Is Lovecraft Country a Must Watch?

So I finally got to sit down and binge watch Lovecraft Country during my recent holiday break. I’m not one to jump on new releases, especially when they begin to plaque social media. But, I am a big consumer of Sci-Fi/Fantasy and history and this, as described by critics, seemed to be the lovechild of the two genres.

Here is my honest take and thoughts on HBO’s hit series, Lovecraft Country (2020). NO SPOILERS, I promise.

Characters: Atticus "Tic" Freeman & Letitia “Leti” Lewis from HBO's Lovecraft Country

The plot was beautifully carried out from the 1st minute to the last. Honestly, I’m still a bit confused about a few things in terms of character motivations. If this was a movie, I’d be hella upset. But I’m sure the cookie crumbs will be enough to satisfy me in Season 2. So great job writers… I am now eagerly anticipating the season.

No character is small and every single one impacts the storyline. Just when you think you know a character, they’re torn down and given deeper layers. I honestly see parts of myself in every single character. It’s cray cray. I love how everyone is beautifully flawed and shown as human.

There is “no respectability politics”. I’m tired of Black-majority cast shows that model people as one extreme or the other. This show doesn’t do that. It shows that Black folks are not monolithic in thought, experience or appearance.

My older brother was the last motivator for me to watch this show. He shared that he loved learning about things through the show. Me being a teacher at heart was elated. Viewers, of every race, were going to learn the hidden and veiled histories of Black folk in the United States. I personally do not think that the show is trauma porn because the SciFi/Fantasy elements present the heavy topics as the true horror that Black folks have felt without recreating the very images themselves.

I felt that I was having a dialogue with the characters as well as the creators. Shout out to Misha Green, showrunner, writer, executive producer and director, for her beautiful storytelling, attention to history, magnificent casting and team. She legit gave me all I’ve wanted in a series.

Me: I want to see myself reflected in different genres. I’m tired of seeing Black folks in the same stories and portrayals. We are beyond our connection to slavery, colonialism and “the struggle life”. We are creatives, folks with large imagination and wonder. We are spiritual, natural and cosmic too.

Lovecraft Country Writer: “I got you kid!”

Me: I want some edutainment!

Lovecraft Country: “I got you kid!”

Me: I want something to go deeper into the lens/realities of being Black in America.

Lovecraft Country: “I got you kid!”

In conclusion, yes Lovecraft Country is a must watch. Besides meeting the desperate need for alternative genres, it is a beautifully crafted work of art.

Catch up on Season One of Lovecraft Country on HBO Max.