It looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of Kanan Stark (MeKai Curtis) and his family, because just ahead of “Raising Kanan”‘s season two premiere, the show was renewed for its third installment. According to Variety, the news was announced at the Television Critics Association 2022 summer press tour on Aug. 11.
“Our passionate and loyal fans have been eagerly awaiting the Season 2 return of ‘Raising Kanan’ to see the continued transformation of a young and naive teenage Kanan Stark into the ruthless, no-nonsense character they know and love,” said Kathryn Busby, president of original programming at Starz, of the show’s Aug. 14 return, per Variety. “And we’re thrilled to be doubling down on a third season with this incredible cast led by Patina [Miller] and MeKai.” Sascha Penn will once again serve as the showrunner and an executive producer for season three.
Season two of the series, which comes from the mind of 50 Cent, takes place three months after Kanan shot Detective Howard (Omar Epps) and fled to Maryland. In an August interview with POPSUGAR, Miller shared that “things are going to hit the fan” for her character, Raquel Thomas, Kanan’s mother. “You will see her sweat in a way that you’ve never seen her sweat before,” Miller asserted. “This woman is ferocious, things are happening in real time, and she is dealing with a lot. There are some things you’ll never see coming, and I hope that people enjoy it, but strap in for the ride.”
“Lou and Raq’s relationship is definitely going to be a big part of our story.”
Indeed, what a ride season two was. The show concluded its second installment on Oct. 23 with Raquel and her family completely at odds with one another as her secrets were exposed. From Raquel’s failed distribution deal with Traymont (Jason Dirden) and Abraham (Reggie Talley) to her betrayal of Lou (Malcolm Mays) and constant lying to Kanan, the season ends with her business in peril — the cherry on top of the mess she’s made of her family. According to Penn, those broken relationships will play a huge part in the forthcoming season.
“Lou and Raq’s relationship is definitely going to be a big part of our story,” he tells POPSUGAR. “Obviously, Raq and Kanan [are] the spine of the series, so that’ll always be there, but I think for Raq, everything that she’s built is gone. Every lie she’s told has sort of been laid bare . . . She has to sort of reimagine herself — who is she, what is she doing? And there’s some new characters that we see pop up, some new adversaries, so to speak. But the thing about this business is that it never lets you leave, it’s always there. And the old stuff always has a way of circling back on you. So I think that’s definitely going to be a big part of season three.”
When we asked Miller what she’d love to see in season three, the actor said she’d love to dive deeper into the Thomas family history. “I loved being able to get a glimpse into the Thomas family and where they come from, especially with her mother,” Miller shared. “I’d love to kind of investigate what that relationship is because it left an impression for me. I would love to investigate more of where they come from and more of the Howard/Raq story of how it all kind of came [to be].”
Meanwhile, Curtis told POPSUGAR in June that he just wants to see Kanan “continue to bloom and blossom.” He explained, “Even though the coming of age that he’s having is a little unconventional, it starts a dialogue about real events. These are real circumstances that people find themselves in. It’s a real view of coming of age, discovering yourself, and learning about yourself. I just want to continue to see the story go that way, and that is the most rewarding and the most fun part of getting to take on this project.”
Read ahead for everything we know about “Raising Kanan” season three so far.