Diane, Patrick, and I watched the first of 10 episodes of The Underground Railroad on AMAZON Prime video and plan to compete the series soon. The Underground Railroad is an Alternative Reality series where two slaves escape from their cruel Master and his cotton planation in Georgia. They ride the Underground Railroad (in this TV series the Underground Railroad is presented as a railroad that runs underground) while bounty hunters are in hot pursuit.
The Underground Railroad is directed by Barry Jenkins (best known for Moonlight). The series is based on the novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead (which won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction). I liked Thuso Mbedu as Cora Randall and Aaron Pierre as Caesar. Be prepared for violence and cruelty if you watch The Underground Railroad. GRADE: Incomplete
Whitehead writing sf isn’t too uncommon, though of course the marketing helped it win a Pulitzer.
Todd, and THE Underground Railroad winning a Pulitzer helped sell the TV series to AMAZON Prime Video.
That and its general popularity and timeliness.
No idea why this is, but I haven’t watched a streaming series, limited or otherwise, since THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT more than six months ago, but I definitely plan to watch this one.
Michael, the first episode of UNDERGROUND RAILROAD is set in Georgia.
Hard pass for us on this one. Ten hours? No thanks.
Jeff, AMAZON Prime Video is hoping THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD will be the next ROOTS.
Seems comparable to most novel miniseries on television…
Todd, THE Underground Railroad might be comparable, but it ramps up the violence in Episode One.
I’m interested. My wife? Not so much. I’ll watch it eventually.
Jerry, Diane was cringing while watching some of the horrific scenes in THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. So was I…
On my soon to be viewed list. A couple of one stars on Amazon because the reviewer thought it wasn’t factual. I guess they just missed the point.
Steve, it seems like a lot of people are missing the point of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
An actual railroad that “runs underground”? A train, engine, coal car, carriages, caboose, in a very, very, very long tunnel crossing states? You have got to be kidding. With a premise like that I’m amazed you or anyone would watch it. I saw an ad for it, and thought it was a 2 hour movie about the actual thing, not a sci-fi story, and since that’s what it seems to be (sci-fi) why would it be like Roots? I was interested, but not:
if it’s hours of streaming
if it’s SF
if it’s ultra violent
if it’s about bounty hunters
Pfui.
Rick, I’ve only watched Episode One of 10 so my opinion of the series in incomplete.
I’m surprised it being a metaphorical science-fantasy is problem for you, Rick, in itself, or that ten hours is all that big a deal in a miniseries, or that the nature of the setting seems utterly unlike ROOTS to you. Bounty hunters being the major opponents of the actual Underground Railroad.
And 10 hours not being a big deal in terms of a novel adaptation for tv is what I referred to, George.
Todd, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD on AMAZON Prime Video is being advertised as “Season One.” So depending on the ratings, there may be more seasons.
Ah…money talks! ROOTS THE RETURN!
Todd, money (or the prospects of more money) factor into these decisions.
As Rick said, pfui! Despite the lure of violence and brutality, the idea of a real train of escaping slaves running under the ground is asinine! Why not give them instruments and call it TAKE THE A TRAIN?
Bob, I plan to watch the other nine episodes of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and then I’ll be able to express an opinion about the entire series.