Jude Kinkade and Zero are fictional characters from the VH1 series Hit the Floor, which chronicles the off-the-court drama surrounding a fictional professional basketball team, the Los Angeles Devils. Introduced in the 2014 season two premiere episode "Game Changer", Zero (Adam Senn) is a devious new addition to the Devils from a rival Ohio team, and Jude (Brent Antonello) is the junior agent assigned to him. Jude is also the estranged son of the Devils' unscrupulous owner, Oscar Kinkade (Don Stark). Jude and Zero's working relationship soon evolves into a sexual and then romantic one, which continues for two seasons until the series was cancelled by VH1 in 2016. Hit the Floor was later picked up by BET for a fourth season to air in 2018, with only Antonello returning. After the series cancellation after season four, creator James LaRosa revealed the official conclusion of their storyline: Zero returned to L.A and he and Jude rekindled their relationship, married, and had children via surrogacy.
Fans and the press sometimes refer to the duo by the portmanteau "Zude".
Development In its 2014 second season, Hit the Floor introduced Adam Senn as devious forward Zero, and Brent Antonello as his junior agent, Jude Kinkade. Series creator James LaRosa described the season's three new characters—Jude, Zero, and Lionel Davenport (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe)—as "all twisted in their own way." At one point, LaRosa called Jude "the prime suspect in Olivia's murder", and Senn began to suspect that Zero might be the killer.
Though Zero initially has an affair with scheming Devil Girls captain Jelena Howard (Logan Browning) and rebuffs a kiss from Jude, Zero's jealousy over Jude's interest in photographer's assistant Danny (Scott Evans) prompts Zero to kiss Jude in "Unguarded". This twist was a surprise to viewers. Senn and Antonello were also unaware that their characters would become romantically involved when they joined the show. Antonello said, "midway through the season, we found out where the storyline was going between me and Zero. Adam and I were stoked about it ... you've seen the gay characters on TV and they don't have the relationships or anything like that." LaRosa wanted to give Jude and Zero full lives like other characters on the show, in contrast to Melrose Place gay character Matt Fielding, who LaRosa said "was always holding someone's hair back and giving them tea and advice." With Jude and Zero positioned as frontburner characters, LaRosa explained, "Everyone has a motive, everyone has an agenda. Jude and Zero are no different. And they don't have some isolated story off to the side: They're scheming, they’re making bad decisions." Additionally, the sex scenes between Jude and Zero—which David-Elijah Nahmod of Echo Magazine called "startlingly no-holds-barred"—are as explicit as those of the heterosexual couples on the show. LaRosa said:
The characters become involved in a sexual relationship that hits a crossroads when Jude demands a level of commitment that Zero is not ready to give. Antonello explained, "Jude basically puts his foot down and fights for what he wants, telling Zero, 'I can't be with you unless you come out as the gay man I fell in love with, not this star basketball player with a religious facade.'" With Zero not comfortable making their relationship public, Jude ends it. LaRosa explained:
The relationship also creates a complication for Jude when his father finds out, and basically disowns him. LaRosa said of the scene, "That was so terrible to film ... it was terrible to write. At the table read, there were a few actors who actually teared up. Don Stark, who plays Oscar, is one of the nicest, kindest people that you will ever meet, and he plays such a scumbag on the show and he did not like filming that scene. Afterwards, he said to me, 'I've murdered people on camera. I've had people killed, including on this show and that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.'" Antonello recalled, "I remember Don breaking down and just saying, 'I can't imagine saying that to my daughters'."
In season three, Zero is threatened when Jude begins dating another sports agent, Lucas (Jonathan Bennett). Bennett said of the storyline, "it's a different look at people's lives. I don't think it's something audiences have seen before." Jude and Zero give into their desires and have sex, but Zero is still not ready to go public, so Jude walks away. Senn described the season as "riveting, fun and groundbreaking, with great character dynamics." Jude dating Lucas becomes a catalyst for Zero to decide how important Jude is to him. In "Good D", Zero says "I love you", but Jude answers that "love isn't enough." Soon after, Zero comes out by kissing Jude on the basketball court in front of millions of people, in what The Advocate called a "jaw-dropping episode". LaRosa said, "their story [of] him coming out in the big dramatic way he did, for me was always kind of the beginning of their story. It was an opportunity to go to the next level." Of the chemistry between Jude and Zero, Senn credited his real-life friendship with Antonello, saying "Brent and I right away both got along as friends. When we found out about the storyline, we made a pact that we would approach these characters 110% and do them justice and tell this story that deserves to be told." He also said, "As with any role, no matter the sex, you have to find a relationship with the two characters. [Brent] and I spent a good amount of time together working on the characters and their dynamic and hanging out and being friends in general. Regardless of any actor I'm playing opposite, if there is a love dynamic, you better believe there is a spark and there's emotion behind it." Senn also credited LaRosa for helping him and Antonello "fully commit to the characters".
The season three finale "Possession" leaves Jude and Zero's relationship in limbo following Jelena's declaration that she intends to trade Zero to another team. On April 1, 2016, an hour-long special was announced for Hit The Floor to resolve the cliffhangers raised. In the episode, which aired in September 2016, Zero's trade is dropped and the men are left happily in love, and together. On April 27, 2017, it was announced the series would move to BET for its future seasons. LaRosa said in October 2017 that Senn would not be returning for season 4 on BET. He wrote of Senn's departure (with Taylour Paige, who plays Ahsha Hayes):
La Rosa told Entertainment Tonight, "We absolutely love Zero, we love Adam who plays Zero. Adam had a different path that he wanted to take, other things that he wanted to do, but I was very excited that Brent was able and happy and thrilled to come back and .. I've rewarded him with a killer story which will allow the audience to experience Jude in a totally new way." In April 2018, a promo for season four showed Jude in an intimate embrace with reporter Noah (Kristian Kordula), and a preview trailer released in June 2018 included a clip of Jude and Noah kissing. Noah is a new sideline reporter for the Devils, and an employee of the sports network now owned by Lionel.
Characterization Zero is cocky and egotistical from the start, going after what he wants in a straightforward—though devious—manner. Jude is more understated in his determination to impress his father any way he can. Senn described Zero as a "bisexual sociopath", noting that "Zero is a different person with every character", and said, "He's always thinking about the future, never living in the present. He's always 'how to get from point A to point B' and then even before he gets to B he's already thinking about C. He's wondering how far he can play the game." Zero's primary goal after his arrival is to become the team's star player. Senn told Out of Zero, "He always wants to be the best and keep people under his thumb."
Initially, Jude and Zero have mostly separate storylines and are not romantically linked, and Zero begins an affair with Devil Girls captain Jelena in "Passing", the second episode of season two. Of Jude and Zero's sexual relationship, Senn said, "I found out the storyline three or four episodes in, and the way it came up, was pretty organic. It made Zero so much more dynamic. [Him] now being bisexual has added so many more layers to the character". He explained that the relationship with Jude "isn't just about sex. It's definitely about the camaraderie of having a friend, the one and only person that Zero felt like he could trust ... the beauty of those characters is playing with that dynamic and not making it just about being gay or being bi or anything. It's a relationship and I think we're just going to discover more as time goes on." VH1 has explained that the relationship between Jude and Zero is a catalyst for both of them to grow and evolve. Farid ul-Haq of The Geekiary wrote that Jude and Zero are "well developed characters, and their sexuality isn't their only defining characteristic", adding:
Jude's ultimatum in season two prompts Zero to open up a little, telling Jude that his real name is Gideon, which is his way of saying "I don't want you to go." Senn explained that in that moment, "Zero is still in his own world and has this urge to be right and not to be proven wrong. So he's listening to everything [Jude] says and everything is just bouncing off ... At the end when he says his real name there's a glimmer of hope, but he still has a long way to go." Afterward, Out described Zero as "withdrawn", noting that the character is not yet ready to be open about his sexuality. By comparison, Jude is unwilling to remain in a relationship he has to hide. Senn noted, "I think Jude's got [Zero] figured out. Jude is at peace with himself and who he is, which is awesome, and Brent does such a good job of playing the groundedness of where Jude stands. Hopefully Zero can get to that point sometime next season ... it would be nice if Zero found himself and was confident with who he really is. Whether that's with guys, with girls or by himself ... just being grounded and not trying to live up to everyone else's expectations." Senn later said that in season three, "Zero will battle with his own inner demons. There might be more of Zero's history, where he came from." Zero reveals to Jude that he has been affected by the fact that his foster parents only fostered for the money, and dubbed him "Zero" derisively.
Antonello said that as season three begins, "Jude's falling for Zero, without a doubt. I think you can see that without any dialogue—just the way that he looks at him. And I feel like Zero could possibly be heading that direction, but we'll see. We'll find out." He added, "I feel like Jude saw something in Zero when he realized that Zero wasn't going to take him down when he heard about [Jude giving] cocaine to Derek [in "Sudden Death"]. I think that was a sign. I would see trustworthiness in a person if they were to do that. LaRosa said, "The one piece of dialogue that I feel like defines Jude completely as a character is when he said, 'I keep reaching for people. Just once, I want somebody to reach back.' To me, that's the heartbreaking part of Jude, because he didn't grow up with a father ... He's always been just trying to get somebody's love and attention, and then along comes Zero, who's buying him sports cars and saying, 'Are you Team Zero?' And here's somebody who is kind of f*cked up just like Jude is." LaRosa added, "Jude's not a dumb character, he's an opportunist. He supplied Derek with coke to get on his good side and to work his way into the arena. He's a smart guy. Smart people fall in love with the wrong people, too, though. So it remains to be seen what will happen with Jude. But I like the fact that both Jude and Zero are smart." In 2016, LaRosa said of Jude and Zero:
Storylines
Season 2 (2014)