Washington Black

This is a fresh take on the slave trade period, with gorgeous cinematography, excellent acting and directing, and great character development. Without giving away spoilers, the storyline is focused on the fragile hopefulness of new found freedom, despite the constant threat of being re-captured. This series delivers a satisfying feels good element throughout. 10/10.

This isn't just another slave series but naturally it takes place in the 1800s so there are moments where slavery comes into play. The series is about George Washington Black and his journey as a young adult learning advanced technology. He's an inspired black inventor. Lola Evan's is the co star. Her acting is excellent and she's very pretty. Sterling browns character is charismatic but he doesn't really have an accent and talks in modern day slang which can ruin the immersion.

Overall this show is kind of boring. The protagonist looks like Ed Sheeran. The plot is slow and predictable. I'd be surprised if this gets renewed for a 2nd season.

The themes of racism, colonisation, tribal traditions, prejudice, greed, childhood trauma, conditioning, envy, love, powerlessness, hope, science and friendship are touched upon, but it remains a fairy tale, simplified for children's eyes. If you have already outgrown the child's perspective, it is difficult to follow this simplified story. You have already realized that life is not that simple, that many things don't make sense, that reality often pulls the rug out from under your feet without any symbolism or mysticism behind it. Many who are exhausted by a system that is still not fair for everyone may be frustrated by this simplification. In this respect, you can be entertained by beautiful images, interesting actors, costumes, interesting hairstyles and backdrops, landscapes and conversations. All kinds of emotions are generated because it's about a child. It's comparable to fast food. Everything is quite nice and looks pretty, but it lacks important nutrients and somehow you don't really get full from it. And as usual with fairy tales, the story ends where life really gets going and becomes difficult, everyday life.

Intriguing yarn about a boy and his destiny, although I found the adventures of young Washington Black the better of the two narratives.

I appreciate what the writers tried to do but the pacing of the older Washington storyline is uneven, and the leads have an immiscible chemistry.

On a technical level, the cinematography and special effects are movie quality, where it's really difficult to spot the seams. All-in-all, a remarkable achievement in today's tv industry where technical quality takes a backseat.

It's rare for a show to lose me within the first ten minutes, but Washington Black unfortunately did just that-and not because I lacked interest in the subject matter.

On the contrary, I was intrigued. Based on Esi Edugyan's award-winning novel of the same name, Washington Black had all the ingredients for a compelling and timely story: a young Black boy escaping slavery in 19th-century Barbados, science fiction elements, themes of identity and freedom, and a historical sweep that promised rich visual storytelling. Sadly, the show falters almost immediately, weighed down by clumsy pacing, shallow character introductions, and an uncertain tone that never quite knows what kind of story it wants to tell.