‘Dear White People’ Speculations for a Potential 3rd Season
I admit I’ve only just recently watched the Dear White People series, but because of its bold themes and interesting character dynamics, I binge-watched all two seasons in the span of a few weeks or so. In anticipation for the unconfirmed third season set to come out, I decided to write this article on what the show may offer us in its new season if it returns. I reflect on the past seasons to speculate, so there are definitely spoilers down below.
With the first season, most of the conflict our characters were facing seemed to stem from each other, which led to on-screen tension. Tension and conflict were still present in the second season, but it was mostly different because it was with outside forces and anonymous antagonists. Because of this, I think most of the conflicts in the upcoming season will go back to character vs. character.
Character Tensions
For starters, I definitely see my boy Lionel having to confront his lover, Wesley, and figure out how they see themselves together, if together at all.
I’m not sure of the likelihood of this happening because I haven’t seen the film it’s based on, but I would like to see Kurt confront Sam about his behavior and Pastiche. He did this in the first season, but it was done so condescendingly. In season two, he came off as more understanding—or at least attempting to understand—so I would like to see that side of him more because if he went out of his way to help expose Nikki Carter, I imagine some more character redemption is in store.
Kurt Fletcher. Is he more than just an ignorant antagonist? Credit to Netflix.
Understandably, Reggie seemed to leave plenty unsaid about his incident with the racist cop, so I hope he would confront quite a few characters about his true feelings on the matter, namely Sam. Hopefully, she will give him the time and space to cope with it in his own way rather than using his obvious trauma to push her own agenda, whatever that may be. But knowing Reggie is the suffer-in-silence type, I imagine he will only confide in Joelle, bless her soul. Regardless, I still think there’s going to be tensions between him and Sam.
If you’ve noticed, most of the character confrontations I think will happen will be between Sam and some other character. It’s bound to happen this way because season two seemed to center around her much more than season one, which is understandable because she is arguably in the most jeopardy in the season. With her friends’ encouragement and co-discovering the Order of X with Lionel, hopefully, she will be able to overcome grief, the effects of her being cyber-bullied, and the threat of becoming another Nikki Carter. However, I ultimately think she will overcome these obstacles fiercely because if anything, the show has proven her to be a stubborn, righteous, and independent woman.
Order of X to the Rescue!
This takes me to my next speculation. I think most of our characters will accomplish something all college students hope to accomplish: finding out where they fit in. I think with the Order of X now in play, our characters would be pressured to do just that.
Over two seasons of investigating and outing racists, Lionel has further established himself as a journalist. But because he perceived that little has changed in his community, he doubted himself, even when he successfully outed alt-right Silvio. I have no doubt that his co-discovery of the Order of X will give him confidence in the next season and he won’t trip over Wesley.
Lionel doing his thing. Credit to Netflix.
Going back to Reggie, I can see the Order of X helping him cope with trauma and validate himself as more than just a victim of institutionalized racism, but a student with a passion for computer science and a knack for slam poetry as well. Because the secret society is so old, I have no doubt that they have members who have dealt with racist cops and the dilemma of turning the other cheek or fighting back.
Reggie is not his trauma. Credit to Netflix.
I think the Order of X will help Troy figure himself out as well, just in a different way. Troy’s father—Dean Walter Fairbanks—has always given me an eerie feeling; I just feel like there’s more to him than we know, specifically his past. We’ve seen bits and pieces of that with his heart-to-heart with Reggie and taking a bigger puff than Troy during theirs, but that’s not enough. I think that in some way, Dean Fairbanks is connected to the Order of X. Is he a member? Was he a member? I don’t know. The theory I have right now is that he used to be a member, but had a different idea of fighting the cause for racial equality on campus: becoming the Dean, which motivated him to leave the secret society. Perhaps this is far-fetched, but something tells me nothing on this show is impossible. With some light shed on his father’s past, I think Troy will understand why his father pushes him to be a better version of himself and why he is under no such obligation.
What do you think will happen in season 3? Let me know in the comments down below! You catch up on Dear White People here.
Nothing but love.
