Why Most of the Original "Grown-ish" Cast Aren't in Season 5

“Grown-ish” finally returns for its fifth season on July 20, but this episode will be different in more ways than one. For starters, six original cast members who were part of Zoey's (Yara Shahidi) Cal U's core group of buddies bid farewell to the popular show. Season five of Freeform's coming-of-age comedy will follow an all-new cast of freshmen. While we'll reunite with some "Grown-ish" favorites as season regulars - like Zoey, Trevor Jackson's Aaron and Diggy Simmons' Doug (plus "Black-ish" star Marcus Scribner as the little brother of Zoey Junior) - season four officially marks the end of an epic era for most of the original "Grown-ish" cast.

Showrunners Zakiyyah Alexander and Courtney Lilly shared with TVLine in March 2022 that while those departing beloved characters may not be the main focus, there's always the possibility that they'll return in future episodes. . "Francia, Emily, Chlöe, Halle, Luka and Jordan will always be part of the -ish family". This new season is not a goodbye, we are just expanding the world; there will always be an open door for them to come back,” they told the outlet after the season four finale.

Although the season five trailer reveals that at the very least, Francia Raisa, Emily Arlook and Jordan Buhat will appear in the new episode of “Grown-ish” at some point, you might be curious to find out why they, along with most of the original cast, aren't returning as regulars. Well, frankly, the story came to a natural end point for many of the characters who graduated last season, but the cast full of newcomers also took on various new projects that may have played a role as well. /p>

Here's a refresher on where we left off with all the original "Grown-ish" characters at the end of season four, as well as any new projects that may have led to each actor's decision to not not return for season five.< /p>