Class is back in session for the Winchester University students of Netflix’s series “Dear White People.” Showrunner Justin Simien has been promising more mystery and drama in season two and that “everyone’s got secrets this season — secrets from each other, secrets from themselves.” And judging by the new trailer, season two is set to pick up right after the dramatic events of season one’s finale.
Set against the backdrop of a predominantly white Ivy League university where racial tensions bubble just below the surface, Dear White People is a send-up of the now post “post-racial” America that weaves together a universal story of finding one’s own identity and forging a wholly unique path. The satirical series — based on the acclaimed 2014 film by the same name – continues to follow a group of Winchester University students of color as they navigate a diverse landscape of social injustice, cultural bias, political correctness (or lack thereof) and activism in the millennial age. Through an absurdist lens, Dear White People utilizes biting irony, self-deprecation and sometimes brutal honesty to hold up a mirror to the issues plaguing society today, all the while leading with laughter.
The show is a quasi-sequel to Simien’s critically acclaimed debut film of the same name. Season one was fairly well received by audiences and critics alike, with many praising the show’s social commentary and examinations of black culture on college campuses. Our own A- review praised the themes saying that the show “rejects the popular misconception that black culture is a monolith by delving into the various identities and conflicts thriving within it.”
After a screening last spring, Simien described the first season as an unplanned “clap back” against President Donald Trump. “We commented on the world we were going to live in before we knew it was coming,” Simien mentioned, as the show was filmed and written before 2016’s election. This coming season is expected to keep tackling controversial topics including the Trump-fueled rise of the alt-right.
The first season’s main cast Logan Browning, Brandon P. Bell, Antoinette Robertson, DeRon Horton, John Patrick Amedori, Ashley Blaine Featherson and Marque Richardson are all returning. What I’m extra excited for is Emmy winner (and all around badass) Lena Waithe’s recurring role as a fictional MC named P Ninny who “stars on a ridiculous Love & Hip Hop-like reality series called Trap-House Tricks.” Yes, please.
All 10 episodes of the eagerly anticipated second season premiere on Netflix May 4.