It feels like forever since we last saw Chris Rock’s family sitting in that diner, staring at a plate of fries while the screen cut to black. Most people remember that 2009 finale as a weird, Sopranos-style cliffhanger. Did he pass the G.E.D.? Did he fail? For fifteen years, we just sat there wondering. Then, out of nowhere, Everybody Still Hates Chris 2024 dropped on Comedy Central, and honestly, it’s the weirdest, most nostalgic pivot I’ve seen in a long time.
They didn't just bring the show back. They turned it into a cartoon.
Now, look, I know what you’re thinking. Reboots usually suck. They’re often just lazy cash grabs designed to make you feel old. But this one? It’s different. It picks up exactly where the original left off, but with a twist that only a show executive produced by Chris Rock could pull off.
The Slap That Changed Everything (Literally)
The series starts in 1987. We’re back in Bed-Stuy. The big mystery of the G.E.D. is solved immediately: Chris failed. He’s a dropout. When he breaks the news to Rochelle, she does what Rochelle does best. She delivers a slap so legendary, so earth-shattering, that it literally knocks the entire family out of live-action and into 2D animation.
That’s the hook. That’s how they explain why everyone looks like a Saturday morning cartoon now.
It’s a clever way to handle the "aging out" problem. You can't exactly have Tyler James Williams playing a teenager anymore—the man is a superstar on Abbott Elementary and looks like a grown adult. By moving to animation, the show keeps the timeline frozen in the late '80s. We get the same vibes, the same grit of Brooklyn, but without the awkwardness of 30-year-olds trying to wear backpacks and high-top fades.
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Who’s Back and Who’s New?
The biggest win for Everybody Still Hates Chris 2024 is the return of Terry Crews and Tichina Arnold. Honestly, the show wouldn't work without them. Terry Crews is still voicing Julius, the cheapest man in America. He still knows exactly how much it costs to leave a light on for three minutes. Hearing his voice come out of an animated giant just fits.
Tichina Arnold is back as Rochelle, and she hasn't missed a beat. She’s still "quitting" jobs every other Tuesday and threatening to knock the juice out of her kids.
But since the original kids are all grown up, we have a new voice cast for the younger generation:
- Tim Johnson Jr. takes over as Young Chris.
- Ozioma Akagha voices the "devil in an angel's face" Tonya.
- Terrence Little Gardenhigh is the smooth-talking Drew.
- Gunnar Sizemore steps in as Greg, Chris’s only white friend.
It’s a bit jarring at first to hear different voices for the siblings, but you get used to it. Chris Rock is still the narrator, providing that sharp, cynical commentary that made the original show a classic.
Why This Isn't Just "The Simpsons" in Brooklyn
There was a lot of talk online about the animation style. Some people on Reddit called it "lazy" or "generic adult animation." I disagree. It’s produced by Titmouse—the same studio behind Big Mouth and The Boys Presents: Diabolical—so the quality is actually pretty high.
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The backgrounds are filled with real 1980s Brooklyn details. The creators, including showrunner Sanjay Shah, spent months looking at old photos of Bed-Stuy to make sure the street corners looked right. Even the gags are rooted in that specific era.
One episode, "Everybody Still Hates the KKK," tackles race in a way that’s both hilarious and uncomfortable, which was always the original's sweet spot. Rochelle starts her "You Ain't White Academy" to teach the kids how to navigate the world, and it's peak comedy. It doesn't feel like it's trying to be "woke" or "edgy" for the sake of it; it just feels like the Rock family.
Where Can You Actually Watch It?
If you’re trying to find Everybody Still Hates Chris 2024, it’s a bit spread out. It originally premiered on Comedy Central on September 25, 2024. If you missed the live airings, you can find it on Paramount+.
They’ve been releasing episodes in batches. The first ten episodes hit Paramount+ in early 2025, and they’ve been trickling out since. You can also buy individual episodes on Prime Video or Apple TV if you’re not into the whole subscription thing.
Is It Actually Funny?
Kinda. Mostly, yeah.
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The first couple of episodes feel like they’re trying a bit too hard to prove they’re "adult" animation. There’s some edgy humor and a few gags that feel a little Family Guy-ish. But by the third episode, "Everybody Still Hates Drew's Brother," the show finds its rhythm. It stops trying to be shocking and starts focusing on the family dynamics again.
The heart is still there.
Watching Chris struggle to be cool while his younger brother Drew effortlessly glides through life is timeless. Watching Julius calculate the cost of a block party down to the penny is relatable to anyone who grew up with a frugal parent. It’s a sequel that actually respects the source material while trying something new.
The Verdict on the Revival
We live in an era where every show gets brought back from the dead. Usually, it’s a disaster. But Everybody Still Hates Chris 2024 works because it understands why people loved the original. It’s not just about the jokes; it’s about that specific feeling of being a "nerdy kid in a large working-class family."
It’s definitely worth a watch if you grew up with the original or if you just want a sitcom that isn’t afraid to be a little mean-spirited for a laugh.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to dive into the new series, here is the best way to handle it:
- Watch the original series finale first. It’s on Paramount+. Refresh your memory on the G.E.D. cliffhanger so the "slap into animation" makes sense.
- Check out the first three episodes. Don't judge it solely on the pilot. The show needs a minute to shake off the "new show" jitters.
- Look for the guest stars. They’ve got people like Tisha Campbell and Bell Biv DeVoe popping up, which adds a lot of 80s flavor to the voice acting.
The show is a rare example of a reboot that actually has a reason to exist. It finishes a story we thought was over, and it does it with enough style to stand on its own. Go give it a shot.