When The Chi returned today for its highly anticipated seventh season, it didn’t just pick up where it left off; it plunged headfirst into the aftermath of heartbreak and detailed the rise of a mother looking for payback.
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For stars Jason Weaver and Hannaha Hall, this season of Showtime’s South Side saga feels different and it’s more emotionally charged than ever.
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“I’m basking in a lot of gratitude,” Hall tells BOSSIP. “We’ve got some really, really good stories to tell this season that I think are going to keep people involved and engaged. But more than anything, I’m just extremely excited and grateful.”
Weaver, whose portrayal of Shaad is equal parts realistic and hilarious, echoes the sentiment.
“I think all of us who are involved in this show—cast, crew, writers, producers, directors—we’re just all very proud of the work we’re doing,” he says. “We’re proud to present some authentic storytelling. Something our community can take pride in.”
That authenticity takes center stage this season as Hall’s character, Tiffany, reels from the sudden and violent death of her boyfriend Rob (Iman Shumpert), a narrative cliffhanger that left viewers stunned last fall.
“I struggled with it a little bit,” Hall admits. “I’ve never personally experienced that kind of grief from a significant other, so I didn’t want to diminish the weight of it.”
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To portray Tiffany’s sorrow with integrity, Hall grounded herself in the emotional timeline.
“This literally just happened the same day as Thanksgiving. They’d just shared this moment of family and love, and then…this. So it was about staying committed, understanding what she lost; not just a partner, but also her future and her business partner. It’s a huge loss in multiple areas of her life.”
But Tiffany isn’t grieving alone. Her once-contentious relationship with Rob’s mother, Alicia, played with searing intensity by Lynn Whitfield, undergoes a profound transformation as both women mourn.
“They need each other now,” Hall says. “Before, Alicia didn’t really need anything from Tiff. Now she does. And Tiff needs her, too. It’s a season in both of their lives where they’re forced to lean on each other, even if that dynamic is still complicated.”
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Complicated is putting it lightly.
“Alicia’s still dangerous,” Hall adds about the woman who personally wanted to take Douda out before Nuck (Cortez Smith) beats her to it. “Tiff wants a healthy relationship with her, but she also knows Alicia’s not necessarily safe.”
For Weaver’s character, Shaad, Alicia brings her own set of complexities, and a surprising opportunity for transformation
. “After what happened to Robb—his body literally being left on the doorstep—it’s clear there’s a serious problem,” Weaver says. “And Alicia sees something in Shaad that not many others have: potential.”
Working so closely with a titan of film and television like Whitfield remains an experience both humbling and empowering for Weaver. He plays not only her right hand, but her love interest.
“There was a level of intimidation at first, for sure,” he says. “But after day one, you realize she’s a team player. She told me straight up—‘Jason, we’re just two actors going to work.’ Her grace and humility made her even more of a legend in my eyes.”
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He laughs, recalling how surreal some of their more intimate scenes felt.
“I’ve had a crush on Lynn Whitfield since Thin Line, man. To be in a scene with her, grabbing her neck, and have her say, ‘Keep it real, Jason!’—I mean, come on. That’s a moment.”
Jason Weaver & Hannaha Hall Talks Nuck’s Rise To Power On The Chi
This season also introduces a new threat in the form of Nuck (Cortez Smith), stepping into the vacuum left by the departure of longtime antagonist Douda.
Both Weaver and Hall opened up to BOSSIP about the shifting power dynamics following Douda’s death and whether Nuck should be feared just as much—or more.
Weaver pointed out that Nuck’s close ties to the younger generation make him a different kind of threat, especially given Shaad and Nuck’s history.
“One of the first people to take [Shaad] out for a drink and ask if he needed some work was Nuck,” Weaver shared. “So from Shaad’s perspective, he’s just kind of in the middle, observing. Is Nuck going to take up this mantle and be a menace on the street like Douda? Or is he going to be the guy I’ve always known?”
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Weaver explained that in the streets, loyalty can shift depending on who rises to power, and Shaad’s position is all about watching how things play out before making any hard decisions.
Hall, who plays Tiff, believes the true danger still lies elsewhere.
“Douda will always be more dangerous to me,” she said. “Nuck is zealous, he’s ambitious, but Douda was more strategic. He had way more connections and knew how to go about things better.”
But Hall added that, in her eyes, Alicia (Lynn Whitfield), might be the most dangerous character of all.
“Alicia is so strategic—way more strategic than Douda,” Hall said, referencing Alicia’s cold and calculated attempt to take Douda out.
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“To do something that low down and to be so intentional about it… that’s the real villain you gotta look out for.
Despite Alicia’s maternal charm, Hall warned,
“She has that villainous sense, but she’s also everything opposite of that as well.”
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Hannaha Hall Talks The Chi’s “Ghetto Black Brady Bunch”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Hannaha Hall dished on the show’s “Ghetto Black Brady Bunch”: Keisha, Emmett and Tiff, who have a complicated dynamic to say the least.
This season, Hall explained, viewers will see that trio function as a makeshift village, especially as Tiff continues navigating her grief journey.
“You’re going to see, there’s going to be a lot of community. There’s going to be that sense of family,” Hall says.
While Tiff will lean on Emmett and Keisha for support—particularly with the kids—she’s still determined to find her own way.
“It’s typical Tiff to try to make a way out of no way,” adds Hall.
Jason Weaver Talks Shaad & Bakari’s Bond On The Chi
Jason Weaver also spoke to BOSSIP about Shaad’s dynamic with Bakari, played by Ahmad Ferguson, and how their relationship mirrors real-life generational energy between OGs and the younger generation.
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“You’re going to see them go through some kind of interesting periods with one another throughout the course of the season,” said Weaver. “And what’s so dope about it is it really is like the current dynamic between the Uncs or the OGs and the YNs. We explore that, we touch on it in and I think what the writers did was beautiful. They touched on it in a very playful way.”
Weaver also praised Ferguson, highlighting their real-life chemistry that bleeds into their characters.
“He and I have a very close and cool relationship where it’s kind of like that same thing—like I’m Unc, he always addresses me as Unc,” said Weaver. “And us having the opportunity to play those scenes together, it’s always really, really fun.”
The veteran actor also noted their collaborative energy on set, saying,
“There are things that I share with him in order to enhance his performance, and at the same time, there’s an even exchange of creative energy.”
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He added that Ferguson often contributes authentic insight to elevate the realism of their scenes. “
He’ll be like, ‘Hey, you mind if we try it like this, because usually how it goes…’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’”
According to Weaver, those takes often end up being the ones that make it to air.
“For me as a veteran performer, to work with him and to see him continue to ascend and to get better and better and sharper and sharper, each episode, each season–it’s just awesome to
see that and awesome to be a part of his growth and his evolution as a young man and as an actor.”
The Chi Season 7 is now streaming on Showtime.