviews (2)

Audience Reviews for The Chi: Season 3

• Aug 27, 2020

  Am I the only one wondering how Emmett's mom went from being a caregver to an experienced counselor with years of experience? Or how all of a sudden her character is best friends with the lesbian couple. Kev and Emmett's relationship felt very forced. They just made him a Brandon fill in with no relationship build up. How is Jake keeping up at the prestigious school Kev got accepted to, when while at public school he never even attended classes? Kev not being able to sympathize with Keisha following her ordeal felt out of character. How his character just sorta went on with life and hanging with his friends and focusing on trying to bone his girl all while keisha was missing was very out of character. This really seemed like a whole other show with all of the added sex scenes and over inclusion of LGBTQ characters. The stud stripper just really was like huh, where they do that at? All the females all into a stud stripper and it being the mom idea was not realistic at all. Jake saying I'm ok with you because we learned about transgender people in school felt like propaganda. Kisha being so open about blurting out she was pregnant with her rapist baby was weird. She told like 5 people when it just seems she would have been more guarded and private while carrying such a heavy burden. Really poor writing this season. I could keep going, but I'll leave it be 🙄
  

  New N
• Aug 26, 2020

  The biggest disappointment in Black TV. Lena Waithe, why!? The worst writing and acting were brought out in this season. How can such drastic changes occur in a show without reasonable explanation or tying up of loose ends!? The transition was so terrible that this might as well have been a completely different show. The storyline they tried to run with to save this show was absolutely atrocious. Please, whatever you do, do NOT even THINK about writing a Season 4. Save us the trouble and cancel the show altogether!!
  M T
• Aug 26, 2020

  If CHI was a person, I'd ask... Why didn't you stop at season two and leave us with endless possibilities???!!! I'd rather scratch a chalkboard. Most times people say "don't listen to your critics". Maybe you should though because this may have been a painful nail in the coffin. R.i.p season 3.
  

  Adrien D
• Aug 23, 2020

  It's a sharp turn to sh*tsville. There was a time where this show was one of the most intelligently written, raw, and gritty explorations of life on the other side of the track. This season exploited a dark event and rode it forward with corny dialogue and cheap plot devices. No one behaves in any way that is revolutionary. The LaLa character was just as I thought she would be...corny. Emmett was a highlight as he was actually growing but that quickly hit its plateau because he wasn't doing much more than the same thing but at night and then he ruins all redemption of his character by making a sharp u-turn towards his immature ways. Keisha and Kevin's interactions post-dark-event don't add up at all. Giving the parents too much screen time and cheesy dialogue exposed the failures of this season. It's unfortunate for these characters, but there isn't a need for the audience to hear these characters' forced dialogue—it adds nothing to the episode—speaking of which, what the hell is this Duda and wife storyline and how it exposes the church? Lame and poor use of the gritty character who has been groomed to be someone else. This season is such a failure and I'm so disappointed that I could just keep writing about all its issues but I'll end with this? What is this show? It is not The Chi of Season 1 and 2 which is very unfortunate. Obviously there were some behind the scenes cast issues which caused a bunch of lame duck plot re-writes. Probably would had been a better choice to postpone this season, rewrite it properly before shooting it.
  

  Luu H
• Aug 10, 2020

  This show has gone so downhill this season, it's really too bad. The writing is terrible and the acting is flat and awkward. Will struggle through the rest of these episodes, but it's a challenge.
  Heather H
• Aug 09, 2020

  I have been riveted by this show's interweaving narratives and its compellingly complex characters since the first season. Unfortunately, this season's writing has not been as consistent as the first two seasons. Its tone vacillates between coming-of-age tale and melodrama. Characters disappear with little explanation, and the loss of Brandon—a major character in the ensemble series—without explanation seemed sloppily handled. I understand that the actor was fired, but in a show of this caliber, the reason for the character's death needs to be worked out with more nuance and attention on screen. The first two seasons really centered on the repercussions of Coogie's tragic death, with a deep excavation of the residual emotions experienced by the community in its wake. Now a major character of the ensemble cast dies, and it goes unexamined apart from a vague funeral at which his mother pontificates on violence in the inner city?! There are a lot of other blind spots in the narrative as well (e.g. Otis Perry running for mayor, but the community not really knowing that he had been/continues to be a gangster; Emmet's other children seem to have disappeared; Myesha suddenly loves Papa, but formerly she had chemistry with Kevin). The current writers seem to expect that the viewers are sophisticated enough to care about nuance, but on board enough with the show to be willing to drop complex storylines on a moment's notice. I am still very much invested in the characters from the previous two seasons—particularly Ronnie—and the acting remains superb, but indeed the writers seem to have changed.
  

  Andrs A
• Aug 03, 2020

  I love Season 3. I was worried without Brandon's character it would be missing something but It didn't. I'm not a fan of Otis's story line, could do without that.
  

  Julie C
• Aug 03, 2020

  People that gave this season 1 or 2 stars after watching the first or second episode need to keep watching. I was initially upset that they didn't bring Brandon's storyline back, but the storyline with Keisha and Ronnie is engaging. I've enjoyed watching Ronnie overcome alcoholism and self-loathing and rescue Keisha. He made his grandma proud!
  Kim F
• Jul 31, 2020

  The writing is laughable in season 3. What a shame. Characters disappear and show up with no explanation and the plot is ridiculous.
  

  Theresa M
• Jul 26, 2020

  Season 3 is living up to the acclaim of season 1 and surpassing it. I thought the show would fall apart after the major cast change. Not the case. This is the change the show needed. The story line is excellent and cast members seem to have really found their grove. Cudos to season 3. Looking forward to each new episode.
  

  Crystal R

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