“The Chi” has made it to season 8, and the show’s creator, Lena Waithe, is not treating that like a small thing. 

Waithe and some of the show’s cast (Jason Weaver, Luke James, Jacob Latimore, Birgundi Baker, and more) sat down with BET Current to discuss the new and final season. Waithe said the show’s longevity is something she carries with gratitude. “However long our Black shows live, it’s a blessing,” she said. “Any Black story told is a win. I’ll take it.”

That perspective is part of why “The Chi” has lasted. The Emmy-nominated screenwriter, actress, and producer also said the show models something the culture needs more of. “The mission is really to show us how to be a dialogue and not a debate,” she said. For her, that means writing characters who can disagree without being reduced to their worst decisions, and letting the audience sit with that tension.

That approach has defined the series from the start, and season 8 continues it through storylines built around accountability, redemption, and community. Waithe said she wants viewers to understand that people can mess up and still be loved. “You cannot throw a person away because they don’t show up in the way that you wish they would,” she said. “You can’t, I don’t recommend it,” she laughed.

Weaver, who plays “Shad,” a recently released hustler struggling with recidivism, said the show’s portrayal of Black men is part of what makes it matter. He pointed to the responsibility built into the characters and the way the series holds them to their choices. “All of the Black male characters in the show have a sense of duty and responsibility,” Weaver said, adding that they are accountable “to themselves, to their brothers, to the community, and especially to the youth.” He also said the show makes room for second chances. “We’re all worthy,” he said.

James, who plays “Victor,” a reformed criminal with a trigger finger and the heart of an activist, echoed that idea when talking about how the series handled his character through 8 seasons. “Growth means being selfless,” he said, describing a season in which his character has to pour into other people while carrying a heavy history of his own. Other cast members pointed to healing, self-awareness, and the need to lean on others as the season’s emotional core.

That same theme came through in the show’s focus on Black community. Cast members highlighted forgiveness, acceptance, and the reality of chosen family, with Latimore saying the series gets “deep forgiveness” and “love for one another” right and he’s proud to have been a part of that. Hannaha Hall, who plays “Tiff,” a grieving mother of two who is constantly rebuilding, pointed to the way the show reflects Black intergenerational households, friendships, and love in ways television often misses. “We're showing you that you can have a community, have family, lean on each other, and grow from each other,” Hall said.

“I’ve never done this before. I’ve never ended a show,” Waithe said, reflecting on her journey with “The Chi” and how this 8th season will conclude her victorious run with the series. Her hope is that viewers are left feeling whole. “I want people to feel a sense of completion, a sense of accomplishment, and a sense of gratitude for the show,” she said.