“UnPrisoned,” a series based on creator Tracy McMillan’s life, has returned for a second season. The show follows the ups and downs of influencer and therapist Paige Alexander (Kerry Washington) and her father, Edwin Alexander (Delroy Lindo), who was recently released from prison after serving a 17-year sentence.

In season one, Paige begrudgingly agrees to let Edwin move in with her and her 16-year-old son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana), hoping her dad can get back on his feet. As they cohabitate, Paige is constantly confronted with the trauma from her childhood and wounds from her father’s absence. She copes with her pain by engaging in conversations with Little Paige (Jordyn McIntosh), the younger version of herself who guides her throughout the show.

As the season progresses, Edwin faces numerous challenges, such as finding a job and obtaining official identification, as he tries to reacclimate into society. After a run-in with the law, Edwin decides to move out, leaving behind Finn, with whom he has built a special bond, and Paige as he seeks to regain stability.

REVOLT had the opportunity to speak with the “UnPrisoned” cast at the season two premiere in New York City. While executive producer and lead actress Washington was not present due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, the cast was in high spirits as they chatted about the latest season.

On the carpet, author, television writer, and “UnPrisoned” creator McMillan reflected on what empowered her to share her life story on television.

“I think that what gives me the strength to tell this story is knowing that I am telling the story of millions of Americans who have been affected by being in contact with the criminal justice system, and I just feel like this is not a story I had seen and I needed to see it,” McMillan told REVOLT. “[Sometimes] when I see Kerry and Delroy up there doing a scene, I will be like, ‘That's what it was like to be a foster child. That's what it was like to have my dad in prison.’ Storytelling is about catharsis. It's about offering people an opportunity to see themselves on screen.”

Executive producer and lead actor Lindo shared McMillan’s sentiment about the show connecting with viewers and how the series can help families with their own generational trauma. “I hope they see themselves, on some level, in us and what we're doing, and if they do see themselves, I hope that what we're doing resonates in such a way that it informs, educates, and helps with whatever their journeys are,” the NAACP Award winner said. “There's [a] personal component, some personal way that they relate to what we're doing, and that's super gratifying.”

Lindo also spoke about his journey as Edwin in season two. “[I’m] continuing to try to find myself [and] continuing to try to define what I am in [relation] to this society I'm trying to enter into. Obviously, a major component of that is how my family fits into that. So, [the second season] is on some level an extension of many of the elements that you saw [us] grappling with in the first season.”

Lindo hopes that he’s been able to provide mentorship to the show’s younger talents like Rakotohavana and McIntosh. “I try to set an example less so by what I say and more by what I do, and what I do in terms of my own relationship to my own work, and what I do in relationship to them in the work. So, I hope they're gleaning stuff from that,” he stated.

Rakotohavana, McIntosh, and Jee Young Han raved about working with legends like Lindo and Washington. “I learned a lot -- that kindness could get you very far in life and [to] just go for it,” McIntosh said.

Lindo and Washington taught Rakotohavana to live in the moment. “They live and they let go, and I think that's something that a lot of people should really work on and think about... flexibility. Things are going to happen. You get punched in the face a couple of times. [You] just got to roll with the punches and just move forward,” he stated ever so wisely.

Han, who plays Paige’s foster sister, Esti, said that Lindo and Washington made her a better actor. “They are so good at their jobs... They make us better. But they're also so generous and they really, really inspire me to really fight for my instincts and my craft, and I think that's wonderful. I've worked with so many different people, but watching them really fight for their characters, their performance, their art, it just rubs off on me and it makes a wonderful experience,” she told REVOLT.

Veteran actor John Stamos, who recently joined the cast as the Alexander family therapist, was also touched by Lindo and Washington’s performance. “I'm fascinated by therapy. I always say that if I wasn't an actor, I'd be a therapist. I love it,” the “Full House” star revealed.

“I watched these scenes between Delroy and his daughter, and I was really heartbroken, first of all, because I came from a perfect family. If you sit and listen to how heartbreaking it must be to want your father around and to be alone, I think there's a lot of good advice in that world,” Stamos continued. “I think [my character] gives them a lot of good advice about being in touch with emotions [and] communicating.”

We’ll see if Stamos’ character, Murphy, can help the Alexander family in the second season of “UnPrisoned,” which is now streaming on Hulu.