"It's rooted in real love and respect" — The Chi stars reveal the complexities of Trig’s relationship with Alicia

The Chi, the American drama which follows a neighborhood in the South Side, Chicago, specifically the lives of Emmet, Brandon, Ronnie, and Kevin, is currently on its seventh season. Season seven of The Chi was released on May 18, 2025, and has aired eight episodes so far.

While the rest of the season is yet to be released, Lynn Whitfield (who plays Alicia), Luke James (who plays Victor "Trig" Taylor), and Jason Weaver (who plays Rashaad "Shaad" Marshall) spoke at the Essence Festival of Culture’s Film Fest about the season, their characters, behind the scenes details and much more. Whitfield, James, and Weaver shared their take on Alicia and Trig's relationship, which is one of the most unique ones in The Chi.

The Chi stars on Trig and Alicia's relationship

To sum up Trig and Alicia's relationship in The Chi, they have each other's backs. Always. But there's more to it than just that. While viewers can and do dissect their dynamic, the actors who play the characters have spoken about their unique relationship at the Essence Festival of Culture’s Film Fest. As Rolling Out reports, when asked how Trig and Alicia's relationship addresses black relationships, especially the ones that are under much pressure, Luke James, who plays Trig, said,

"What their relationship represents is a real love. There’s a real love and respect that Trig has for Alicia because I think he recognizes there are some things in himself that he could tighten up on. It’s only when a man is challenged by a strong woman to step up to the plate and be the man that he’s supposed to be. I think that’s what Alicia has really done for Trig."

He continued,

"What Trig has done for Alicia is shown her real compassion and letting her know that no matter what, he has her back. For so long, nobody’s ever really had her back like this guy has. So, I think that’s something that we’re really showing the audience — it may not be the conventional type of relationship, but the foundation of it is very real and passionate. It’s rooted in real love and respect."

As James said, it is an equal partnership, and they both help each other do better without making it a bitter competition. Lynn Witfield, who plays Alicia, adds,

"It shows you the levels of what a partnership can be — unconventional, unexpected, and perhaps societally not what one would expect these two people to find within each other. But partnerships can have a lot of different levels. I learned to maybe not look for relationship in all the expected places, to be open, because something may not last forever, but it can journey you from one place to another within yourself."

Jason Weaver, who plays Rashaad Trig's friend and Alicia's former boyfriend in The Chi, said,

"All of the relationships on the show are very dynamic. Every single pairing is somewhat of an oddball. It’s not just simple entertainment — it’s something that can live with you and hopefully humanize others’ experiences. I’m glad that we are able to challenge our audience because it opens up deeper conversations, particularly in our immediate community — conversations that in the past we have been reluctant to have, but what the show has done is open up that Pandora’s box to allow us to feel safe to explore different things when it comes to love and relationships."

New episodes of The Chi season seven come out on Paramount+ on Fridays at 3:00 am ET and on the following Sundays on SHOWTIME at 9:00 pm ET.

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