By Celestial
Imagine American Gods, American Horror Story, Get Out, and Aliens had a tryst and produced a love child… That love child would probably look something like HBO’s Lovecraft Country.
I am a one-toe-in kind of woman when it comes to Sci-Fi. If it looks too scary, you’ll find me tipping out like the SpongeBob meme. {insert “Aight, Imma Head Out” meme} However, I’m going to put my “big girl panties” on after watching the trailers for Lovecraft Country, the newest of which left my jaw resting in my lap. The show is scheduled for an August 2020 premier, and I do not plan to miss it.
The story of Lovecraft Country is simple on the surface. In 1954 Chicago, a young, Black veteran named Atticus Turner is in search of his missing father. He embarks on a mission to find him, with his Uncle George and childhood friend Letitia in tow. Turner and his merry band find more than what they bargained for and are engulfed in unraveling a mysterious family history, while being confronted with the dark side of human nature and much more.
We’ve seen that dark side play out in real life and on-screen. We know all too well what their struggles will be as they travel bearing the weight of being Black during the Jim Crow era. What will be new is that they must face those same obstacles while also battling otherworldly creatures that are hell-bent on destroying all of humanity. Will White America and its hate or these horrifying demons on the chase be more detrimental to Turner and his cohorts?
There are many reasons this series should be intriguing. The first is the father of modern science fiction, H.P. Lovecraft, was a documented racist. I will not give him anymore shine than that. If you want to know more about why he was considered as such, visit Google. Matt Ruff using Lovecraft’s name in the title of his book where racism and monsters are center stage was smart and a bit of a slap in the face to Lovecraft’s legacy. Second, Jordan Peele, J.J. Abrams, and Misha Green are the Executive Producers. Need I say more? I will anyway. Jordan Peele is crafty; even the slightest detail will have much deeper and scarier implications. J.J. Abrams has a track record of brilliantly telling a story. Misha Green is innovative and imaginative, with of flair of making the old, new. Third, the stellar cast of familiar faces such as Courtney B. Vance, Aunjanue Ellis, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Michael K. Williams, and Jonathan Majors are sure to make this woeful tale an adventure to be remembered.
I know many of us have decried that we are tired of stories that go back to a time we would much rather forget. I’ll venture to say while there will be some themes that we recognize, the story has made room for us to look at this time in American history through a different, although imaginary, lens. Hopefully, the series will give us much to discuss like HBO’s Watchmen series.
Lovecraft Country Premieres Sunday August 16th at 9pm eastern. If you haven’t seen the trailer, check it out here.
