‘Diarra from Detroit’ — currently streaming on BET+ — is my kind of carrying on

OPINION: The true-crime-romantic-dramedy series set in Detroit is tomfoolery and heart, and I absolutely love it. 

Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

One of my favorite phrases is “Shenanigans ensued.” I use it often in written form and in real life. When I’m telling a story, I love to utter that phrase right before I get to the good stuff — where the story takes an absolute left turn into WTFsville, like the night one of my friends and I were effectively kidnapped off the streets or Richmond, Virginia, in 2006. Shenanigans ensued; we made it home safely and agreed to make different decisions while out of town. 

The point is, I love the phrase and use it often. But recently, I realized that maybe I’ve been using it wrong. Or at the wrong time and in the wrong circumstances, perhaps. Because I have now seen the first four episodes of the new BET+ show, “Diarra from Detroit,” and THIS show is literally the definition of “shenanigans ensued.” I have been a part of some absolute nonsense in my life; Diarra Brickland (Diarra Kilpatrick), though, is a rollercoaster ride of WHY!??!? She, along with her overly indulgent and enabling homies Aja (DomiNque Perry), Mr. Tea (Bryan Terrell Clark) and Moni (Claudia Logan) are the living embodiment of doing the absolute most. 

And let me tell you something. I absolutely love this show. It had me after the first 10 minutes. Let me tell you what it’s about, though. 

Aight, so boom. Diarra Brickland is a soon-to-be divorceé who hasn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep since she and her ex — Swa (played by Morris Chestnut) — split. She meets a dude on a dating app, and they have an amazing date and a romp in the sack; he puts her to sleep for the first time in months. She nicknames him Ambien, and she’s all in. There’s just one problem. He ghosts her (or does he?), and it sends her into true-crime detective mode to find out why he ghosted her. She’s a bit of an extreme personality. What follows next can only be described with two words: shenanigans ensue. 

Diarra ends up deciding that the date who ghosted her is actually a little boy who was kidnapped back in 1995 from a mall in Detroit, and she sets out to find this man who we come to find out … has been kidnapped — twice? Maybe? Who knows? We’re only four episodes in, and I have absolutely no idea where the show is going from episode to episode. Oh, did I tell you that Diarra is a middle school teacher? And that this takes place in Detroit so there are robberies, shootouts, snow and lots of mentions of “this is the D!” There are naked Russian men and John Salley. Yes, former Detroit Piston John Salley. 

Oh, and Phylicia Rashad plays a character who slept with the entire original lineup of the Temptations. 

Diarra Kilpatrick, who is the writer and executive producer of the show, is wonderful in the lead role. Her comedic timing and commitment to the role is *chef’s kiss.* And despite the absolutely random nature (so far) of the show, the way the show is written with her family drama, work drama and her obsession with finding the man who ghosted her is truly one of the more enjoyable television-watching experiences I’ve had. Plus, I know the show is going somewhere; I’m fully invested in seeing this thing through. It’s a wonder I don’t hear more people talking about it because it really did have me from the opening scenes. 

It honestly makes me appreciate my friends. I’m not saying I’ve ever tried to take on Detroit in search of a woman who didn’t call me back, but I’ve also never been in that situation while going through a divorce. I suppose anything is possible. But I do have a group of friends for whom the story and the possibility of greatness, even if tragedy was an option, is paramount. We’ve been a part of some absolute nonsense purely for the sake of having a story to tell. It’s that kind of carrying on that makes life worth living. 

I don’t know if you have BET+ — I stream it through Amazon Prime — and honestly, I have no idea if I’m paying for it or not, but “Diarra from Detroit” is the kind of show that I wish more people could see because it’s entertaining, well-acted and just wild enough to leave you impressed with the writing chips of Diarra Kilpatrick, who is from Detroit and yes, is the sister of Kwame Kilpatrick, so I’m going to ride BET+ out until this show ends. It’s fresh and fun; how many true-crime detective stories include scenes of the lead driving through the city bumping Eminem to get some aggression out? I can only think of one. 

I’m riding with Diarra. 

Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest), but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said: “Unknown” (Blackest).

Make sure you check out the Dear Culture podcast every Thursday on theGrio’s Black Podcast Network, where I’ll be hosting some of the Blackest conversations known to humankind. You might not leave the convo with an afro, but you’ll definitely be looking for your Afro Sheen! Listen to Dear Culture on TheGrio’s app; download it here.

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