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Lena Waithe’s acclaimed drama The Chi returns for Season 2 with the premiere on Sunday, April 7, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. But even before it airs on TV, you can watch it online anytime.
If you don’t have cable or don’t have Showtime, you can watch episodes of The Chi live or on-demand (the first episode of Season 2 is already available on-demand) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services.
If you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch all live and on-demand Showtime content through the Showtime Amazon Channel, which also comes with a free 7-day trial.
Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the Showtime channel, you can then watch The Chi either live as it airs or on-demand whenever you want. The first episode is already available on-demand and can be watched now, while later episodes will be available once they air live.
With either option, you can watch on your computer via the Amazon website, or you can watch on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or other streaming device via the Amazon Video app.
Whether you already have FuboTV or you want to start a free 7-day trial, Showtime is available as an add-on.
Once signed up, you can either watch The Chi live as it airs, or you can watch it on-demand anytime you want. The first episode is already available on-demand and can be watched now, while later episodes will be available once they air live.
With either option, you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
Whether you already have Hulu or you want to sign up for a new subscription, Showtime is available as an add-on to either Hulu or Hulu with Live TV.
Once signed up, you can watch The Chi live as it airs, or you can watch episodes on-demand anytime you want. The first episode is already available on-demand and can be watched now, while later episodes will be available once they air live.
With either option, you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
‘The Chi’ Season 2 Preview
Season 1 of The Chi, which was created by Emmy winning writer Lena Waithe, was regarded by most as a critical success. It received an 87 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earning an average rating of 7.47 from 46 reviews.
The new season, which consists of 10 episodes like the first, will have a new showrunner, as Ayanna Floyd Davis replaces Elwood Reid. Such transitions can be good or bad depending on a number of different factors, but Floyd, whose producer credits include shows such as Private Practice, Hannibal and Empire, promises that the series is headed in a positive direction in the new season.
“Season 2 is going to be better,” she said. “It’s a really complete season; it’s emotional, it’s fun, and it’s more Chicago. It really feels like the South Side.”
In order to accomplish that, there was a concerted effort to film more on the South Side.
“We couldn’t always do it just because of budget or logistics,” Floyd said. “But we wanted to hit certain landmarks and we really embraced the South Side. Two of our directors are from the South Side, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Carl Seaton. Carl and I actually went to Columbia together. I called Columbia and said, ‘Send me all of your interns, graduates, whatever,’ so we had about eight Columbia College grads working on the show in the production office and on set. I just wanted to fill the show with that kind of flavor, because I do think it creeps into the creative process.”
Another goal for Floyd in Season 2 was to make the women a bigger part of the story. While the show still focuses on Kevin (Alex Hibbert), Emmett (Jacob Latimore), Brandon (Jason Mitchell) and Ronnie (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), Floyd felt those stories were incomplete without the presence of women.
“I don’t think you can tell a man’s story, particularly a black man’s story, without a black woman’s story,” she said.
While Waithe is busy, adding This Is Us (guest role), Dear White People (guest role) and the critically acclaimed Boomerang (executive producer, writer) to her resume in the last year, she remains heavily involved in her series. She co-wrote the Season 2 premiere with Floyd.