With Harriet Tubman Episode, “Underground” Raises the Bar Again

When I initially heard about this episode amp8220ambitiousamp8221 was definitely not the first word to come to mind Donamp8217t get me wrong I have plenty of faith in the Underground family but I simply could not fathom sitting through an entire episode where the only thing that happened was this speech Sitting through speeches in real life can be tedious and itamp8217s not normally something that most people would volunteer for let alone watch from their sofas Fortunately my concerns were alleviated about two minutes into the speech This is more profound work from series creators writers and executive producersamp160Misha Green and Joe Pokaski and director and executive producer Anthony HemingwayHarriet Tubman was a remarkable person to say the least and she did things that were infinitely influential while leading a life that was unimaginably oppressive and painful It goes without saying that it takes a special kind of person to see the things she saw get treated the way she was treated and still be able to do the selfless things that she did in the face of constant danger That being said it takes a special kind of actor to bring a legend of this magnitude to life on screen Aisha Hinds is definitely that actorThe first time I remember seeing Hinds was in a minor role on True Blood More recently sheamp8217s been playing Pastor Janae James on Foxamp8217s new crime drama Shots Fired One look at her resume and youamp8217ll see a body of work loaded with notable titles Sheamp8217s always been a strong actor but this particular endeavor has proven that sheamp8217s more than just solid sheamp8217s a force to be reckoned with During this episode Hinds captivates while conveying both authority and vulnerability She tells the stories of her childhood with a magnetic presence that allows viewers to go on these emotionally charged journeys with herOther elements are also at play in an effort to keep the episode as engaging as possible For instance the cameras are constantly panning and switching at regular intervals Combined with the lighting and the almost complete absence of an underscore it really paints a vivid picture of the room and the somber mood that permeates it Certain sounds are even set at slightly higher volume to punctuate the more emotional moments And letamp8217s not forget the fact that the anecdotes given life by Hindsamp8217 performance are truly enthralling themselvesPersonally I found Harrietamp8217s speech to be extremely humanizing I think that when weamp8217re taught about people like her and the things theyamp8217ve done they can seem very far removed from the ways in which we live our lives today The showrunners at Underground are well versed in bridging that gap drawing many parallels between the people of that time period and ourselves amp160Tubmanamp8217s speech is a perfectly executed example of that Prior to this episode I had never thought of Harriet Tubman as a little girl unfairly born into this oppressive world or even really as a woman who had the same needs dreams and desires as any other flesh and blood woman Coming to that realization added weight to her words and gravity to her plightA lot has happened in this season and while I enjoy the increase in pace weamp8217ve seen so far I can appreciate the brakepump that is this speech We learn more about Harriet as a human beingamp160and hear about the experiences that forged her into the person in front of us Above all else this speech has a point and considering they gave the conductor of the Underground Railroad the floor for the night I donamp8217t think itamp8217s farfetched to assume that what she says will affect and possibly set the tone for the remainder of the season What I know for sure is that sitting through this speech wasnamp8217t the chore Iamp8217d imagined itamp8217d be It was an edifying experience that truly exceeded my expectations and now I know better than ever to doubt WGN and the Underground truthClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this article are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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With Harriet Tubman Episode, “Underground” Raises the Bar Again

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Ainsley Andrade

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With Harriet Tubman Episode, “Underground” Raises the Bar Again

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