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Los Angeles Times
11 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
'Washington Black' review: Hulu miniseries amplifies action from novel
Canadian novelist Esi Edugyan's 'Washington Black,' a prizewinning story of race, romance, friendship and identity set in the early 19th century, has been translated by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds and Kimberly Ann Harrison into a Hulu miniseries. Unsurprisingly, it plays more like a miniseries than a novel, amplifying the action, the drama and the romance; beefing up lesser characters; drawing lines under, after all, valid points about prejudice, inequality and injustice; and dressing it up with Hollywood musical cues. Taking the show as a sometimes fantastic historical adventure, those aren't bad things, but, unlike the book, subtlety is not the series' strong suit. Written in the first person, the novel proceeds chronologically, while the series, which follows other, sometimes added characters into interpolated storylines, switches between 1830 — when our hero, George Washington Black, called Wash, is 11 years old and enslaved on a Barbados sugar plantation — and 1837, when he lives as a free young man in Halifax, Nova Scotia, drawing beautiful pictures and designing a before-its-time airship. (For the benefit of American viewers wondering why we're in Halifax, opening narration helpfully identifies it as the last stop on the Underground Railroad.) The split timeline does make Entertainment Sense. We don't have to wait around for young Wash (Eddie Karanja) to grow up into older Wash (Ernest Kingsley Jr.), and we are immediately introduced to Tanna Goff (Iola Evans), arriving from London with her father (Rupert Graves) for a 'fresh start.' (There was a scandal back in Britain.) Unbeknownst to Tanna, her father plans to marry her off to a young Canadian bigwig (Edward Bluemel), for what he believes is her own security. This is new, if very familiar, material. Advertisement Wash and Tanna meet-cute at the docks where he works, when based on her skin, he mistakes her for a servant — she's been passing for white, but he (and we) recognize her as a person of color. (Melanesian, to be exact.) In the coming days, he'll contrive to meet her here and there, until they get friendly, and friendlier. Like Wash, she'll be a voice for living free, 'to be myself, to live in my own skin.' ('We're both dreamers,' she muses. 'Can't we dream up a different world?') Coincidentally, and not unfortunately, her papa is a marine biologist, the author of a book Wash, who has a keen interest in the subject, knows well. Wash's gift for capturing the essence of living things on paper may prove useful to him. 1 2 1. Eddie Karanja plays young Wash in the series. (James Van Evers / Disney) 2. Sterling K. Brown, an executive producer, also stars. (Chris Reardon / Disney) Meanwhile, if that's the word, back in 1830, the future looks dim for young Wash under the harsh rule of plantation owner Erasmus Wilde (Julian Rhind-Tutt), a situation eased only by his beloved caring protector Big Kit (Shaunette Renée Wilson). (Ironically, the end of slavery throughout the British Empire was just around the corner.) One day, Erasmus' brother Christopher (Tom Ellis), called Titch, arrives driving a giant steam-powered tractor for no practical reason other than to announce him as a somewhat eccentric inventor, like Caractacus Pott; but it provides a point of connection between Titch and Wash, who becomes his assistant. Another character who had to leave London, Titch plans to use an island hilltop to launch his 'cloud cutter,' a flying machine that won't exist in the real world for many years but which looks cool. (Steampunk is the applicable term.) Advertisement When an incident on the island threatens to paint Wash, wrongly, as a murderer, Titch takes him up, up and away in his beautiful balloon. It's in the supercharged spirit of this adaptation that when they crash into a sailing ship, it should be full of pirates, and not merely pirates, but pirates who have stolen from the British a new sort of craft powered by a dynamo that looks heavy enough to sink it. This passage is crafted to show us a self-determined society, multiethnic and multigendered. When the pirates mutiny (bloodlessly), the new captain is a woman. They like Wash more than Titch, whom they throw in the brig, but they are nice, relatively speaking. Titch is an avowed abolitionist who won't use the sugar the plantation produces, and though we are called upon to note small hypocrisies or to question his motivations — is he trying to assuage his 19th century white liberal guilt even as he uses Wash to his own ends? — I will declare him sincere, if also a man of his time. The showrunners put him into a (very) brief debate with fierce figure from history Nat Turner (Jamie Hector), opposing Turner's militarism against Titch's less persuasive 'reason, logic and the appeal to man's better nature,' an argument suspended when Turner holds a knife to his throat. (Wash intercedes on his behalf; he is more than once his mentor's protector.) It also adds a shot of American history into this Canadian story. Sterling K. Brown, an executive producer, plays Medwin, a character much expanded from the novel, the unofficial mayor of the Black community who will swashbuckle in when a day needs to be saved. (There are bounty hunters from down south, looking for Wash; Billy Boyd, former Hobbit, is wonderfully creepy as Willard.) As to Wash, it's not enough that he's a gifted artist and scientist; the show introduces him as 'a boy brave enough to change the world.' Advertisement The novel trots the globe, from Barbados to Virginia to Nova Scotia to the Arctic to London to Morocco, and besides the hot-air balloon, includes the invention of the public aquarium. Though only four episodes of the series were available to review, photos indicate that lands of snow and sand are indeed on the itinerary (not sure about the aquarium), and as a fan of 19th century globe-trotting adventures, I do remain eager to see what the series makes of them. Kingsley and Evans, in their blossoming love story and otherwise, are good company throughout. Edugyan ends her book on a suspended chord, a note of mystery I don't imagine will be definitive enough for the filmmakers. But we shall see.
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
'It's Always Sunny' Season 17 Release Schedule: When to Watch Episode 4
You can get a standalone subscription to Hulu or bundle it with other services. You can choose a combo of a) Hulu and Disney Plus, b) Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus or c) Hulu, Disney Plus and Max. Hulu free trials and student discounts are also available.
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
My favorite solo trip so far was a Disney cruise. It was surprisingly incredible for an adult without kids.
I impulsively booked a solo Disney cruise that set sail around Christmastime. I worried the trip would feel awkward, like I'd be crashing a family vacation. Instead, I had fun. The great customer service and adult-only areas made the cruise an ideal choice for solo travelers. I was stressed, sun-starved, and desperate for a break when I impulsively booked a last-minute Disney cruise just four days before it set sail. It was December, and the Pacific Northwest's gray skies and cold rain were weighing on me as the holidays loomed just around the corner. I hadn't planned to go anywhere, but when I spotted a deeply discounted cabin on a Christmas-themed Disney cruise leaving from Florida, I booked it and planned to set sail solo. A few days later, I flew across the country in search of sunshine, rest, and maybe a little bit of magic. One thought kept nagging me, though: Would I feel out of place going alone on a family-oriented cruise at Christmas? I pictured myself wandering the ship alone, sitting at dinner surrounded by Mickey-ear-wearing families, while I was quietly sipping a cocktail in the corner. Fortunately, my fears were far from reality. I didn't feel out of place, and I even made friends with other solo travelers Once I was on board, the trip just felt easy. The staff was warm and never once made me feel like being a party of one was unusual. Dinner time was one of my biggest anxieties — would I be eating each meal alone or awkwardly paired with a family? Instead, staff thoughtfully seated me with a group of five other solo travelers. Our conversation flowed easily, and by the end of the night, I had new friends and familiar faces around the ship. I could spend time with them when I wanted or slip away whenever I needed. It felt like the best of both worlds. Although there were many children on the cruise, there were plenty of activities for adults and kid-free areas that I made use of daily. I booked spa treatments, lounged in the Rainforest Room (complete with hot tubs and saunas), watched Broadway-worthy shows, and curled up on a quiet deck with a book. I explored the ship, wandered into the adults-only pool, stopped for coffee in the lounge, and took a long nap just because I could. Plus, I got to partake in activities I wouldn't have done with my husband The cruise sailed from Fort Lauderdale with stops in Nassau and Disney's private islands, Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay. Please help BI improve our Business, Tech, and Innovation coverage by sharing a bit about your role — it will help us tailor content that matters most to people like you. Continue By providing this information, you agree that Business Insider may use this data to improve your site experience and for targeted advertising. By continuing you agree that you accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . I had initially planned to stay on the ship in Nassau, but that morning, I changed my mind. My husband doesn't swim, so I rarely get to snorkel when we travel together. This time, I was free to do as I pleased. I booked a catamaran excursion and spent the day swimming in clear Bahamian waters, surrounded by fish and sunshine. At both private islands, I also explored adults-only beaches with turquoise waters and wandered quieter paths away from the crowds. My trip was incredible, and I'd absolutely recommend a Disney cruise to other solo travelers There's a special kind of joy in solo travel — the freedom, the clarity, the quiet confidence. Fortunately, Disney really delivered on ensuring that cruising alone was an absolute blast. I laughed at shows, found serenity in the spa, and watched fireworks light up the ocean sky with people I'd just met. I was never lonely. I never felt out of place. I was just … happy. Disney cruises may be marketed to families, but there's a quiet kind of magic waiting for adults, too, especially those who come alone. It's in the thoughtful touches, the calm corners, and the unspoken permission to enjoy things simply because they spark joy. I came home rested, recharged, and reminded of something important: I don't need anyone else to have a meaningful experience. I can trust myself to take the trip, find the magic, and enjoy the ride, even when it looks a little different from what I expected.
