Washington Black is a sweeping Hulu limited series adapted from Esi Edugyan's acclaimed 2018 novel, a coming-of-age adventure that carries its hero from bondage to the far corners of the globe. Ernest Kingsley Jr. stars as the adult George Washington “Wash” Black, a boy born into slavery on a Barbados sugar plantation whose prodigious scientific gifts are recognized by an eccentric abolitionist inventor. When a death forces him to flee, Wash embarks on an odyssey across oceans and continents that transforms him from fugitive to scientist, artist, and explorer.
Sterling K. Brown, who also executive produces, plays Medwin Harris, a charismatic community leader in Halifax whose role is expanded from the novel, while Eddie Karanja plays the younger Wash and Tom Ellis, Iola Evans, and Sharon Duncan-Brewster fill out the cast. Told across dual timelines and multiple continents, the series pairs the propulsive momentum of a nineteenth-century adventure yarn with a thoughtful meditation on freedom, identity, and who gets to author their own story.
Adapting a novel that won Canada's Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker, the series reaches for the grandeur of classic adventure storytelling while centering a Black hero's journey toward self-invention. Lavishly mounted and spanning locations from the Caribbean to the Arctic, Washington Black streams on Hulu.
Officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) works for the CIA and as an operative strives to keep this country safe from another attack such as the one occurring in September 11, 2001. Her latest assignment involves finding a Marine Corp member, Sergeant Nicholas Brody. He was captured in 2003 and considered to be missing in action, but was later found to be held by Al-Qaeda until recently. There is danger that he was "turned" by the enemy and now may pose tremendous risk to our nations security. When Officer Mathison is put on probation due to conducting some unauthorized operations while in Iraq, she finds herself reassigned to Langley, VA and a CIA counter terrorism center. In other words, a desk job. While in Iraq Mathison learned of a prisoner from America there who had become corrupt. Now the CIA superiors of Mathison consider the prisoner Brody to be somewhat of a hero. Claire Danes (My So-Called Life, Temple Grandin) is Officer Carrie Mathison who is employed by the CIA in counter intelligence. Nicholas Brody is played by Damian Lewis (The Forsyte Saga, Band of Brothers), rescued after eight years as a POW. The CIA Division Chief of the Middle East and Carrie Mathison's mentor and former boss is Saul Berenson played by Mandy Patinkin (Chicago Hope, Dead Like Me). Cast is tremendous and story is fresh, up to date, and somewhat disturbing.
Imagine Snow White and Prince Charming coming to life and warning about powerful curses as they deliver their ominous threats. When Snow White finds she is pregnant and the curse looming threatening her baby, she hides until the baby is born, then hides the baby away. The baby, Emma, is secreted away in a wardrobe which is actually the trunk of a magical tree. We next see Emma 28 years later as she returns to assist her parents and do battle with the evil Queen who places curses on her subjects. Emma Sway is a bounty hunter as well as a bail bondsman in Boston as she celebrates her 28th birthday alone, blowing out the single candle on a cupcake she made herself. A boy named Henry approaches and tells Emma he is her son whom she gave away at birth ten years ago. Emma agrees to take the boy to his home in Storybrooke, Maine but can't believe his stories of fairy tale characters coming to life there or that they have been exiled there due to the Queen's curses. Henry has a therapist, Jiminy Cricket and a teacher who is actually Snow White and the Mayor of Storybrooke is the real Evil Queen who has placed curses on almost everyone she comes into contact with. Henry and Emma work together to end the Queen's reign of terror in the world of fairy tale fantasy.
What can you do with a man who is powerful, in a power filled position such as mayor of a major U.S. city (Chicago), and apparently is losing his mental capacities? Maybe approach him carefully and make every attempt to keep his illness a secret from the public. Tom Kane has family, friends, and co-workers who are busy with their own lives and barely notice he has issues. Something is very wrong with Kane but only Dr. Ella Harris, his physician seems to know for sure. Kane has a neurological disorder that is degenerative which means he will only get worse as the disease progresses. Meantime he is trying to run a big expensive city, one that has engulfed lesser men with dirty politics and crooked dealings for decades. Stars Kelsey Grammar (Frasier, 30 Rock) stars as a Richard J. Daley style mayor in the Windy City. Kane's wife Meredith is played by Connie Nielsen (Law & Order: SVU). Kitty O'Neill is Kane's personal aide and played by Kathleen Robertson from 90210, CSI: Miami.
Very self absorbed, as are many surgeons, Dr. Michael Holt begins to question just what his purpose in life actually is when he starts "seeing" his wife again. The problem is that she is deceased. The degree of self confidence found in Holt and many other surgeons is a necessary part of the talent they must possess but the good doctor now doubts his sanity when the spirit of his ex-wife, who recently died in a car accident, begins appearing to him. Anna returns to convince Dr. Holt to keep a free clinic running. She had been the director of that clinic and was involved with many poverty level patients. Michael Holt however, is not so sure he can deal with the poorer patients as he's not used to that type of people. But there is no room for snobbishness in the medical field and the spirit of his diseased wife is there to see he learns that. Anna's sister Christina is a believer in supernatural events and is happy that her sister is back in Holt's life because she feels the doctor was a better person when his dead was with him. Patrick Wilson (The A-Team, Insidious) plays Dr. Michael Holt, Jennifer Ehle (Contagion, The King's Speech) is Anna Holt, and Christina is played by Julie Benz (Saw V, Punisher: War Zone).
From 1927 until 1991 Pan American Airlines was the largest international air transporter in the U.S. When the financial collapse came in 1991 it was only one of many major airlines to either cease business or be sold to another. The stewardess' role was always to accommodate passengers and insure they had a safe and enjoyable flight. Today they are called flight attendants and many are males but back in 1963, the setting for TV series Pan Am, becoming a stewardess with a major airlines was considered the dream job for many young women! In this one hour dramatic program we follow the lives of several "stews" and see how complicated some lives can be even while living the American Dream. When new hire Laura Cameron's photograph graces the cover of LIFE Magazine's latest issue it brings the occupation of stewardess into the spotlight and makes Cameron an instant celebrity even though she's only finished her training three weeks ago. Cameron is played by Margot Robbie (I.C.U., City Homicide), Maggie Ryan is under suspension for not wearing her girdle to work and is played by Christina Ricci (Saving Grace, Grey's Anatomy), and experienced stewardess Kate Cameron (Laura Cameron's older sister) has been approached by a CIA type with a special request, is played by Kelli Garner (Going The Distance, My Generation).
Emily VanCamp, who was previously seen on ABC's Brothers & Sister now gets far more serious and sinister as she moves to the Hamptons seeking Revenge for wrongs committed on her family. The close knit community welcomes her but has no idea what she intends to do while getting her Revenge. The concept comes loosely from an Alexandre Dumas novel titled The Count of Monte Cristo and revenge is something most of us have wanted as some point. Other stars of Revenge include Madeleine Stowe (Unlawful Entry, Twelve Monkeys) as Victoria Grayson, Gabriel Mann (The Thacker Case, Dark Streets) as Nolan Ross, and Henry Czerny (Clear and Present Danger, The Pink Panther) is Conrad Grayson. Exacting Revenge can be dangerous but also rewarding and we will enjoy following along each week as Emily Thorne gets even with those who shaped her future ever since her childhood. She finds plenty of "skeletons in the closet" of the rich and powerful living in the Hamptons and does not want to forgive any of them. She will get her revenge one way or another!
Cassie is a shy young girl of sixteen when she discovers she is a witch with powers yet to be discovered. She joins a Circle of witches in New Salem and finds it a competitive world indeed. Cassie is in love with a boy she meets called Adam who is Diana's boyfriend. Diana soon becomes Cassie's best friend so that complicates things a bit. And she now must deal with Faye, another witch. Their Secret Circle rules at the high school Cassie now attends and witches can be dangerous when they are angered. The Secret Circle of witches have been in power and ruling for three hundred years in New Salem and they will use their powers to do pretty much as they wish, including manipulating innocent students into doing their bidding. Can Cassie and her newfound powers of witchcraft be strong enough to lead this witches coven from danger or will they be harmed by the dark forces instigated by a few in the Secret Circle? When the evil Faye assumes power over the Circle she leads them into dangerous territory and even death for someone near to them all. And then the witch hunters arrive on the scene to complicate things even further.
