Diarra Kilpatrick Calls ‘Delulu’ a Superpower as ‘Diarra from Detroit’ Returns for Season 2

Diarra Kilpatrick says she shares a defining trait with her character in “Diarra from Detroit”: a tendency to believe things will work out despite the odds.

The 42-year-old actress and creator described “delulu” as a personal “superpower” in an interview with PEOPLE. She said she grew up watching films starring actors such as Julia Roberts without considering whether Black performers were represented in them, instead focusing on stories that inspired her.

Kilpatrick plays Diarra Brickland, a Detroit schoolteacher navigating a divorce who becomes determined to find a Tinder date who has ghosted her. Her search leads her into a decades-old mystery involving Detroit’s underworld.

Kilpatrick said she sees aspects of herself in several characters, including Aja, Diarra’s best friend. She also emphasized differences between herself and her character, joking that while Diarra takes dangerous risks, she would rather stay home with her husband and child.

Season two gives Kilpatrick’s character a more prominent voiceover role and expands the show’s story beyond its original mystery. Kilpatrick, who wrote the second season, said she had long wanted to create a series in the adventure-mystery tradition of “Indiana Jones” and “National Treasure.”

Season two of “Diarra from Detroit” premiered on Paramount+ on July 29 with two episodes. New episodes are released Wednesdays through Sept. 9.