A rainy Monday night (May 16) at Syndicated in Brooklyn couldn’t keep notable guests, media, and influencers away from joining The Root and HBO for an early screening of the first episode from season two of the HBO Original series, “PAUSE with Sam Jay.”
The event started off right with a uniquely curated drink menu, complimentary buttered popcorn, a smorgasbord of finger foods, and nostalgic tunes from RNB HouseParty as the crowd mixed and mingled.
Wearing a black-on-black FENDI jumpsuit, Emmy-nominated comedian and creator Sam Jay made sure to make her rounds of greetings with special attendees like For Colored Girls’ singer/actresses Brave Williams, D. Woods, and Tendayi Kumba (American Utopia), comedians Onika McLean and Derek Gaines, directors of the series Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart, also known as Jams x Bash, actors Jelani Alladin and Yanise Monét, and more.
Shortly after Sam answered a few questions from invited media and enjoyed a few of her favorite songs, the lights dimmed to reveal a taste of what’s expected this season on “PAUSE with Sam Jay.”
Attendees watched episode one, where Sam continues to tackle trending topics and important cultural issues with her friends, who she says provide a major source of inspiration for her writing. The room filled with laughter, co-signs, and applause as the episode quickly proved that season two will continue to unapologetically take on cultural issues within the Black and LGBTQ communities.
“This season is more personal,” Sam told The Root. “I think last season I asked a lot of macro-to-the-world questions, and in this season, I ask a lot of to-myself questions as I turn it inward a lot more than I did last season.”
The second season of “PAUSE with Sam Jay” is set to offer viewers an expansion on the hilariously-serious conversations Sam initiates through interviews, sketches, and animation – all while hosting a party at her apartment each week.
Following the screening, a special Q&A segment took place moderated by Vanessa De Luca, Editor-in-Chief of The Root. Event guests ended the night with a lively reception filled with delicious food, drinks, photo booth fun, and dancing.
Season two of “PAUSE with Sam Jay,” premieres on HBO on Friday, May 20 and will be available to stream on HBO Max.