Katori Hall talks to ET about the success of the Starz series and what's in store for season 2.
After debuting in the summer of 2020 to critical acclaim and immediate fandom -- with Cardi B among the series’ many famous vocal supporters -- P-Valley is finally back with season 2. And creator Katori Hall tells ET the new episodes are “deeper and darker” as the show continues to tell the overlapping stories of people in and outside of the Chucalissa, Mississippi-based strip club, The Pynk.
From the moment the series returns, fans will see how everybody in Chucalissa has learned to fight “tooth and talon” to survive during these unprecedented times, even as death and danger lurk around every corner. Not only that, but many of the characters, including Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), Autumn (Elarica Johnson) and Mercedes (Brandee Evans), find themselves haunted by the murder of Montavius (Cranston Johnston) as well as the pandemic, which has upended all of their lives.
“Some things went down,” Hall says, explaining that after what happened at the end of last season, The Pynk is now “a haunted place.”
“We really wanted to embrace horror and the tropes of horror in order to really articulate how people were haunted on an individual level, but also this is a community that is haunted,” Hall continues. “In Mississippi, even now, they’re haunted by the original sin of slavery and we’re delving into the injustice system that’s still present not only in Mississippi, but quite frankly around the world.”
As a result, season 2 very much feels like a gothic -- and at times supernatural -- story while also grounded in the realities of the fallout over the pandemic and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. “What’s interesting about African American culture is that spirit is so prevalent and we address it and our ancestors are always with us,” Hall says. “And so, if you feel like there’s a kind of voodoo magical element that we’re digging into, that’s because it’s so much a part of Southern African American culture.”
No matter what, there was no avoiding what was happening at the time, especially as season 2 went back into production during the pandemic. “The fact that we embraced the pandemic, that we did not shy away from real-world events was something that I just felt like it was my responsibility as an artist,” Hall says, adding that her for hope for the second season is for people to watch it and “be like, ‘Oh my gosh, this was how Black folks were able to survive during that time.’ Because oftentimes our experiences aren’t reflected in a way that is truthful, even in the history books.”
She adds, “So, using TV as a medium to chronicle this time felt like the responsible thing to do as a Black female writer.”
Despite the success of season 1, Hall wouldn’t necessarily say that she grew more confident in what she was doing with the series, but she definitely wanted to get “more nuanced” with the stories she was telling. “This story is so expansive,” she says.
It also didn’t hurt that “other people got more confidence in me telling the story,” she quips. “I’ll say that all day, because when other people have more confidence in you, you get more resources,” which includes a bigger music budget.
While on the set of season 2, Hall teased that the new soundtrack would be just as hot as last season and that “we got this major artist everyone knows and loves.” It has since been revealed that person is none other than Megan Thee Stallion, who wrote an original song for the series and is now a part of P-Valley’s celebrity fan club.
Meanwhile, the last time Hall spoke to ET, her interview caught the attention of Cardi B. “I just love that this the most talked about show right now,” the rapper tweeted at the time, adding that it was “crazy” to think she helped inspire the series.
Hall says now, “I was just so satisfied because I used to follow Cardi when she was at the club, like a long, long, long time ago and I felt like I grew up with her at the same time. And so, she is the ultimate success story of a woman who danced and used the stage as her stepping stone.”
“It was so awesome that she validated us,” Hall adds.
When it comes to Cardi appearing on the series, Hall says, “I would love for her to come down to The Pynk. Maybe she’s there. Maybe she’s come. Maybe she hasn’t. I can’t say.” No matter what, she makes clear that the rapper is “always welcome.”
P-Valley season 2 premieres Friday, June 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Starz and is available to stream on the Starz app. New episodes will debut every Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
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