Dion -2019-2019: Raising

Ja’Siah Young, as Dion, is a revelation. Child actors often struggle with the weight of supernatural dialogue, but Young imbues Dion with authentic wonder, fear, and mischief. He makes you believe that a kid would absolutely try to use telekinesis to sneak a cookie before dinner. Raising Dion was initially listed as “2019-2019” because it took three years for Netflix to renew it for a second season (which debuted in 2022). For many, that gap solidified the first season as a self-contained gem. It ends on a bittersweet, hopeful note: Nicole choosing to stop running and start fighting, and Dion realizing that being a hero means being kind first.

In the modern golden age of superhero entertainment—dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the gritty reboots of DC—it takes a unique angle to stand out. Netflix’s Raising Dion did exactly that in 2019. Though its original run spanned only two years (2019-2019 for the first season, with a second season following in 2022), the show’s debut season remains a landmark in family-oriented genre storytelling. It asked a simple, profound question: What happens when a superhero origin story is seen not through the eyes of the hero, but through the terrified, loving eyes of a single mother? The Premise: Grief Meets Galaxies The series, created by Carol Barbee and based on the 2015 comic book by Dennis Liu, begins with a tragedy. Nicole Reese (Alisha Wainwright) is a widow struggling to raise her young son, Dion (newcomer Ja’Siah Young), after the mysterious death of her husband, Mark (Michael B. Jordan, who also serves as an executive producer). Raising Dion -2019-2019

The sci-fi twist arrives gently. Dion begins to manifest incredible abilities: telekinesis, energy projection, and weather manipulation. But unlike Tony Stark or Clark Kent, Dion is a sweet, imaginative, easily distracted 8-year-old who just wants to play with action figures. The show’s genius lies in grounding cosmic power in suburban reality—Dion’s powers flare up when he sneezes, gets angry about homework, or feels lonely. Ja’Siah Young, as Dion, is a revelation

If you missed it in 2019, Raising Dion is well worth revisiting. Just keep tissues nearby. And don’t watch the last episode alone in the dark—The Crooked Man is genuinely haunting. Raising Dion was initially listed as “2019-2019” because