It's 1856 Kansas. Notorious abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke) gets into a gunfight with a slave owner. He frees young Henry Shackleford but Henry's father is killed in the process. He mistakes Henry for a girl and names him Henrietta/Onion. It's a fictionalized history of John Brown's march towards the historic 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry.
Ethan Hawke delivers an amazing performance in this fictionalized history. I hope that people will skim through the history books in addition to watching this series. Nevertheless, it is a riveting story. It's the wacky American slavery. The show is elevated whenever Hawke is on the screen which leaves the second episode a little wanting. I tolerated Henry's need to stay quiet but it is frustrating. He's kind of playing a Sambo character but he does grow over time. The disappointment lies with Frederick Douglass, not in his two wives or his faltering support but in his wackiness. There is an attempt to match Ethan Hawke's characterization when in fact, it works best in contrast with more subdued performances. Douglass seems to be trying too hard for laughs. It's a funny, emotional historical ride.
Ethan Hawke delivers an amazing performance in this fictionalized history. I hope that people will skim through the history books in addition to watching this series. Nevertheless, it is a riveting story. It's the wacky American slavery. The show is elevated whenever Hawke is on the screen which leaves the second episode a little wanting. I tolerated Henry's need to stay quiet but it is frustrating. He's kind of playing a Sambo character but he does grow over time. The disappointment lies with Frederick Douglass, not in his two wives or his faltering support but in his wackiness. There is an attempt to match Ethan Hawke's characterization when in fact, it works best in contrast with more subdued performances. Douglass seems to be trying too hard for laughs. It's a funny, emotional historical ride.