‘The Chi’: Do We Even Deserve This Jason Mitchell Performance?

What Jason Mitchell is serving up on The Chi is nothing short of a delicious acting buffet. The Showtime drama series from creator Lena Waithe is allowing him to put a scoop of sentimentality, a spoonful of exquisite dramatic acting, and a side of that radiating smile on a plate to create one fantastic meal that has viewers feeling stuffed, and ready to go back for more.

The food metaphor here is for a reason: Mitchell stars as Brandon, as aspiring chef who is making moves to advance in his career. The ambitious, persistent hustler is one part of his performance that gives a fun and warm side to the character. Along with being a loving boyfriend and sensible son, these sides help round out the home life of a fully developed character. Because the other side of Brandon’s life includes mourning the death of his brother and then seeking vengeance for the person who committed such a horrible, not to mention misled, crime.

Mitchell, who stunned audiences with his portrayal of Eazy-E in 2015’s Straight Outta Compton, is also coming off an incredible performance in Mudbound. He’s appeared in Keanu, Kong: Skull Island, and Detroit, and is currently promoting Sebastian Silva’s Tyrel at the Sundance Film Festival. In other words, this guy is only diving deeper into the never-ending well of masterful acting he’s capable of.

If the first episode of The Chi didn’t have you in tears by the end, there’s a good chance you were asleep. From cheerfully chasing his dreams to crying his eyes out during a powerful eulogy, a moment that is a guaranteed goosebumps-inducer, so few actors are given such a variety of scenes so soon in a series’ run. And perhaps what is most stunning about this opportunity is that Mitchell is taking better advantage of it than anyone could’ve expected.

While The Chi is boasting a whole bunch of great performances via characters packed with a lot of power and depth, it’s impossible to look away when Mitchell shows up on screen. You can never know where he’s going to take a scene, but one thing remains constant no matter where the story goes: at any given point, you’ll want to reach through the screen and give him a hug. It’s a testament to Mitchell’s performance that as viewers we can’t help but feel so connected to this character so soon. We want Brandon to work hard and to do the right thing and be a good son/boyfriend/chef/friend…but that would rob us of seeing where Mitchell can go as an actor. So sorry Brandon, but when it comes to Mitchell’s performance, we’re ready to feast.

Where to watch The Chi