Underground - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your Underground Topic!

[BetterButter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8lYFUb9SbE

[formerlyfreedom]

[Primetimer]

Or is WGN America's new historic slave drama going to jump the tracks?

Read the story

[Jx223]

I thought that this was a good show. Some of the scenes were pretty hard to watch, but they were powerful. I am enjoying the cast and many of the characters. I really like Rosalee, her mother, and Noah. They are among my favorite characters so far. I strongly dislike the slave master' s wife. What a spiteful, hateful human being.  I liked it when Elizabeth got a couple of digs in on her at the party.  

 

I also don't like the overseers, slave owner and some of the other characters. Disappointed to see what happened with Stabler.  I also think it's interesting to see that the slave owner's brother wants to help free slaves. 

 

I will watch this show again next week. I hope it does well.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Jx223

[MrsRafaelBarba]

I'm on board, great premiere episode.

Took a while to realize the slave with the burned face is Jurnee's brother.

Jussie Smollet from Fox's Empire.

[wanderingstar]

That was good but very hard watching. Thought the whole cast was great.

 

I just adore Aldis Hodge. He's great as Noah. 

 

Cato strikes me as someone not to be trusted.

 

I'll definitely keep watching this season.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

My mistake, Cato is played by Alano Miller.

[TattleTeeny]

Disappointed to see what happened with Stabler.

 

Damn my blind love for the Meloni (and the vodka); I was all, "Yay, he's a good one!" And then...bah!

[drivethroo]

Well, I say it might be hard to watch but it was lot harder actually having to live that every day. 

 

I'm pretty sure Rosalee is either the plantation guy's daughter OR the plantation guy has his eye on her.  That's why Miss Scarlett is so mean to her and her mother.  Also the missy's daughter showed affection to Rosalee's mom and Miss Scarlett didn't like that one bit.

 

Did anything ever happen to Seraphina after she drowned the baby?

 

Is the plantation guy from the South or just being extra to fit in with the South? Because his brother doesn't have a Southern accent and neither does Elizabeth.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Damn my blind love for the Meloni (and the vodka); I was all, "Yay, he's a good one!" And then...bah!

 

        I think there's more to that story.   

        That bait and switch was done too soon.   

[candall]

Fooled me, too.  I came here, mid-watch, to note that it was refreshing to see Meloni in a sympathetic, gentle role.  Well, ha, I guess they could have gotten anyone for that.  (Hello, Buffy's least remarkable boyfriend.)

 

This show is going to have some tremendous scope and ambition if we're sending some of our main characters out on the freedom trek and we're also going to keep up with the people back at the plantation.  It looks like the show might be focusing more on gearing up and betrayal than the Underground.

 

A lot of scenes were painful to watch, compounded by not having much realistic expectation that any of the monsters are going to get justice served up to them on a platter.  I'm ready for the plantation wife and her whip-crazy son to die right now, not impoverished by the Civil War six to eight years hence.

[dumbdownus]

Will this show be available on other venues, I do not get WGN America??

[TattleTeeny]

        I think there's more to that story.   

        That bait and switch was done too soon.   

Well...if my love for that man never wavered after Oz, I should be OK with this, haha! Saw an old L&O the other night with him undercover in glasses. Oooh-whee!

Edited March 10, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[wanderingstar]

Amirah Vann and Adina Porter Talk 'Underground'

 

‘Straight Outta Compton’ Star Aldis Hodge Calls WGN’s ‘Underground’ ‘The Hardest Job I’ve Ever Experienced’

[GodsBeloved]

Will this show be available on other venues, I do not get WGN America??

I think they may be on WGN Americ'a site.

[sereion1]

I caught it last night; it was like 12 years a Slave all over again; uncomfortable to watch, I but enjoyed it; especially because I take comfort in knowing that Noah and 'em are about to rise up against the oppressors. I've never watched anything on WGN America, but I will be tuning in to this show. I will say that they should earn an award nod for the makeup category; Jussie was totally unrecognizable.

 

I think Stabler is playing a double agent of sorts; that may have been a part their escape plan. I'm going to reserve my judgment on his character for now. I will say it's good seeing Chris Meloni again; I missed him on SVU.

 

Aldis Hodge reminds me of my imaginary baby daddy, Anthony Mackie. I enjoyed him on Leverage and Straight Outta Compton. He's a great actor, and I'm glad he's finally getting his shine.

 

"Did you make this cake yourself?" Heh. I think I'm going to like Elizabeth.

Edited March 11, 2016 by sereion1

[Linderhill]

 

This was a really good pilot episode, though I must say, not being a native English speaker, the dialogue was sometimes hard for me to catch due to the Southern accents.

As an English speaking American that lives in the south, I had trouble understanding some of the dialogue.  I think there was either some mumbling or some trouble with the sound.

[sereion1]

Well, someone here mentioned it was him; I stand corrected.

[C76]

Is the plantation guy from the South or just being extra to fit in with the South? Because his brother doesn't have a Southern accent and neither does Elizabeth.

 

The brothers shared a scene where he discussed his accent. I believe he said it was something that he'd adopted to fit in.

 

Will this show be available on other venues, I do not get WGN America??

 

If you're not in the States, you might be able to find it online. 

[Jx223]

Well, I say it might be hard to watch but it was lot harder actually having to live that every day. 

 

I'm pretty sure Rosalee is either the plantation guy's daughter OR the plantation guy has his eye on her.  That's why Miss Scarlett is so mean to her and her mother.  Also the missy's daughter showed affection to Rosalee's mom and Miss Scarlett didn't like that one bit.

 

Did anything ever happen to Seraphina after she drowned the baby?

 

Is the plantation guy from the South or just being extra to fit in with the South? Because his brother doesn't have a Southern accent and neither does Elizabeth.

 

I am think that Rosalee is his daughter. Heck, maybe her siblings are also his kids too. We haven't heard anything about who her father is yet. There was a look that her mother gave the slave master while she was getting whipped, that I thought may have foreshadowed she was his daughter.  I thought the way she was pleading with him with her eyes may have been foreshadowing.

 

The slave master is pretty vile, but I do think he stopped the whipping because something happened between Rosalee's mother/him and she may be his daughter.  His wife definitely seemed jealous of the bond her daughter had with her, and I think she knows Rosalee (and maybe also her siblings) are his kids.

 

 

 

A lot of scenes were painful to watch, compounded by not having much realistic expectation that any of the monsters are going to get justice served up to them on a platter.  I'm ready for the plantation wife and her whip-crazy son to die right now, not impoverished by the Civil War six to eight years hence.

 

Lol. I want to see them get their comeuppance. Unfortunately, it looks like there might be only one person that may be allowed to dish it out to the plantation wife-  (Elizabeth.) I hope she at least is allowed to get more digs in at her.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Jx223

[candall]

 

 

 

Lol. I want to see them get their comeuppance. Unfortunately, it looks like there might be only one person that may be allowed to dish it out to the plantation wife-  (Elizabeth.) I hope she at least is allowed to get more digs in at her.

Is she the "Make this cake yourself?" woman?  Yeah, I'd have more confidence in her if you couldn't bring her to her knees with one reference to a faulty babymaking system.

 

As the recapper pointed out, they're using quite a few contemporary prototypes.  Couldn't we have a confident, razor sharp character draining all those satisfied Southern smiles off their faces?

[Jx223]

Is she the "Make this cake yourself?" woman?  Yeah, I'd have more confidence in her if you couldn't bring her to her knees with one reference to a faulty babymaking system.

 

As the recapper pointed out, they're using quite a few contemporary prototypes.  Couldn't we have a confident, razor sharp character draining all those satisfied Southern smiles off their faces?

 

Yeah, that's her. Maybe she will become a stronger character and go to toe to toe with the slave owner's wife. Somebody needs to shut that woman down, lol. Maybe they will also add some more abolitionists  who can spar with the slave owners/overseer characters and help balance things out more.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Jx223

[blugirlami21]

I liked it.  I thought all the characters were each compelling in their own way.  I'm loving Aldis Hodge here.  Noah is such a good choice for a protagonist, I really feel that fire to be free in every thing he does.  I'm glad that Rosalee took that whipping, she feels that fire now as well.  I don't think that Macon stopped the whipping because Rosalee was his daughter although she still might be.  I think that he didn't want company to see him beating his slave.  He showed no other reaction before that.  

 

His wife is a real piece of work though.  It's a horrible sentiment but I am going to wish a miscarriage on her character.  Those were quite common back then.  I was surprised she was so obvious in her dislike for her sister-in-law Elizabeth especially in front of company but she has no shame I guess.  I definitely think that Macon is sleeping with Ernestine and Suzanna is pretty salty and jealous about it.  I know field slaves had it bad but I feel like the house slaves didn't have an easy time of it either.

 

I'll reserve judgement on August.  He seemed to go far out of his way to help that slave just to turn her in anyway.  Makes me curious as to what his game is.  The guy with the burned face is not Jussie Smollet.  He's definitely a layered character, I'm very interested in how he got that scar and what his story is.

[InsertWordHere]

 I was surprised she was so obvious in her dislike for her sister-in-law Elizabeth especially in front of company but she has no shame I guess.

Showing such dislike in company might be deliberate on her part. Her husband is running a political campaign and she might be trying to distance herself from his northern relatives in front of the neighbors. I wonder why a southern democrat slaveowner from the north would want his brother, who seems to be pretty upfront about his views on civil rights, to run his campaign. 

[hoosiermommy]

The slave with the scarred face is in the role known as a "driver" (hence the origin of the term "slave driver").

 

 

From http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/enslavement/text4/text4read.htm

 

"On large plantations, the person who directed the daily work of the slaves was the overseer, usually a white man but occasionally an enslaved black man—a "driver"—promoted to the position by his master. Some plantations had both a white overseer and a black driver, especially in the deep South or on plantations where the master was often absent. Of white overseers, former slaves relate harsh memories (see the narratives in #1: An Enslaved Person's Life). Of black drivers their memories are more varied, reflecting the ambiguous state between power and impotence inhabited by the black slave driver. How did black drivers relate to their masters, and to their fellow slaves over whom they held authority? How did they adapt to the vulnerable (and perhaps empowering) position between master and slave?"

[C76]

Showing such dislike in company might be deliberate on her part. Her husband is running a political campaign and she might be trying to distance herself from his northern relatives in front of the neighbours. I wonder why a southern democrat slaveowner from the north would want his brother, who seems to be pretty upfront about his views on civil rights, to run his campaign. 

I'd have to watch again, but is Tom really aware of John's views? I assumed he wasn't. I just thought his rationale towards his brother began and ended with, "You're a talented lawyer. Manage my campaign!" 

 

If on the other hand, Tom knows that John is a burgeoning abolitionist, at this point in the show I think he's either ignoring his brother's politics, or pretending not to care.

Edited March 11, 2016 by C76

[dumbdownus]

 

I think they may be on WGN Americ'a site.

Thank you so much, I checked & each episode will be there, awesome :) :)

[ridethemaverick]

I know field slaves had it bad but I feel like the house slaves didn't have an easy time of it either.

Absolutely. It's a common misconception but even on this show you can see that field slaves had a bit more autonomy after the work was over. They could go to their own quarters and spend time with their own families (until they were sold away, that is). House slaves were essentially always "on." Some even slept on the floor by the master or mistress' bed just in case they needed anything. And of course the threat of sexual assault was always there because of their proximity to the man of the house.

I'm here for this show. I think the opening was solid and I can't wait for the real action to start.

[sereion1]

According  to the ratings, the show's off to a good start.

http://deadline.com/2016/03/underground-blazes-wgn-debut-record-ratings-1201718151/

[Happytobehere]

I liked the show in the same way others did, in that I didn't like what mass, but I think the writing and acting were phenomenal.

I have been a Meloni fan since Oz and SVU. I thought his Fox comedy from last year was really funny and didn't get a fair chance to find an audience, so I'm glad t see him featured here.

I have loved Aldis Hodge since Leverage and I am thrilled that he gets to shine in this new vehicle.

Jurnee Smollett is another actor who has been around for a long time, but seemingly never gets shine, hopefully this role will change that.

E slave owner's wife is pure evil and quite frankly, the depiction is needed, as the trope of the Southern Belle drinking mint juleps and keeping her silly little self out of her husband's slave doings was never something I believed. Anyone who has seen pictures of lynchings with WW present and cheering knows that WW were just as duplicitous when it came to slavery as their mates were.

[Dowel Jones]

Was the pilot billed as commercial free?  I would hope that they could attract at least some sponsors if they expect a run this season.

[GodsBeloved]

Was the pilot billed as commercial free? 

Yes. If I'm not mistaken, the Outsiders (also on WGN) pilot was commercial free as well.

 

I thought this was an excellent episode. I am looking forward to seeing this escape plan come together. 

Edited March 14, 2016 by GodsBeloved

[GirlvsTV]

I liked the show in the same way others did, in that I didn't like what mass, but I think the writing and acting were phenomenal.

I have been a Meloni fan since Oz and SVU. I thought his Fox comedy from last year was really funny and didn't get a fair chance to find an audience, so I'm glad t see him featured here.

I have loved Aldis Hodge since Leverage and I am thrilled that he gets to shine in this new vehicle.

Jurnee Smollett is another actor who has been around for a long time, but seemingly never gets shine, hopefully this role will change that.

E slave owner's wife is pure evil and quite frankly, the depiction is needed, as the trope of the Southern Belle drinking mint juleps and keeping her silly little self out of her husband's slave doings was never something I believed. Anyone who has seen pictures of lynchings with WW present and cheering knows that WW were just as duplicitous when it came to slavery as their mates were.

Yeah, that's just revisionist bull shit. White women were just as invested in keeping the status quo as white men. Truth be told, that still applies today.

White southern women married to slaveholders were often left 'in charge' while their husbands were away. Depending on how much other land the family owned this could even be for long or frequent stretches of time. So, they were absolutely a part of the 'system.' Where I'm from, for a period a time, one of the largest slaveholders in my state was a woman who ran her family's plantation after her father, brothers and husband all died. And judging by her diary entries, she didn't exactly hold 'enlightened' views about race.

I really enjoyed this show and am looking forward to more. I was genuinely surprised by the reveal of the brothers and that Meloni's character was actually a bad guy - although I'm wondering if he was pressed into it by the need for money after his horses died. I mean, still awful, though.

Also, it feels a bit wrong to 'ship' characters on a show dealing with such an important topic, but Noah + Rosalee = *fans self*

I am totally on board with depicting the slaveowners as just straight-up horrible people. I'm from the South, but it has benefitted from 100 + years of the 'sympathetic' edit when it comes to popular media (books, film, art, etc.) related to this time period. It's about time we started to see that change.

[jhlipton]

Great show!  My (black) wife nearly had a heart attack the first time someone said the "N Word".  I told her that it was going to be used a lot -- that's how those folks spoke, and not using it would be wrong.  She got into it quickly though.

 

I'm ready for the plantation wife and her whip-crazy son to die right now, not impoverished by the Civil War six to eight years hence.

 

Alas, she's not likely to be impoverished by the Civil War either.  Many, if not most, of the big plantations came through the War just fine, trading slaves for "sharecroppers" (technically free, but not really).  The CW is one of the wars where a lot of the "losers" didn't lose much.  The "carpetbaggers" took advantage of the poor and middle-class Southerners, but the plantations were split up and the Southerners forced onto reservations.

 

Was the pilot billed as commercial free?  I would hope that they could attract at least some sponsors if they expect a run this season.

 

We saw the second airing and it had limited commercials.

[C76]

A lot of clips are available on the show's YouTube channel, but does anyone know if WGN will start sharing episode previews?

[ridethemaverick]

Can Noah and Rosalee be any hotter? *ships mercilessly*

This show is amazing.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Antebellum Don Lemon is getting on my nerves.

Rosalee's mom has a Dom/Sub thing going on with Mr. Slave Owner.

I'm scared for her, that Creeper was disgusting.

And pissed when Mama came in shut that down.

[ridethemaverick]

Is it me or did Bareback Shaw look like Hilary Clinton?

That whole scene was trippy. I had to watch it again to understand what I was looking at LOL. And I loved Noah tricking plantation Don Lemon (thank you for that) into taking one for the team.

[wanderingstar]

Cato just can't be trusted. Noah's going to need to look over his shoulder with that guy on the escape team.

 

Rosalee and Noah's longing looks have me in my feels.

 

Ms. Ernestine breaks my heart. 

 

Wonder if the folks in the house will miss that gun Noah stole.

 

Antebellum Don Lemon is getting on my nerves.

 

Alright - this almost made me spit out my water. Too perfect.

Edited March 17, 2016 by Gillian Rosh

[MrsRafaelBarba]

That scene with Rosalee was forshadowing to me.

I fear that she will be sexually assaulted, by that guy or the Overseer.

[JasonCC]

I am very impressed with this show so far, I loved the whole look of it and much of the camera work that has been mentioned above.

 

I don't think showing the slave owning couple was too extreme of a presentation, we've just as a culture been so used to fictional portrayals always being so much the opposite. We need correction on that. Plus, on a 10 episode show I trust we will get a varied presentation of slave-owning Southerners but it was refreshing to see the evil inherent in owning another person.

 

I too was taken aback at the use of the n-word, but it's historically realistic. It's use also assists in the process of undoing all those sugar-coated, magnolia & moonlight versions of antebellum years.

 

Historic goof: the whole "blue is for boys/pink is for girls" norm for dressing and decorating wasn't around in 1857. It's a 20th Century thing. In fact, a couple generations later (1890s) pink was the trend for boys.

 

Christopher Meloni? He is still HOT. AS. FUCK. That said, I would be hard-pressed to choose between him and Aldis Hodge. Both are stunning men.

Edited March 17, 2016 by JasonCC

[GirlvsTV]

Another great episode, although I was a bit bored by the stuff with Meloni's character this time around.

I think they are doing a really great job sprinkling in the history with the action/drama. The smoking scene with all the slaveholders gabbing and discussing the value produced when enslaved children were born was a very accurate representation of how these men often thought of their enslaved workers - as 'things,' and even as investments to increase their wealth over time. I once read a diary where a slaveholder considered purchasing a group of new slaves, not because he needed the help at the time, but because he could see that in 5-10 years their value would have increased enough that he could turn a profit on them. Awful to know that is how some of these people viewed other human beings, but it's also helped me understand some of the thought process that went into perpetuating such a horrible institution for so long.

The sex scene between the slaveholder (I cannot remember the family's name) and Rosalee's mother was also well done. On the surface she seems saucy and in control, and then the shot of her face over his shoulder and you understand how terrified she actually was - very well acted.

The scene where Noah had to strip was a great moment to show some of the indignities faced by the enslaved, but I also wanted to be like, "Thank you, writers!" Cause, well . . . Damn.

And Noah + Rosalee = 4EVA

Although, I will say her line at the end about reclaiming the story felt out-of-place to me. Not the sentiment necessarily, just the way it was worded. Felt too modern. Also, some of the costuming and hair choices, mostly on the slaveholding family, are bugging me. Why get so much other stuff right and then not that stuff?

Edited March 18, 2016 by GirlvsTV

[Mozelle]

I liked the show in the same way others did, in that I didn't like what mass, but I think the writing and acting were phenomenal.

I have been a Meloni fan since Oz and SVU. I thought his Fox comedy from last year was really funny and didn't get a fair chance to find an audience, so I'm glad t see him featured here.

I have loved Aldis Hodge since Leverage and I am thrilled that he gets to shine in this new vehicle.

Jurnee Smollett is another actor who has been around for a long time, but seemingly never gets shine, hopefully this role will change that.

E slave owner's wife is pure evil and quite frankly, the depiction is needed, as the trope of the Southern Belle drinking mint juleps and keeping her silly little self out of her husband's slave doings was never something I believed. Anyone who has seen pictures of lynchings with WW present and cheering knows that WW were just as duplicitous when it came to slavery as their mates were.

I've enjoyed Jurnee's acting since Eve's Bayou, which is just about my favorite movie ever (my handle, Mozelle, is a reference to Aunt Mozelle played by Debbi Morgan).

I'm all in with this show. I just finished episode two, and I've already got my mother into it. I watched the first ep at home, but I'm visiting my parents this weekend and hadn't yet watched the second episode.

I wanted to catch that one On Demand, but instead decided to re-watch the first ep so that my mother would see it. We just finished the second ep. *insert sneaky grin*

On a very shallow note (and I sorta kinda feel that I shouldn't but oh well), Aldis Hodge is so beautiful. While watching I kept thinking about what his acting trajectory would have been like if they'd kept him on The Game (as opposed to recast V his character with Pooch Hall after the pilot). I think Underground is going to be really good for him.

[Mozelle]

Antebellum Don Lemon is getting on my nerves.

Rosalee's mom has a Dom/Sub thing going on with Mr. Slave Owner.

I'm scared for her, that Creeper was disgusting.

And pissed when Mama came in shut that down.

Noooo! Not "Antebellum Don Lemon"! I'm going to have trouble unseeing that now. But Cato is really getting off on the bit of power he has as overseer-lite.

That said, it was powerful to see (and hear) Noah break down how male slaves were exploited sexually as well. We know about the sexual exploitation (rape, sexual assault) female slaves endured, but it was good to see that it went both ways. It also clues into the hows and whys of White men's trumped up fears during slavery and Jim Crow and afterward of Black men "raping" "their" White women, leading to lynchings over disrespecting fair Miss Anne.

Speaking of fair Miss Anne, as I watched the first episode, I remember wondering if the plantation owner was Rosalee's and her brother's father. The way the wife (I haven't learned her name yet) was being antagonistic with her psychological warfare toward Ernestine and Rosalee (along with Rosalee's and her brother's light skin), seemed like quite the clue. Watching Ernestine having to manipulate her existence the way she did added even more complexity to the character.

Lastly, I'm totally 'shipping Noah and Rosalee (Noahlee?). That final "run with me" put such a smile on my face. At first I thought he'd said "Rock with me," which I was definitely here for (Rosalee rock with Noah, please!), but, yes, Rosalee, run with Noah!

[BusyOctober]

I don't get WGN America but I do have Apple TV and this series is available on Crackle. I found this show when I was catching up on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. I'm hooked and very glad to see Chris Meloni and Aldis Hodge again.

[Jx223]

I enjoyed this episode. I liked seeing Noah and Rosalee come together at the end and him asking her to run away with him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That scene with Rosalee was forshadowing to me.


I fear that she will be sexually assaulted, by that guy or the Overseer.

 

 

I am afraid she will be too. I think that evil overseer may end up assaulting her. He seems to have it in for her and I can see him taking out more of his anger on her in that way.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

This damn show, keep me in my feelings.

Ole perv learned that night, Rosalee DEADed his ass.

Hi Nathan Scott, haven't see you since One Tree Hill ended.

[ridethemaverick]

Well yall called it re: the overseer trying to rape Rosalee. I don't think anyone expected her to kill him though.

My heart's still pounding. What an episode!

[Jx223]

Another great episode tonight.

 

I hope that Rosalee killed the overseer before he had the chance to rape her. I am glad she remained strong throughout that ordeal and dealt with him. Even though she was vulnerable around him, I actually thought she could whip his behind, when they were in the yard together. He was so sloppy drunk, and he came across as weak. I am glad she stayed strong and fought him.

 

I am very interested in seeing what happens now that her and Noah are on the run. That definitely puts a wrench in the plan. I could see some of the other slaves not taking the news of Noah/Rosalee running without them well. I wonder if/when the other slaves will meet up with them at some point or if Noah/Rosalee will come back and get them. 

Edited March 24, 2016 by Jx223