This post contains spoilers from the Season 1 finale of “Fightland.” Proceed accordingly.
The first season of Starz’s “Fightland” ended with a total knockout delivered by a surprise contender.
Though Duke has been on a revenge mission to destroy boxing promoter Kingsley Marshall since the boxing drama began, it was Kingsley’s son, Zeek, who wound up pointing a gun at his father’s chest. Kingsley’s daughter, CeCe, eventually managed to talk her brother down… only to grab the weapon, aim it at her dad, and fire. (She’d go on to frame Kingsley’s wife, Joy, for the killing.)
Duke later found Kingsley, bleeding out at the gym. As the older man gasped his last breaths, he let Duke know that Zeek — and not he — had put out the hit in Las Vegas that resulted in the murder of Duke’s brother, Calvin.
So Duke attended Zeek’s big Jackhammer fight and, afterward, hopped in the ring and grabbed the mic to announce that he was returning to boxing and was challenging Jackhammer to “face a real champion.” Just before the hour ended, Zeek goaded Duke: “I wasn’t the only one trying to bring you down.”
We jumped at the chance to discuss the game-changing season-ender with series stars Anita-Joy Uwajeh, who plays CeCe, and Charles Babalola, who plays Zeek. Read on to hear what they had to say about the future of their fictional family business.
TVLINE | I’m gonna start with you, Anita-Joy, but this is for both of you: Do you think that your character gave serious thought to offing Dad at any point before it actually happens in that scene?
ANITA-JOY UWAJEH | I think in any complex relationship, you have those moments where you’re like, “I need to just put this person in a place.” And I think CeCe definitely had those thoughts throughout the season, even when Kingsley’s not there. When he’s back he is constantly putting her in situations, or making her feel a certain way that I think warrants her wanting to do something to him. It’s not something that she has articulated, perhaps, like Zeek may have. But I think it’s definitely thoughts that she’s had when she’s been frustrated by Kingsley.
CHARLES BABALOLA | With Zeek, it’s always been a thought. But in terms of having the conviction to do it? That’s something that he deeply questions within himself. Because at the core of all of this beef is love for his father. He hates him. He wants to kill him. But he loves him. He’s had the thought [about killing Kingsley], but in terms of conviction, he doesn’t even know that, himself. It’s very indicative of Zeek: It’s like, “I’ve got this idea that sounds cool. I’m gonna do it, and I believe in it. I’m gonna make it work.”
This story originally appeared on TVLine
