Finally saw the Underground premiere, and Damn. Everything about it works. If WGN America could only afford to make one great show, then this one makes up for cancelling Manhattan (almost). You might have heard about the anachronistic soundtrack and thought it sounded gimmicky, but the opening use of Kanye’s “Black Skinhead” is so perfect it’s like it was written for the scene, timestream be damned.
No effort to soften the evil or make the white people the main characters, not even slightly. Yes, sure, they have their complications and issues, but in the end, fuck em. You are either complicit in this horror or you fight it.
What I loved, too, is how clearly it makes the point that what the slaves need to survive and escape is solidarity. Nobody can make it alone, everybody has something to contribute. Even that guy you can’t stand is a slave, too.
The cast is great, as well. So many known faces – Buffy’s boyfriend! Indra from Tondc! That guy from 24 who never stands up straight! (aka Limehouse!) The guy from Dollhouse who is usually evil but then it gets complicated! Hardison from Leverage, looking hella ripped damn!
Which is a good example of why this show seems so promising to me. TV stars in the US are, generally, amazingly good-looking and in great shape, and it’s usually not even noticed, like yeah everyone looks like that. But here they make a point of showing you the guys working out, pushing each other on to do more. Because their bodies are what they have, and strength is something they can get, something they can use towards the ultimate goal: freedom.
I hope this doesn’t end up in the pit of unwatched critical praise. It deserves more.