SPOILER ALERT: The following story reveals major storylines from the Season 1 finale of Fox’s Our Kind of People.
As Season 1 of Fox’s Our Kind of People comes to an end, answers have arrived regarding many of the show’s biggest mysteries. Mainly: What role did Teddy Franklin (Joe Morton) play in his former lover Eve’s downfall? It’s complicated.
In Tuesday night’s episode, “Kiss It Up To God,” Eve and Teddy’s love child Angela Vaughn (Yaya DaCosta) and her half-sister Leah Franklin Dupont (Nadine Ellis) teamed to get a confession from their father Teddy about a gun that connects them all to the events that took place at the 1984 Grand Illumination Ball that ended with Teddy’s brother Louis Franklin (B.J. Britt) dead, Leah’s mother Rose (Susan Spain) traumatized, and Eve arrested on a drug charge.
“I loved Eve, very deeply,” Teddy revealed in the finale. “We were going to meet at the dock that night and run away together. But before she could get there, Louis showed up and we argued about my new business dealings. While we were at each other’s throats, I didn’t notice that Rose followed me. She was manic, angry. She wanted to shoot me. She pulled the trigger and Louis jumped in front of me—his life for mine. Rose was never the same and neither was I. Ever since I’ve felt nothing but guilt and shame. I am so sorry.”
His confession cleared him of planting drugs on Eve, but Angela was one step closer to discovering the real culprit. Leah’s mother-in-law Olivia, who was best friends with Rose, admitted to Angela that she put crack in her mother’s purse as revenge for Eve’s affair with Teddy. But whatever consequences she might face will have to wait until Fox renews the series for Season 2.
In the meantime, things did not end well for Teddy. Leah kicked him out of the house and from the top spot at Franklin Holdings. Instead of ascending to the chairman position herself, she crowned her husband Raymond Dupont (Morris Chestnut).
The future holds a new venture for Leah, who is joining Angela in building Eve’s Crown from the ground up. Well, that is, if Leah survives after being shot twice in the back by a mysterious figure looking for Teddy.
Series creator Karin Gist spoke with Deadline about all the Season 1 drama, where the show stands regarding a renewal, and why they dared to shoot down Leah.
DEADLINE: Karin, before we can discuss the events of the finale, fans are dying to know about Season 2. Where are you at in discussions with Fox regarding the renewal?
KARIN GIST: Knock on wood that we get a Season 2. The studio and the network have been so supportive. I think they’re creatively happy with the show, so I think it’s a really good and positive sign. I have lots of great ideas for Season 2 that I’ll be pitching very soon. I’m very, very encouraged by the possibility of continuing to tell this story because I think we still have so much more to do.
DEADLINE: We need a Season 2 to find out what happens to Leah! Why did you make the decision that she would be gunned down?
GIST: What I love about that is that we spent the season bringing the family together and so, you always have to give families something to root for and a reason to bring them back. By the end of the season, the family is cracked because of the Teddy of it all. So hopefully going forward, Leah’s injury will be the touchstone to bring the family back together.
DEADLINE: What can you tease about the shooter’s identity?
GIST: You know I can’t tell you about that! It’s going to be somebody completely surprising and it might be the beginnings of a new storyline.
DEADLINE: So it could be someone the audience hasn’t met yet?
GIST: Yes. The possibilities are endless.
DEADLINE: Without knowing if the show would be renewed, did you have an alternate version of the finale or did you always plan on the cliffhanger ending?
GIST: I always planned for Season 1 to be an introduction to the family and to keep it going, so I didn’t want to end the season as if I was ending the series. I did want to make sure that we answered some of those questions that were raised in the pilot in terms of what happened to Eve and how that affected Angela. But I always wanted to tickle a little bit of something for the future.
DEADLINE: How do we know that Teddy is finally telling the truth?
GIST: You did hear the truth, but with all good television, there are always little reveals and twists that could be coming up. So, you did hear some of the truth, but the truth has many layers to it.
DEADLINE: Angela getting not one but two proposals was magical. What can you share regarding the difficult choice she made by picking Tyrique (Lance Gross) over her first love Nate (McKinley Freeman)?
GIST: Both of the men in her life represent different things. Nate is kind of like comfort food. He’s her past and they had a relationship that was interrupted by what happened to him. I think there’s always that love story that will never die and that love that will never die between them and then they have their daughter Nikki (Alana Kay Bright) on top of that. But with Tyrique, he’s her present and a step towards the future.
I really wanted to craft a love triangle where both men represent two different paths for her. And she does make a choice at the end of the season, but I don’t think the Nate relationship is really going to die. There’s just too much unfinished business between the two of them.
DEADLINE: Is Boston still a possibility?
GIST: No. She’s found a home in Oaks Bluff and she’s going to make a home there. Boston is in her future as far as building her business but I think she’s found a nice community and family in the Bluffs and she’s going to stick around.
DEADLINE: Olivia has really proven she’s not a person to be messed with. What can you tease about her future?
GIST: She’s so much fun to write. She’s a hoot, she’s complicated, and it’s so delicious. L. Scott really did such a great job with that character.
What I can tease about Olivia is that she’s not going to sit back and let Angela play her or take advantage of her. Olivia has more moves up her sleeve going into Season 2 for sure.
DEADLINE: Are things about to get messier for Sloane (Ahmarie Holmes) after revealing she’s pregnant with Quincy’s (Kyle Bary) baby?
GIST: She is a messy character and she’s out to get whatever she can get. We shall see what happens with this pregnancy, which will certainly shake up Quincy’s world for sure.
DEADLINE: Aunt Piggy (Debbi Morgan) has a lot of secrets of her own. Could we see more on the love front with Darius Bates (Darnell Williams) who is back from the dead?
GIST: Aunt Piggy is another one of my favorites. She is based on my real aunt Piggy. She has more secrets and I really want to explore the character further in Season 2. There’s so much more to learn about her and from her. She’s wise beyond her years.
Regarding her and Darius, I loved the idea of having these two people who may have messed up earlier in their lives come to each other from a place of healing and then potentially love. I think there’s something to that, but also, that’s Angie and Jesse from All My Children. Who doesn’t love that?
DEADLINE: Are you done with Mama Eve now or could we expect more on that front?
GIST: I’ll never be done with Mama Eve. I think she’s one of the drivers for the Vaughn women. In terms of whether we’re telling stories about her life, I think we are done with that. I think all of our women will always go back to wanting to make the most of the chance they’ve been given because of how it was taken away from Eve. So no, I’m not done with her at all. We may flash back some more with her and maybe some other characters as well in the future.
DEADLINE: What would a Season 2 look like?
GIST: If we get a second season, it’s going to be even more explosive. There will be more family complications, about the sisters, and bringing the family back together. I’m also excited about adding some new characters that shake up the world a bit and exploring the themes of power and access. I think that’s really relevant to what’s going on in our country, particularly through the lens of this really wealthy African American family. I’m really excited about where we could take this show and I know the audience is too.