If you’ve been scouring the Nickelodeon schedule or refreshing your Paramount+ feed looking for new episodes of Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan, you might want to take a seat. It’s been a wild ride for Dylan Gilmer. He went from a viral sensation on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to the face of his own multi-cam sitcom that lasted far longer than most critics ever expected. Honestly, the story of Young Dylan season 5 is one of those classic "bittersweet" TV moments. It gave fans exactly what they wanted, but it also signaled the end of an era.
The show officially wrapped up its fifth and final season in early 2025. Specifically, the series finale aired on April 30, 2025. For a show that started with a ten-year-old kid rapping in his living room, ending after 85 episodes is a massive achievement. Not many Nick shows make it that far these days.
The Reality of Young Dylan Season 5 and the Cancellation
Let's get the big question out of the way: Is there more coming? No. In May 2025, Nickelodeon officially confirmed that the show was done. Carl Anthony Payne II, who played Uncle Myles and even directed some of the final episodes, broke the news on Instagram. He basically said that while it was a bummer they didn't get a season 6, all good things have to end.
Nickelodeon put out a pretty standard "we're proud of the cast" statement. But if you look at the numbers, the show was always in a weird spot. It had a dedicated fan base, but the reviews on sites like IMDb were... well, they weren't great. We're talking a 2.7/10. Yet, the show kept getting renewed because it was relatively cheap to produce at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. It filled a specific niche for the network.
What happened in the final episodes?
Season 5 was shorter than previous ones. It only had 13 episodes. Most of the plot centered around Dylan and his cousin Rebecca, played by Celina Smith, trying to launch their own hip-hop record label. It was a step up from the usual "Dylan gets into trouble at school" trope.
The two-part finale, featuring the episodes "Dream Team" and "Funcle," really tried to tie everything together. In "Dream Team," we saw Dylan trying to balance his basketball dreams with his music, which felt like a nod to how much Dylan Gilmer himself has grown up. He’s 16 now. He’s not that little kid anymore.
Why Season 5 Felt Different
If you watched from the beginning, you probably noticed the shift. Tyler Perry wrote on the first season, and then a whole new writing team took over. Fans on Reddit often argue that the show actually got better in the later years. Seasons 4 and 5 felt more "lived-in." The chemistry between Dylan and Charlie (Hero Hunter) became the heartbeat of the show.
- Production Speed: They filmed these episodes fast. Production for Young Dylan season 5 started in July 2024 and they were airing them by December.
- The Cast's Growth: You can literally see the kids hitting growth spurts between seasons. It makes the "young" part of the title feel a bit ironic by the end.
- The Humor: It stayed kid-friendly but started sneaking in more "grown-up" references, especially with Grandma Viola (Aloma Lesley Wright) and Myles.
Key Cast Members who Stayed Until the End
- Dylan Gilmer (Young Dylan): The lead who is now transitioning into more music and hosting.
- Celina Smith (Rebecca): She’s been a powerhouse, also known for her role in Annie Live!.
- Hero Hunter (Charlie): Moving on to a new Nickelodeon movie called My Weird School.
- Carl Anthony Payne II (Myles): The veteran presence who kept the comedy grounded.
- Mieko Hillman (Yasmine): The "cool mom" who kept the Wilson household from exploding.
The Controversy and Behind-the-Scenes Talk
There’s always chatter when a Tyler Perry show ends. Some people online speculated that the show was canceled due to controversies surrounding Perry’s other projects or his management style. However, there’s no hard evidence for that.
The reality is likely much simpler: the kids aged out. Nickelodeon has a history of ending live-action shows once the stars hit their mid-teens. It’s hard to keep a show called "Young Dylan" going when the lead is old enough to drive a car.
Also, the TV landscape in 2026 is moving toward shorter runs. Keeping a show alive for 85 episodes is a win in this streaming-heavy world. Most Nickelodeon sitcoms today are lucky to get two seasons before the axe falls.
Watching Season 5 Now
If you missed the initial run, you can find Young Dylan season 5 on Paramount+ or the Nickelodeon app. It’s worth a watch just to see how they handled the record label storyline. It gave the characters a bit of agency that was missing in the earlier "fish-out-of-water" seasons.
What’s Next for the Cast?
The end of the show isn't the end for the actors. Dylan Gilmer is still a major face for the brand, co-hosting NFL Slimetime with Nate Burleson. He’s clearly being groomed for a career that looks a bit like Nick Cannon’s—mixing music, hosting, and acting.
Hero Hunter is already filming My Weird School for Nickelodeon Studios. It’s a feature-length movie where he plays a kid named A.J. who has to save the world from aliens. It’s a big jump from playing the nerdy cousin in the Wilson house.
As for Celina Smith, her vocals are too good for her to stay off-screen for long. Expect a record deal or a Broadway return soon.
Next Steps for Fans: If you want to keep up with the cast of Young Dylan season 5, your best bet is following them on Instagram. Carl Anthony Payne II and Dylan Gilmer are the most active and often post about their new projects. You can also head over to Paramount+ to binge the entire series from start to finish. Watching the pilot right after the finale is a trip—you'll see just how much these kids changed over five years of filming in Atlanta.
