Washington Black

Came for Sterling K Brown, stayed hoping the series would get better. It didn't.

I'll preface this by saying I haven't read the book, and am interested in doing so based on many reviews saying how the series deviated so far from the source material.

As a child who grew up in the south in an evangelical home, I was sheltered from stories of the realities of what slavery and the experiences of black people was and is like in North America. That said, this is the type of tedious series I would have been allowed to watch. Ultimately this series felt as if it was directed by someone hell-bent on watering down what could have been a really compelling story, like it was meant for kids. If that was intentional, well done. It was bland and inoffensive.

Aside from that, to me the series felt amateurish from the start. I have a hard time sticking with series or movies where over acting is obvious and dialog seems forced, and that was the case. I hoped it would get better by the end but it was consistently bland. Without a spoiler, I did have a moment near the end of the last episode that made me teary eyed, immediately followed by a montage at the end that made me cringe again.

Even though this is a fantasy it's rooted in the truth of slavery, hope and redemption. Great acting by the main characters, heartwarming and thought provoking. The ruthlessness and blind hate of the antagonist felt real and the hope and undying optimism and love of the main characters came through as genuine. It left me wanting more. The main actors Ernest Kingsley and Lola Evan played great together and we believable. Sterling K. Brown did and awesome job as usual. Shaunette Renee character Nawi/Kit was a beast. Enjoyed it immensely.

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.

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.

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.