The Underground Railroad Review

Despite warnings to the contrary, I was fully convinced I could binge Amazon’s harrowing limited series The Underground Railroad when it premiered nearly two weeks ago. Boy, was I wrong. Before I get into what works and what was less successful in the series, I want to warn those who are on the fence about watching it: While the majority of the series isn’t rife with depictions of violence, there are a few instances – mainly in the premiere episode – that offer an “unflinching” account of slavery. There is a lot to recommend within the series, but that initial episode – and a sequence in the finale – are incredibly difficult to watch and you should be aware of that going into this. I certainly wish I was.

So, what exactly is The Underground Railroad? For those who were, like me, unaware of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel from Colson Whitehead, it is an alternate history of the pre-Civil War South. So, instead of an Underground Railroad comprised of people working together to help enslaved people escape to the North, there is an actual underground railroad that ferries people up North (Whitehead said the inspiration for that change to history came from his own childhood, when he – like he assumes many other did – imagined that the Underground Railroad was a real railroad, until he learned what it actually was). In addition, certain Southern states have adopted different law regarding the abolition of slavery – or, in one case, an outright ban on any Black person appearing within their borders, slave or not. As the railroad weaves to the North, those on it must be careful where they alight, as it could be a “safe” state (which, without truly spoiling much, there aren’t many at all, even when the action moves to a Northern state late in the series) or one where their life is further in peril. Adding to the danger, the series spends a great deal of time following the path of a slave catcher (played by Joel Edgerton, who creates a grounded performance out of a shockingly thin part) as he attempts to catch Cora (the exceptional Thuso Mbedu, who turns in an incredibly raw and layered performance), a runaway who happens to be the daughter of the only runaway slave he didn’t manage to find.

In terms of format, Cora is our touchstone throughout the series, as we follow her journey from Georgia up North, with each episode (or set of episodes) chronicling her time spent in a particular location. There are interludes spaced within the ten-episode series, including one following Ridgeway the Slave Catcher’s villain origin story (of a sort), some of which work well and some – namely the Ridgeway episode – that are wholly disappointing. The most interesting aspects of the series are the episodes that chronicle Cora’s journey and give us ample time with Mbedu, who is engaging and commands the screen. It’s clear that the series’ director, the great Barry Jenkins, understood that she was his greatest asset, but that he and the writers felt beholden to the source material and didn’t want to shortchange any of Whitehead’s characters. To that point, the story, especially in the latter half of the series, spends far too much time trying to turn Ridgeway into a complex villain rather than simply present him as a dogged slave catcher who has a single minded drive to catch Cora and atone for his one past failure. We don’t need to know why he became a slave catcher (especially when the reason is something as mundane as Daddy Issues), we don’t need to better understand his code of conduct, and we don’t need to spend time listening to him wax poetic about the nature of humanity. Edgerton give a heck of a performance, but it’s hard not to sigh in disappointment each time his character appears.

Now, having discussed the disappointing aspects of the series, let’s get into the reasons to tune in. First and foremost is the work of Mbedu, who I suspect is about to become an international star as a result of her work here. Cora is not an easy role – the character doesn’t have a great deal of dialogue throughout the piece (something you only realize upon completing the series), but there’s never a question as to what she’s feeling or what her motivation is in each and every scene, which is wholly a testament to Mbedu’s performance. Along with Mbedu, the series contains great work from each of its supporting actors, including Aaron Pierre as Cora’s fellow escapee Caesar, William Jackson Harper as Royal who Cora meets in Tennessee, Amber Grey as the white-passing Gloria Valentine, and Sheila Atim as Cora’s mother, Mabel. No one in the series has an easy character to tackle, and its clear that each and every cast member put their all into making sure their characters – even those who appear underwritten – are as fully fleshed out as possible. Couple strong performances with, on the whole, strong writing and clear and focused direction and you have a solid series. Yes, it’s not perfect, but there’s more than enough here to recommend the series.

So, should you give The Underground Railroad a look? Yes, I think it’s a series worthy of your time. It’s not an easy watch, and it’s absolutely not a series you should attempt to binge in a 24- or 48-hour period. But there’s a lot here that works and works well. If you are able to stomach some difficult moments in the premiere and subsequent fleeting moments of violence and pain, it’s worth it to see the story unfold.

The Underground Railroad is currently streaming on Amazon.