The Chi isn’t going quietly. As the fan-favorite Showtime-to-Paramount+ drama gears up for its eighth and final season, the show is stacking its farewell with fresh faces, familiar energy, and the kind of storytelling that’s kept fans locked in since day one.
Paramount+ confirmed today that six new recurring guest stars have officially joined the cast — and from the character descriptions alone, it’s clear the writers are not letting up.
Darryl Dunning II steps in as Rafi, one of Nuck’s quick-tempered enforcers, bringing that street tension the show does so well. Biko Eisen-Martin plays Smitty, a reformed gangster shaped by the streets and softened just enough by life — and at his side is Akilah A. Walker as Amaya, Smitty’s fiery girlfriend who’s hungry for something more.
Laila Odom joins as Jordan, a nurse with ties to the streets who’s also Keith’s girlfriend — because on The Chi, nobody’s ever just one thing. Liza Jessie Peterson comes in as Patience, Rashaad’s sharp, no-nonsense attorney with the heart of an activist, which feels like exactly the kind of energy this final chapter needs. And rounding out the newcomers is Anthony B. Jenkins as Devante — Emmett and Shay’s son, who moves in with Emmett and Kiesha after some trouble at school. That one alone is going to hit.
Produced by 20th Television, production kicked off back in January, and the show is heading into what’s being described as its coldest winter ever — both literally and in terms of the stakes. Legacy, conflict, joy, pain — the team is promising the most emotionally charged season yet, and with Lena Waithe and co-showrunners Justin Hillian and Jewel Coronel at the helm, that’s not a hard thing to believe.
The core cast — Jacob Latimore, Birgundi Baker, Luke James, Shamon Brown Jr., Michael V. Epps, Hannaha Hall, and Jason Weaver — returns alongside a stacked list of fan favorites coming back as guest stars: Rotimi, Kyla Pratt, Karrueche Tran, Punkie Johnson, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Reagan Gomez, Barton Fitzpatrick, and more.
Behind the scenes, the creative team is loaded too. Common, Rick Famuyiwa, Aaron Kaplan, Resheida Brady-Anderson, and the ID8 Multimedia team are all back as executive producers, with James Rogers III joining that ranks this season. Deondray and Quincy LeNear Gossfield return as Co-Executive Producers and will direct multiple episodes.
If you need to catch up before the final season drops, all previous seasons are streaming now on Paramount+ with the Premium Plan.