By Jessica L. Dupree
“I think we all deal with a measure of denial. And the season really explores each character denying a lot of what the truth is … there may be even a truth you’re denying now because you don’t like it. And whatever happens when we don’t face the truth the truth has a way of getting our attention. -Devon Franklin
Faith and culture is the essence of BET+ for its second season of TV series ‘Kingdom Business.’ The series stars Gospel Legend Yolanda Adams alongside Michael Beach, Michael Jai White, Louis Gossett Jr., Tamar Braxton, Chaundre A. Hall, and Serayah McNeill. This season, the series opened up as a kingdom in chaos. As themes of love, lust, and denial come to the surface in a sophisticated, binge-worthy way one would surely need to buckle up.
It’s a rich, complicated, layered, funny, dramatic story of a Black family that runs two businesses – A church and a record label. The series explores the gospel music industry through the multiple lenses of family, faith, love and the redemptive power of music. This season, the scandalous antecedent events of lust, love, and denial have caused a kingdom in chaos! In defense of their faith-filled legacy, the Jordan family fights for their gospel record label, their positions in the church, and even their lives. All the while, disgraced gospel phenom, Rbel, struggles to secure justice for Dani and escape her own demons. As family members reunite, new alliances form, and old secrets surface…Rbel searches for answers, and Denita battles to retain her gospel throne.
“This show is important because we really wanted to be able to tell a story about faith and culture that was authentic. A lot of times you see stories about family and faith and church and it’s a little more ‘character’ than what we know the experience to be. And what I love about BET is that they allowed us to tell the story the way it is. We want to represent faith and gospel and that culture authentically so that you can um experience it, enjoy it, and relate to it,” says Dr. Holly Carter.
According to statistics listed on pewresearch.org the percentage of Black adults who attend Historically Black Protestant churches is at 53% at least once a week, 36% once or twice a month/ a few times a year, and 10% seldom/never. Back in the days, Easter and Christmas were the only days you’d hear about non-church goers coming to church but these days even the faithful find themselves watching church online. And what ‘Kingdom Business’ on BET + has done is show us the Black experience at church.
Speaking of relatability it’s a reminder that we are all human, we all have to pick up our cross and carry it each day. We all have decisions to make when faced with temptation. We all know what it’s like to be in love and be in denial, we all know what it means to fight for and with those we love whether it’s with family, friends, or in business.
At the BET + premiere, series producer Devon Franklin opened up about how denial is explored in Season 2 of ‘KIngdom Business.’
“I think we all deal with a measure of denial. And the season really explores each character denying a lot of what the truth is. Now I know we ain’t gonna take ya’ll to church but there may be even a truth you’re denying now because you don’t like it. And whatever happens when we don’t face the truth the truth has a way of getting our attention. So, when you watch season 2 you see characters rattling with truths that they don’t want to accept but that truth keeps persisting until it gets their attention. I think what JJ, Cary, Ruth and so many of the writers have done is lay a foundation of truth that’s getting explored in this second season, says Franklin.
The shocking, gripping, and decadent Gospel drama series has garnered a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.4 IMDb rating. Fans took to social media to comment about the series. “…I was awakened to the voice of God and could feel the presence of God the entire time watching,” wrote one fan. Another fan wrote, “I watched the whole season last night and I couldn’t stop till it ended at 5 a.m. it was so jaw dropping good.”
Season 2 of ‘Kingdom Business’ consists of 8 episodes, The series is now streaming on BET+. For more information, follow #kingdombusiness on IG @officialkingdombusiness.
