Back on the third season of Big Brother Naija, I saw Lolu Shomuyiwa as a dark horse. Unlike other big-bodied, domineering male housemates, Lolu was physically boyish but had a jaunty, intelligent coolness that balanced out the show’s frivolous nature.

Many times, we have seen how enrapturing it can be hearing Lolu talk on the show, the clean, polished quality of words and even his acting skills. His biography did say the 28-year-old was a radio presenter on The Beat 99.5FM Ibadan, and although that explains his articulation and delivery, it’s still interesting how he has grafted that ability into his new vlog series The Chronicles of Lolu.

#ChroniclesOfLolu will have 12 episodes in its first season, produced in collaboration with #LoluForce Media Cluster and directed by Alte studios.

This will be shared on a dedicated Youtube channel every Thursday evening. pic.twitter.com/01Xq97aJZS

— Lolú (@officialomololu) June 28, 2018

Knowing this much, and to be frank, I didn’t know what to expect. My honest review of the first episode of Tobi Live, the vlog of Big Brother Naija alumni Tobi Bakre which he dispatched two weeks ago, came with a high volume of biting criticisms from his fans, so much so that I skipped my Twitter and Instagram throughout that day.

The premiere of The Chronicles of Lolu scores points for being short – a compact, 11-minute-plus entry that just feels well-suited for web consumption, snackable content as opposed to Tobi’s overlong, meandering offering. Dealing with Societal Stereotypes is what Lolu vlogs about, breaking down the meaning of stereotype and its different forms, from tribal to beliefs.

The production set isn’t cluttered or stuffed, and I like that the red background matches his shirt. Towards the end, the topic boomerangs back to Lolu, who has learned not to be stereotypical about others. The addendum of the episode in which he’s asked “What will people be surprised to know about you?” reveals Lolu as predominantly left-handed, and now ambidextrous.

“People don’t also know that I’m shy,” he says, rubbing his thighs. Uhm, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this revelation. On one hand, Lolu wasn’t the most loquacious in the Big Brother Naija house, but he was able to create a reality TV audience for himself that metathesized into a fanbase.

However, The Chronicles of Lolu will get immensely boring if all Lolu does weekly is mount himself on a stool and sermonise. It’s called “chronicles,” right? And every entry into the vlog should be radically refreshing and adventurous. There is something clinical about the editing of the premiere that comes off as a marginal blip, imperceptible to the untrained eye. Maybe less clinical?

That said, Lolu might need to ditch the camera-ready set as the show becomes yet another addition into the vlogging landscape.