Assassin antics, Detroit detective work, and Black women handling business (per the usual) had BOSSIP and Cassius talking this week.
Today, the brands released a new episode of The Black Watch, an editorial-led series examining the biggest cultural moments in film and entertainment.
This week’s episode brings together BOSSIP Managing Editor Dani Canada, iOne Digital Director of Content for the Men’s Division Alvin Blanco, executive producer Serita Wesley, and comedian-writer Carl Foreman Jr. for a spirited conversation about Prime Video’s Ride or Die and Paramount+’s Diarra From Detroit.
“From helping international spies catch the bad guys to solving cases on the dangerous streets of Detroit, today we’re talking about how Black women are once again saving the world on this episode of The Black Watch,” says Dani, kicking off the discussion.
First up is Ride or Die, the action-comedy starring Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham as lifelong best friends whose lives are upended when one discovers the other has been keeping her life as an elite international assassin a secret.
Alvin says he was sold on the unlikely pairing and the action surrounding them.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said. “The action was actioning, the dialogue is great. It’s great to see Octavia Spencer doing the Octavia Spencer thing. She’s just a great actress, and the storyline is so far, so good. I watched the first episodes and I’m locked in. I’m ready to see the rest of it.”
Serita was also enthusiastic.
“I love it,” she said, adding that the combination of Spencer and Waddingham piqued her interest. “I was immediately like, ‘Wait a minute, Octavia Spencer and assassins?’ And also, Hannah Waddingham, I mean, she’s a bad b***h. She looks good.”
Carl, however, had questions, particularly about the way Spencer’s character is styled compared to her considerably more glamorous assassin bestie.
“I just wish they would give her a little bit more swag in the show,” he said. “On the one hand, you got Hannah, she’s in almost a dominatrix outfit at the gala, but then they took Octavia straight to Chico’s.”
The Chico’s commentary became a recurring joke, but Carl emphasized that he thought Spencer’s accomplished character could have been given a wardrobe that better reflected her personality and position.
The panel also wondered whether Spencer and Waddingham completely sell their characters’ 20-year friendship.
“No,” Carl said plainly.
Alvin disagreed, arguing that the differences between the women actually made their friendship more plausible.
“Personality-wise, I could see them as best friends,” he said. “Not all best friends are in sync as far as how they dress or how they look or their places in society, so I could see that happening realistically.”
Serita then brought some humor into the conversation.
“I think I would know if my best friend was an assassin,” she said with a laugh. “Me and my girls, we drink too much wine. I feel like it would have slipped out.”
Ultimately, after an episode’s worth of jokes about Octavia Spencer’s Chico collection, Dani noted that she had the perfect person to recommend the series too.
“My mom would actually love this, and this is hand to Bible, no lie, because when she was talking to me about my wardrobe one day, she said, ‘Have you tried Chico’s?’” Dani recalled. “And I was like, ‘Janene, please!’ So I am gonna put Janene Canada onto this show.”
From International Assassins To Diarra From Detroit
The conversation then travels from international espionage to Detroit’s motor city mess with Season 2 of Diarra From Detroit.
Created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick, the mystery-comedy follows Diarra Brickland, whose penchant for amateur sleuthing once again pulls her into a dangerous case. Season 2 finds Diarra attempting to enjoy a relatively peaceful summer before a seemingly simple furniture recovery spirals into a triple homicide investigation, secret societies, buried treasure and another trip into Detroit’s criminal underbelly.
For Serita, watching Kilpatrick build a series around a character and world of her own creation inspires more than fandom.
“I think the show is great. It’s very funny,” she said. “I like Diarra. I just feel really proud of her. Just as a woman, I’m like, ‘I’m just hella proud of you.’”
Alvin admitted that he was initially late to the Diarra From Detroit party, but once he started watching, he realized what he’d been missing.
“Why aren’t y’all telling me? Because this is good,” he recalled thinking. “The writing is great. The comedy, whether it’s outrageous or just subtle, it’s hilarious. It’s just an entertaining show, and I love the plot twists, too.”
“It’s almost like a cliffhanger at the end of every episode,” he added. “It’s good stuff.”
Carl was similarly impressed, particularly by Diarra’s accomplishments.
“She wasn’t a household name ahead of the show,” he said. “Wrote it herself, created it herself, starred herself. That is very hard. It is very hard to get a TV show on, period.”
He also praised the show for creating a distinctly Black world without treating its Black characters as though they only exist in relationship to white ones.
“The writing is just whip-smart, and the comedy is funny, and I love that it’s a Black-driven story,” said Carl. “We don’t have gratuitous white people for the sake of their presence. We don’t exist simply to be in contrast to the white people.”
He added,
“Detroit’s a Black city,” Carl added. “Eminem isn’t just around the corner all the time.”
Dani also gave props to Kilpatrick’s career trajectory, recalling her previous work with Viola Davis and Julius Tennon and noting the series’ journey from BET+ to Paramount+ and a second season.
“She’s really doing her thing,” said Dani. “She really is like a homegirl. She’s very dope, very talented.”
“That’s why I said I can’t feel nothing but proud for her,” Serita agreed. “It just naturally makes me proud while I’m watching the show.”
Dani also shouted out DomiNque Perry and Bryan Terrell Clark, who play Diarra’s friends Aja and Mr. Tea, respectively, and help form the comedic ensemble surrounding the amateur sleuth.
“I love the comedy that they bring together as well,” she said.
“They’re so good,” agreed Serita, noting that the writing gives viewers reasons to become invested in each individual character. “You actually want this character to thrive. You’re committed to it.”
Dani also noted that Kilpatrick is the half-sister of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and wondered if she drew show inspiration from his history of corruption.
“Of course,” said Serita.
“Oh, yeah, no,” chimed in Carl sarcastically. “She probably really had to stretch and think about corruption and politics.”
Watch the latest episode of The Black Watch below.