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Season one of HBO’s Lovecraft Country ended this past Sunday and it has everyone talking about story line implications and what they think season two will be like. There were several major character deaths however to avoid spoilers I won’t discuss them here. There are some minor spoilers below in the conclusion.
Deadline speaks with showrunner Misha Green about the season finale and the show overall. They discuss what Misha hoped to accomplish in season one, the character arcs and any missed opportunities she had in developing certain characters. Below are a few quotes from the story:
How do you envision a season 2?
Nothing is official yet, but I envision a second season that carries on the spirit of Matt Ruff’s novel by continuing to reclaim the genre storytelling space that people of color have typically been left out of.Was this the way you wanted the first season to end when you started?
Yes, this is the ending I knew we would be working towards from the beginning.Lovecraft Country has become a touchstone in the cultural discourse. What was that like?
As an artist, I make art to start conversations, and one always hopes their art is a reflection of the times. I’ve been excited to see all the discourse around Lovecraft Country, and I hope it continues long after the finale.What did you want to do with the finale? Did you feel you succeed?
With the finale I wanted to bring the arc of the first season to a close, while opening a door to the next. In the writer’s room we talked a lot about what “full circle” looks like for each character, and then set out to do that in a surprising, yet satisfying way. I think it’s up to the audience to decide if we succeed, and hopefully they will.You engaged directly with your audience over criticism, most recently over your admittance on Twitter that you feel you “failed” in the telling of Yahima’s tale in attempting to “show the uncomfortable truth that oppressed folks can also be oppressors.” Why did you go that way?
As a person and a storyteller, I’m interested in growing, and part of that journey is accountability. Acknowledging my failure in the handling of Yahima’s storyline is the first step in holding myself accountable.Lovecraft Country has woven in real historical events such as the brutal murder of Emmett Till and the 1921 Greenwood massacre. Why did you take that approach?
Historical references were baked into Matt Ruff’s novel – sundown towns, the Tulsa Massacre, the Green Book — which is one of the reasons I was initially drawn to it. I wanted to expand on those touchstones for the series, and keep us grounded in reality and issues that are a part of this country’s history even with all the fantastical elements.
[From Deadline, edited for brevity]
I have been absolutely glued to my laptop screen watching this series. It was so well executed from the characters to the sci-fi infusion into each episode. I also loved how Misha Green weaved in historical events and connected them to the characters. Emmitt Till was a friend of Diana’s, Hippolyta’s daughter. Montrose was caught up in the Greenwood massacres (Black Wall Street) as a child in Oklahoma. The show is a study in true story telling from beginning to end.
Michael K. Williams’s performance was exceptional and I loved seeing Courtney B. Vance in the first few episodes. I will admit I did not like Tic’s character throughout but understood his purpose and Jonathan Majors fulfilled it. I wish we would have gotten more of Yahima and I believe Misha Green is correct in stating she missed an opportunity to flesh out that character. However, I think she was limited in that regard because the season only allowed ten episodes.
Minor spoilers follow
The season finale was bittersweet and there were a few things that happened that have me wondering what they mean and how they will be fleshed out in season two. I’d like to know where Diana got her robotic arm. Did she travel to the future with her mom before the end scene or Hippolyta create it for her? The scene of Ruby, Tic, Diana, Hippolyta, Montrose and Leti riding in the car and singing so joyously was heartwarming yet created a lot of unease. It would seem anytime I see a movie or scene in a movie that shows such unadulterated Black joy, it is almost a foreshadowing of tragedy. Black people generally are suspicious of joy. My absolute favorite scene is when the women ancestor’s of Tic came to assist him and Leti in a binding spell. It was epic and what I see when I think of my ancestors supporting me on the other side.
I will say that I am slightly irritated that I have to wait another year for season two. Perhaps I will just get the book and read it from cover to cover to prepare as well as fill in the gaps. I really enjoyed the historical meets sci-fi/futuristic concept of the book mixed with the mystical. I appreciate how Lovecraft illustrated that the true monsters are human beings and not JUST mythical creatures. It was indeed entertaining and gut wrenching at times. All I can say is, if you haven’t watched Lovecraft Country, definitely give it a go.
— Misha Green (@MishaGreen) October 19, 2020
#LovecraftCountry No. 4
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