After wrapping the show’s eighth and final season, The Chi cast gathered at New York City’s Paradise Club and reflected on a bittersweet farewell—one they say feels full-circle after eight years bringing Chicago’s South Side to life.
A week after the final season wrapped, the cast of The Chi stood together in New York City at Paradise Club with the kind of quiet that only comes after an eight-year run. There were smiles, there was pride—and for several of them, there were still tears.
“I think this really puts the cherry on top of this beautiful cake that we’ve baked throughout the course of season 8 and throughout the course of the series. ” Jason Weaver said. reflecting on Season 8. which debuted on May 22. Weaver. who made his debut as Rashaad “Shaad” Marshall in the show’s fourth season. also spoke about what made the ending feel so personal.
“These amazing people that I’ve been blessed and fortunate to work with for the past four seasons truly do mean something to me. ” he said. “It goes past just us being cast members. I love all of these guys. There are moments that we’ve had. even offscreen. where we build these really strong bonds. and I’m going to miss being able to interact with people and being a part of their lives every day.”.
The evening carried the weight of that history. Creator and executive producer Lena Waithe helped oversee the final stretch of the long-running drama. and the cast’s gathering turned into a celebration of the characters they’ve lived with—alongside the people they say they’ve grown close to over time.
Jacob Latimore, who stars as Emmett Washington—a struggling young father who matured into a dedicated parent across the series—didn’t hide how intense the wrap week had been.
“We’ve been crying,” Latimore said. “We literally just wrapped last week … It’s bittersweet, but you know, we’re proud of what we’ve done.”
For Yolanda Ross. who has starred on the show since the beginning and has portrayed Jada Washington. a resilient single mother. the ending landed with a surreal sense of completion. “For Ross. who has portrayed Jada Washington. a resilient single mother. since the show’s debut. the “surreal” ending to the show feels like a “full-circle. wonderful moment.””.
“When you start, you don’t expect a major end like this, you don’t expect anything,” Ross said. “I really think fans connect with the show because there are so many people for them to not just gravitate to. but they see themselves. they’ve reflected. They see themselves in our characters, in the situations that happen.”.
Zaria Imani Primer, known for her recurring role as Lynae, also brought up the way the show has continued to spark conversation even as it ended. She pointed to how many fans have already been clamoring for a spinoff.
“It’s like I said, it’s very bittersweet,” Primer said. “I’m gonna miss telling stories like these and just being around these people every day and just getting to perfect my craft every day.”
The cast’s portraits of Chicago’s South Side were always about more than storylines, according to how they described their time together. Shamon Brown Jr., Birgundi Baker, Michael V. Epps, and Yolonda Ross were among those present, alongside the show’s longtime ensemble.
In the end, what stayed with them wasn’t only that the final season is here—it was the feeling that, after eight years and eight seasons, the series had brought something real to its audience and to the people who built it.
The Chi Season 8 Paradise Club Lena Waithe Jason Weaver Jacob Latimore Yolanda Ross Zaria Imani Primer bittersweet finale