Two years after it first premiered, Run the World is about to return in style.
The Starz comedy will debut its second season on May 26, reuniting us with best friends Whitney (Amber Stevens West), Renee (Bresha Webb), and Sondi (Corbin Reid) as they navigate relationships, careers, microaggressions, and life’s challenges as successful 30-something Black women in Harlem. Like their neighborhood, they’re undergoing some big changes; but their unshakeable bond supports them through it all.
One of the best dressed shows on TV, Run the World will once again feature wardrobes assembled by costume designer Tracy L. Cox and costume consultant Patricia Field, who’ve both famously worked on Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. “We were so excited to return to Run the World season two and continue to elevate the looks by drawing on the characters’ journey—using bolder style choices, appealing to social media and the fashion enthusiasts,” the pair tell ELLE.com in a joint statement.
They also dropped a hint about the outfits this season, which feature both vintage pieces and looks by Black designers: “These New York characters made us look good; we see [that] Whitney glows in up-cycled ’90s finds by Richard Tyler, while Renee works cozily from home in Diesel, and Sondi makes moves on campus wearing an eclectic mix, from vintage John Galliano to Black brands like Telfar, Fe Noel, and Homage Year. We love the energy of Run the World and the energy the actors bring to these dynamic characters.”
Its unrivaled closets aside, Run the World, created by Leigh Davenport and executive produced by Living Single creator Yvette Lee Bowser, has been hailed as a celebration of Black friendship and sisterhood ever since premiering in 2021. As Timeka N. Tounsel wrote for ELLE.com at the time, “What makes this series so refreshing, nourishing even, is that it operates on the assumption that Black women are complex, multifaceted, and diverse in how we choose to navigate the world.” Perhaps that’s also what appealed to writer and producer Rachelle Williams-BenAry (Tuca & Bertie, Mixed-ish), who joins season 2 as the new showrunner. (Davenport and Bowser will stay on as executive producers.)
“What drew me to Run the World was seeing Black women unapologetically take up space in a world that constantly overlooks and diminishes us,” she writes to ELLE.com in a statement. She adds of the fashion, “Pat and Tracy’s awareness of that and knowledge of the characters is expertly reflected in the costume design. This season Sondi, Renee, and Whitney all make a lot of bold, surprising, but self-affirming choices both with style and with life.”
Does that mean Whitney will still be walking down the aisle or no? Will Renee land a new job with L’Oréal, and finalize her divorce? And how will Sondi and Matthew handle the next step of their now-public relationship? Here, we round up the basics about Run the World season 2, and share exclusive first-look photos.
When does season 2 premiere?
Run the World returns on Friday, May 26. The new episode will air on STARZ at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, and begin streaming on the STARZ app and on demand starting at midnight ET.
Who’s in the cast?
West, Webb, and Reid once again take the lead, but this time without Andrea Bordeaux, who starred as Ella, an accomplished writer and fourth member of the friend group, in season 1. She announced her exit from the series last February.
Meanwhile, Stephen Bishop (Matthew) and Tosin Morohunfola (Ola) will return in recurring roles. Erika Alexander (Barb) and Nick Sagar (Anderson) will be recurring guest stars, and Jay Walker (Jason) and Tonya Pinkins (Whitney’s mother) are set to guest star again.
New additions for season 2 include Tika Sumpter, Comedian CP (a.k.a. Chris Powell), and A Madea Homecoming’s Isha Blaaker in recurring roles, as well as Queen Sugar’s Cree Summer and Dear White People’s Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins as guest stars.
Tika Sumpter
Erika Alexander
Tosin Morohunfola with Amber Stevens West
Can I get a sneak peek?
Flip through more first-look photos below.
‘Run the World’ Season 2 Photos
Where did season 1 leave off?
The season 1 finale left our ladies in the midst of a few cliffhangers. The status of Whitney’s relationship—and wedding—are in limbo after she confesses her infidelity to her fiancé, Ola. He tells her he needs time to think (after they get in bed together!), but she’s not sure how long it will take, or if it’ll end with him calling off the wedding for good. Is there hope for reconciliation in season 2? (They do look happy in one photo together…)
Ella officially gets back together with Anderson, despite her friends’ initial disapproval. Her girls were right to be protective (two years ago, Anderson left her for a job in South Africa on short notice, then reappeared in her life unannounced), but they accept the reunion after seeing her happy. Anderson also gives her a harsh wake-up call after telling her she deserves a better job than reporting celebrity gossip at Hot Tea Digest. At the end of the finale episode, she seems to be starting a new book. How will season 2 address her absence?
Renee is on career shift too. She quit her job after she set up a pitch for L’Oréal and someone else at the company (a white man, no less) was chosen to lead the project instead of her. At the end of season 1, she asks her old friend Mia, her contact at L’Oréal, if she can be brought onto the team. Mia says she’ll check if it’s possible—at least it’s not a no. Plus, earlier in the season, Renee officially decided to divorce her husband Jason. What’s next for the newly single Renee?
As for, Sondi, at the end of season 1, she and her man Matthew had gone through a lot: their secret romance was made public to the university he teaches at (and where she is a student); a colleague passive-aggressively suggests Matthew had dated students before; and Sondi officially moves in with Matthew and his young daughter Amari. While Sondi is taking up parenting duties swimmingly, she gets annoyed with Matthew for taking time to himself while she shoulders most of the responsibilities around the house—all while she has to write a 15-page paper for school. It also turns out she kept her old apartment—she needs the space—but he doesn’t know that yet. When Sondi heads to Whitney’s bachelorette, Matthew lets her spend another night out with the girls so that she can enjoy some me-time.
You can catch up on Run the World season 1 on Starz.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.