The Last O.G.
American comedy TV series (2018–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Last O.G. is an American comedy television series created by Jordan Peele and John Carcieri that premiered on March 31, 2018, on TBS. The series follows a convict released after serving fifteen years who returns to Brooklyn to find his old neighborhood has changed, and his ex-girlfriend is raising their children with another man. It stars Tracy Morgan, Tiffany Haddish, Allen Maldonado, Ryan Gaul, Taylor Christian Mosby, Dante Hoagland, and Cedric the Entertainer.
| The Last O.G. | |
|---|---|
Title screen from the pilot | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer | Joseph Stephens |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 40 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography | Michael Simmonds |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | TBS |
| Release | March 31, 2018 – December 21, 2021 |
In October 2020, the series was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on October 26, 2021, and concluded on December 21, 2021. In April 2022, the series was canceled after four seasons.
Premise
Tray is an ex-con who is released from prison for good behavior after serving fifteen years. He returns to his old Brooklyn neighborhood to find that it has become gentrified. His ex-girlfriend, Shannon (also known by nickname Shay-Shay), has married another man named Josh and is raising his twin children Amira and Shahzad. Tray decides to become a better man and a father with the help of the owner of a halfway house, Mullins, and his cousin Bobby.
Cast and characters
Main
- Tracy Morgan as Tray Leviticus Barker
- Tiffany Haddish as Shannon "Shay-Shay" Birkeland (seasons 1–3)
- Allen Maldonado as Robert "Bobby" Barker (seasons 1–3)
- Maldonado also plays Clyde Barker, Bobby's deceased older brother
- Ryan Gaul as Josh Birkeland
- Taylor Mosby as Amira Birkeland
- Dante Hoagland as Shahzad Birkeland
- Cedric the Entertainer as Miniard Mullins (main season 1, recurring season 2–3)
- Anna Maria Horsford as Roberta (recurring seasons 1–3, main season 4)
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Veesy (season 4)
Recurring
- Bresha Webb as Faith
- Byrne Davis, Jr. as Billy C.
- Cassandra Freeman as Jasmine
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Veesy
- Derek Gaines as Jason "Jaybird" Watkins
- Daniel J. Watts as Felony
- Dimitri Joseph Moise as Mostel Defferies
- Edi Patterson as Elizabeth
- Gino Vento as Gustavo
- Giovanni Figueroa as Javi
- Lord Jamar as Divine
- Janet Hubert as Miss May Miller
- Joel Marsh Garland as Erwin "Big Country"
- J. B. Smoove as Carl
- Malik Yoba as Wavy
- Method Man as Green-Eyes
- Miles G. Jackson as Benjamin
- Natalie Carter as Ruth
- Randy Gambill as Jason
Guest
- Beverly Sade as Angel
- Jon J. Masters as Mr. Washington
- Judith Roberts as Mrs. Washington
- Chrissy Metz as Pooh Cat
- Thomas Jefferson Byrd as Jimmy
- Ebony Jo-Ann as Aunt Mercedes
- Luenell as Aunt Elaine
- Katt Williams as Fred
- Mike Tyson as Triple O.G
- Gary Dourdan as Bricks
- Teddy Atlas as himself
- Mark Breland as himself
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2018)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [1][2] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [1] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Jorma Taccone | John Carcieri & Jordan Peele | March 31, 2018[a] | 1.87[3][b] |
| 2 | 2 | "Bobo Beans" | Chioke Nassor | Jeff Stilson | April 10, 2018 | 1.52[4] |
| 3 | 3 | "Truth Safari" | Chioke Nassor | Alex Rubens | April 17, 2018 | 1.12[5] |
| 4 | 4 | "Swipe Right" | John Lee | Diallo Riddle & Bashir Salahuddin | April 24, 2018 | 1.16[6] |
| 5 | 5 | "Repass" | Chioke Nassor | Diarra Kilpatrick | May 1, 2018 | 1.05[7] |
| 6 | 6 | "Tray-ning Day" | Maurice Marable | Marc Theobald | May 8, 2018 | 1.15[8] |
| 7 | 7 | "Lemon Drops" | John Lee | Adam Schulman | May 15, 2018 | 1.01[9] |
| 8 | 8 | "That Backslide" | Maurice Marable | Diallo Riddle & Bashir Salahuddin | May 22, 2018 | 1.04[10] |
| 9 | 9 | "Paid in Full" | Jorma Taccone | John Carcieri | May 29, 2018 | 1.17[11] |
| 10 | 10 | "Clemenza" | Chioke Nassor | John Carcieri & Jordan Peele | June 5, 2018 | 1.16[12] |
Season 2 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [1][2] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [1] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Ladies First" | Pete Chatmon | Mary Fitzgerald | March 30, 2019[c] | 1.63[14] |
| 12 | 2 | "Git Up, Git Out & Git Something" | Jorma Taccone | Marc Theobald | April 9, 2019 | 0.89[15] |
| 13 | 3 | "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" | Jorma Taccone | Diarra Kilpatrick | April 16, 2019 | 0.87[16] |
| 14 | 4 | "Scenario" | Pete Chatmon | Allen Maldonado | April 23, 2019 | 0.85[17] |
| 15 | 5 | "Sound of Da Police" | Matthew A. Cherry | Kevin Arietta | April 30, 2019 | 0.87[18] |
| 16 | 6 | "Keep Their Heads Ringing" | Pete Chatmon | Jordan Black | May 7, 2019 | 0.82[19] |
| 17 | 7 | "Criminal Minded" | Reginald Hudlin | Arthur Harris & Angela Nissel | May 14, 2019 | 0.74[20] |
| 18 | 8 | "Mama Said Knock You Out" | Maurice Marable | Tracey Ashley | May 21, 2019 | 0.97[21] |
| 19 | 9 | "Your Mom's in My Business" | Reginald Hudlin | Jordan Black | May 28, 2019 | 0.93[22] |
| 20 | 10 | "Fight the Power" | Reginald Hudlin | Saladin K. Patterson | June 4, 2019 | 0.80[23] |
Season 3 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [1][2] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [1] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Lookin at the Front Door" | Matt Sohn | Keenen Ivory Wayans & Jerron Horton | April 7, 2020 | 0.81[24] |
| 22 | 2 | "Started from the Bottom" | Dale Stern | Keenen Ivory Wayans & Tyree Elaine | April 14, 2020 | 0.66[25] |
| 23 | 3 | "Ballin" | Dale Stern | Keenen Ivory Wayans & Kate Spurgeon | April 21, 2020 | 0.84[26] |
| 24 | 4 | "They Reminisce Over You" | Matt Sohn | Keenen Ivory Wayans & Kate Spurgeon | April 28, 2020 | 0.71[27] |
| 25 | 5 | "Family Feud" | Robert Townsend | Keenen Ivory Wayans & Andrew Barbot | May 5, 2020 | 0.72[28] |
| 26 | 6 | "The Breaks" | Richie Keen | Keenen Ivory Wayans & Charla Lauriston | May 12, 2020 | 0.75[29] |
| 27 | 7 | "In Da Club" | Richie Keen | Keenen Ivory Wayans & Marc Theobald | May 19, 2020 | 0.72[30] |
| 28 | 8 | "Come Clean" | Robert Townsend | Keenen Ivory Wayans & Carl Jones | May 26, 2020 | 0.65[31] |
| 29 | 9 | "All I Need" | Tiffany Johnson | Marc Theobald | June 2, 2020 | 0.76[32] |
| 30 | 10 | "Warning" | Matt Sohn | Carl Jones | June 9, 2020 | 0.72[33] |
Season 4 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [2] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [1] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | "Staying Alive" | Ali LeRoi | Owen Smith | October 26, 2021 | 0.45[34] |
| 32 | 2 | "The First Hump Is the Hardest" | Ali LeRoi | Lakshmi Sundaram | October 26, 2021 | 0.33[34] |
| 33 | 3 | "Tray Finds His Purpose" | Keesha Sharp | Ian Edwards | November 2, 2021 | 0.46[35] |
| 34 | 4 | "If You Can't Buy, Rent" | Keesha Sharp | Jeff Stilson | November 9, 2021 | 0.57[36] |
| 35 | 5 | "Helping Is Hard" | Carl Weathers | Jim Woods | November 16, 2021 | 0.55[37] |
| 36 | 6 | "The Negotiator" | Carl Weathers | Marc Theobald | November 23, 2021 | 0.60[38] |
| 37 | 7 | "Smush" | Oz Scott | Ella Robinson Brooks | November 30, 2021 | 0.51[39] |
| 38 | 8 | "Know Thyself" | Oz Scott | Amberia Allen | December 7, 2021 | 0.48[40] |
| 39 | 9 | "The Squared Circle" | Mike Mariano | Mike Mariano | December 14, 2021 | 0.49[41] |
| 40 | 10 | "The Payback" | Mike Mariano | Maiya Williams | December 21, 2021 | 0.52[42] |
Production
Development
On January 16, 2016, it was announced that FX had given the production a pilot order. The episode was written by Jordan Peele and John Carcieri. Executive producers were set to include Peele, Carcieri, Tracy Morgan, Eric Tannenbaum, and Joel Zadak. Production companies involved with the pilot included FX Productions.[43]
On October 17, 2016, it was announced that series was moving from FX to TBS and that it had been given a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The previous month, FX decided not to proceed with the production and its producers began to shop it around. Various networks showed interest but it ultimately came down to TBS and Comedy Central. The existing pilot script was rewritten and Studio T became involved in the series' production replacing FX Productions.[44]
On May 17, 2017, it was announced that the series had been titled The Last O.G.[45] On July 27, 2017, it was announced that series would premiere on October 24, 2017, with two episodes airing for a full hour.[46] However, on January 11, 2018, it was announced that series would premiere on April 3, 2018.[47] The premiere had been delayed after the departure of series co-creator and showrunner John Carcieri, who left after production on season one had ended. He was replaced by Saladin K. Patterson.[48] On April 23, 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season.[49] On January 16, 2019, it was announced that the second season would premiere on April 2, 2019.[50] On May 15, 2019, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on April 7, 2020.[51][52] On October 15, 2020, TBS renewed the series for a fourth season which premiered on October 26, 2021.[53][54] In April 2022, it was revealed that the fourth season was the final season, the final episode having aired on December 21, 2021.[55]
Casting
Alongside the initial pilot announcement, it was confirmed that Tracy Morgan would star in the series.[43] On March 15, 2017, it was announced that Allen Maldonado had been cast as series regular.[56] On April 13, 2017, it was reported that Ryan Gaul was joining the main cast.[56] In May 2017, it was announced that Tiffany Haddish, Cedric the Entertainer, Taylor Mosby, and Dante Hoagland were joining the show as series regulars.[57][45]
Release
Marketing
On February 16, 2018, TBS released the first trailer for the series.[48] On January 16, 2019, a trailer for season two was released.[50]
Premiere
On March 12, 2018, the series held its world premiere at the annual South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas at the Paramount Theatre. Following the screening, journalist Ramin Setoodeh moderated a question-and-answer session with Jorma Taccone, Tracy Morgan, and Tiffany Haddish.[58][59]
Reception
Critical response
The series was met with a positive response from critics upon its premiere. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 82% with an average rating of 7.47 out of 10 based on 34 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Despite uneven writing, The Last O.G. succeeds on the strength of Tracy Morgan's inspired performance and Tiffany Haddish's comic instincts."[60] On Metacritic it has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[61]
Ratings
On April 3, 2018, the official series premiere drew 1.8 million total viewers, with 882K in the key 18-49 demo in Live + same day. This was the largest cable comedy premiere since 2016, the largest scripted cable comedy premiere since 2015, and the strongest TBS original debut ever. In addition, more than 6.9 million total viewers tuned into the show over a three-night, five-telecast launch on TBS and TNT following the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four.[62]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | BET Awards | Best Actress | Tiffany Haddish | Won | |
| Black Reel Awards[63] | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Tracy Morgan | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Tiffany Haddish | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Jordan Peele & John Carcieri | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | BET Awards | Best Actress | Tiffany Haddish | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Tracy Morgan | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite Comedy TV Star | Tiffany Haddish | Nominated | ||
| Shorty Awards | Best TV Series | The Last O.G. | Nominated | [64] | |
Notes
- The episode originally aired as a "sneak peek" on March 31, 2018. It was later re-aired for its official television premiere on April 3, 2018.
- The episode's official premiere was viewed by 1.8 million people.