‘The Chi’: Fans Are Not Happy With the Handling of Brandon’s Character
Writers of The Chi had a big responsibility with season 3 of the show: Figuring out what to do with Brandon after actor Jason Mitchell was fired over allegations of sexual misconduct (which he denies).
Ahead of its June 21 premiere, it was announced that show creators had reached a decision to kill Brandon off. But as season 3 plays out, the handling of his death has left some viewers frustrated and unsettled.
Brandon was a major character on ‘The Chi’
Brandon had been a staple on the show from the very beginning. Born and raised on the southside of Chicago, he’d managed to evade the street life and started a promising career as a chef.
He worked alongside his girlfriend, Jerrika (played by Tiffany Boone, one of Mitchell’s accusers), as he strove to reach his culinary dreams. But things went haywire in season 2 after Brandon allowed local mobster Otis Perry to sponsor his food truck.
By the end of the season, Brandon was in handcuffs, arrested after officers discovered a gun in the truck. Once he was released, he turned on Perry and started cooperating with law enforcement to bring him down. The season closed with Brandon sitting in a patrol car as officers conducted surveillance on the mobster.
What happened to Brandon on ‘The Chi’
Moments into the first episode of season 3, viewers were taken to Brandon’s funeral. His mother Laverne gave an emotional eulogy before family and friends said their final goodbyes. But there is no explanation whatsoever in regards to how he died.
After the ceremony, life quickly picked up for the other characters, and there is little mention of Brandon from there. The most we’ve gotten was in the second episode when Emmett met and offered a business proposal to Dom, a local cook who knew of Brandon.
As Emmett detailed his former partnership with the late chef, Dom quipped, “He wasn’t sh*t” — a sentiment that seems to downplay his character and clashes with the Brandon viewers knew.
Now on the fifth episode, we still don’t know whether Perry had Brandon killed, if he fell victim to the violence that also claimed the life of his brother Coogie, or if something else occurred. As questions about his fate linger, the show has switched to a who-dun-it mystery in regards to the kidnapping of Keisha.
Fan reactions to Brandon’s outcome
Over the weeks since the June 21 premiere of season 3, fans have been expressing their concerns and complaints on social media. Given that Brandon was a main character, some are perplexed by the storyline so far and feel that Brandon’s fate should be more detailed.
“what happened to Brandon on The Chi? season 3 came and this n***a dead with no explanation just a funeral,” read one tweet.
“The chi is pissing me off,” said another. “Really not going to explain how Brandon got killed, what happened to his food truck, what happened to Jerica. What happened to the two cops investigating Ronnies grandmas beating. The writers f*cked up by not answering these questions.”
Referencing Dom’s jab at Brandon, a Redditor argued, “He wasn’t a perfect person but his character was going places with the chef career,” while someone else agreed, “Yea, I wasn’t feeling it when lala said he wasn’t sh*t.. felt like they made a point to include it.”
Even fans who are enjoying the season can’t shake the handling of Brandon’s death. One person wrote, “I’m lowkey surprised the chi still this good. Ion like how they killed off Brandon tho.”
But for what it’s worth, we’re only halfway through the season so perhaps there’s more to come. Watch the hit Showtime series at 9 p.m. ET on Sundays to see what happens.
Read more: ‘The Chi’: Is Emmett Still Expecting a Baby With Tiffany?
