Fans of Family Reunion are concerned that Shaka McKellan, played by Isaiah Russell-Bailey, may have quit the show after the premiere of season 5. The always-wholesome McKellan family, who first debuted on our screens in 2019, is back for season 5, as we’ll call it.
The season began on a dramatic note when Cocoa went into labor under somewhat tricky circumstances while her devoted husband, Moz, raced home from out of state. However, despite the drama, the apparent removal of one well-liked pivotal character — Shaka McKellan — has dominated internet discussion about the upcoming season.
Who Is Shak, aka Isaiah Russell-Bailey?
Shaka, who goes to boarding school, doesn’t appear in any episodes. As a newcomer to the acting world in 2018, Isaiah Russell-Bailey has made a name for himself as one to keep an eye on. In the upcoming family comedy “Family Reunion” on Netflix, he co-stars with Tia Mowry and Loretta Divine. As the McKellan family moves to a small Georgian town, Isaiah portrays “Shaka,” their young kid who is naughty but well-intentioned.
Shaka, aka Isaiah Russell-Bailey
The project is already generating media attention for creating an all-black writers’ room—unusual for a major studio show. Fans might also recognize Isaiah from his performances as “Burton” in the widely-liked Disney series “Raven’s Home,” “Young Dee” in the C.B.S. crime thriller “S.W.A.T.,” and “Young Kevon Winters” in “Criminal Minds,” as well as from his countless national print and television commercial appearances.
Texas’s Fort Worth is where Isaiah was born. Isaiah would frequently go to the set with his mother when he was a kid, where he first discovered one of his many interests, break-dancing. In addition to acting, Isaiah enjoys modeling, drawing, basketball, dancing, and parkour.
Family Reunion Season 5 Episode 1
Why Did Shaka Leave Family Reunion?
Shaka has not left the program; rather, he has been enrolled in boarding school and is not present this season. There is only one potential roadblock: in June, showrunner Meg DeLoatch was appointed executive producer and showrunner of C.B.S.’ The Neighbourhood for the forthcoming fourth season.
According to Deadline, this means that if Family Reunion is renewed, she will have to relinquish her position as showrunner while continuing to serve as an executive producer. Uncertainty surrounds whether DeLoatch accepted the position with the purpose of ending Family Reunion or if she is merely prepared to hand the reins on to someone else.
The McKellans address the sad legacy of the N-word in Part 4 while also acknowledging a closeted family member and enjoying some humorous and musical moments. Although Part 5’s subject matter is unknown, you can expect that it will maintain the show’s harmony of serious topics and laughter. However, viewers are sure to wonder why such a significant character left the show after two seasons. Isaiah hasn’t commented on the character essentially being eliminated from the program, so it might just be a writing choice.
On the day that Family Reunion’s third season was released, he posted on Instagram, but the post itself wasn’t about the show, despite a fan’s comment that “In the last season, you are missed.” In response, Isaiah just wrote, “Thank you.”
What Happened To Shaka?
Shaka’s absence from the fifth season of Family Reunion has an explanation, as anyone who can remember to look back to the conclusion of season 4 will recall. Shaka will be leaving the family home to continue his study at a boarding school, it was disclosed in the previous Family Reunion episode.
Shaka does not appear in any of part 5 despite the fact that his absence is highlighted in the most recent episodes. Instead, Mazzi, Shaka’s younger brother, is the focus of the program as he learns to live without his older sibling. According to a March 2021 Deadline report, Isaiah was cast as the lead in the sci-fi movie Crater for Disney Plus. The movie is a coming-of-age tale that takes place in a colony on the moon.
“Remember When Our Boys Became Men” Family Reunion (Credits: Youtube)
A youngster growing up in a lunar mining colony visits a mystery crater with his four closest friends after the loss of his father before being transferred permanently to another planet, according to the diary cited by Deadline.
Billy Barratt, Orson Hong, and Thomas Boyce will play Isaiah’s buddies, while Scott Mescudi, a rapper and actor best known as Kid Cudi, will play Isaiah’s on-screen father in the movie. The movie’s screenplay was penned by John Griffin, and Kyle Patrick Alvarez will be in charge of directing. The movie must be the reason why did Shaka leave the family reunion!
