Yaya DaCosta has officially gone from Chicago Med to a new kind of series with Our Kind of People. The new Fox drama, inspired by the 1999 book of the same name by Lawrence Otis Graham, has already proven to be a conversation starter after just two episodes have aired. That said, there is one notable moment from the trailer that ended up being cut from the pilot, and DaCosta has revealed how she felt about the infamous slap scene getting cut.
Our Kind of People follows Yaya DaCosta’s Angela Vaughn, a single mother who tries to reclaim her family’s name, but dark secrets about her mother’s past might make that journey difficult. One scene that seemed to illustrate the difficult journey came in the since-deleted trailer with Angela slapping Alana Kay Bright’s Nikki Vaughn. DaCosta revealed to TVLine how she felt about the scene getting cut:
One of the things about pilots is sometimes there’s a lot of information that gets packed in in order to let people know who the characters are. There were so many moments cut from that first episode, including the scene where Angela slaps Nikki. I’m glad it was removed, personally. People can relate to having a teenager and wanting to slap them, but these women love each other, and you can’t parent the way our parents did. CPS will be called, but our children are also old souls who are here to teach us something new.
It’s not surprising the scene was cut, not only from the episode but from the trailer, which has been deleted off of Fox’s social media accounts. Yaya DaCosta’s feelings about it are understandable. While it wouldn’t have been the first time a scene like the slap made it to TV, that kind of violence wouldn't appeal to everybody for a show set in modern times. It’s not known whether or not Fox could release the scene as an extra someday, but I wouldn't be surprised if it never sees public release.
Despite the cut scene, it looks like Angela’s relationship with her daughter is going to be a messy one throughout the first season. Hopefully the two of them can work things out and there will be no slapping. As of now, things are still just verbal between mother and daughter.
You can catch new episodes of Our Kind of People on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox. The show also stars Morris Chestnut, who made the jump from medical drama The Resident at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays for a new role opposite Yaya DaCosta in her first major role after leaving Chicago Med. For some more viewing options to look forward to now and in the coming weeks, swing by our 2021 fall TV schedule for what's on and when.
