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    Lovecraft Country S01E01 Review: Sundown – Kicks off with a terrifying road trip…

    By Salome G
    | August 17, 2020
    TV Blogs

    Hello, my lovelies, and welcome to Lovecraft Country. If you haven’t read the book by Matt Ruff, then all you need to know is that it follows a family in 1950s America who confront literal and figurative monsters. It’s inspired in part, obviously, by the works of HP Lovecraft, who, in addition to being a wildly inventive writer, was crazy racist. And I don’t mean just regular degular racist. I mean he was the kind of person who names his pet a racial slur (actually true) and passes along stereotypes you’ve never heard from anyone else, like that Swedish people can’t count the number 15. (Him doing that is not factually true, probably, but it’s spiritually true.)

    Lovecraft Country S01 Jonathan Majors Atticus Freeman

    So Ruff, and by consequence, the show subverts our expectations by focusing the action on a Black family. Our entry point into this family is Atticus (Jonathan Majors), a Korean War veteran returning home to Chicago from a sojourn in Florida. We actually enter the story through his dream, a stunning opening sequence that’s mostly a melange of his wartime experiences and his favorite books, including A Princess of Mars. Jackie Robinson even makes a cameo, because even a Lovecraftian creature is no match for his swing.

    Atticus is coming home to Chicago because his father Montrose (Michael K. Williams) has written him a concerning letter. According to Montrose, he’s gone off in search of clues to his late wife’s mysterious ancestry. This is worrisome for Atticus, in part because his dad clearly didn’t expect to be gone that long. And also because his dad is apparently in “Lovecraft Country,” as his letter says he’s gone to Arkham (a locale in Lovecraft’s stories). Atticus’s uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), the publisher of a guidebook for Black travelers akin to the Green Book, quickly points out it actually says Ardham.

    Not that that makes it much better. As Atticus goes looking for his dad with George and their family friend Leti (Jurnee Smollett), there’s nothing particularly supernatural about the world through which they travel. But still, menace seems to lurk around every corner.

    Lovecraft Country S01 Courtney B Vance Jonathan Majors Jurnee Smollett George Atticus Leti

    One of their first bad experiences comes when they stop at a diner recommended by one of George’s scouts. Something has happened, though, since the scout stopped there. Leti overhears a disturbing conversation in the back, while Atticus and George sit in a booth and start to put it all together. Atticus points out the gleaming white walls. No long-existing greasy spoon should have walls that clean. They invoke the story of the White House, repainted after its burning during the War of 1812.

    By that time, though, Leti is on the move, hollering at them to get out of there. They’re then chased out of town by a truck carrying locals. They engage in a firefight, but a mysterious woman in a silver car comes to their aid. Incidentally, it looks like the same car folks saw Montrose in, before he disappeared.

    But the danger’s not over yet. After a stop at Leti’s brother’s house, which further illustrates her alienation from her siblings–including sister Ruby (Wunmi Mosaku)–the trio take a bathroom break off a road in a wooded area. In Every Dead Thing, John Connolly wrote, “It is easy to get lost in the darkness on the edge of modern life, and once we are lost and alone, there are things waiting for us there. Our ancestors were not wrong in their superstitions: there is reason to fear the dark.”

    It’s not dark yet for them, but it soon will be. And that brings its own dangers, as an encounter with a police officer shows. They’ve inadvertently stopped in a sundown town, a town in which Black folks are advised to leave before the sun sets. That seems arbitrary–why sunset?–but I think it’s part of a practice intended to keep them from living there.

    Lovecraft Country S01 Jonathan Majors Jurnee Smollett Atticus Freeman Leti Lewis

    In any case, after the cop forces Atticus to humiliate himself, he allows them to leave, provided they can cross the county line before the sun sets. They just barely make it and then are stopped on the other side by the new county’s sheriff and his men.

    Whatever terrible fate they’d planned for Atticus, George, and Leti doesn’t come to pass, though. As soon as the sun goes down, creatures, who look unnervingly like the shoggoths Atticus had just described to Leti, descend on the group. They tear a chunk out of the sheriff and kill some of his men. (When the scary monsters were attacking, I lost track of how many deputies there were, I’m sorry.)

    They all hole up in a cabin, but let Leti retrieve the car, after George realizes the creatures are sensitive to light. It’s a sign of the times that even when the sheriff transforms into one of these horrible things, his deputy refuses to shoot him. Instead, he keeps his gun trained on Atticus. That’s how you get eaten by a foul beast, son.

    When the sun rises again, the trio, covered in mostly not their blood, make their way to an imposing mansion. The silver car sits outside. A young man opens the door before they can even knock and their appearance doesn’t seem to move him. Because he’s been waiting for them.

    10/10 – I loved the book and this is a bright and brilliant adaptation so far. The traveling montage, with its James Baldwin soundtrack and visual allusions to Gordon Parks’s photography, was outstanding.

    Also, on an extremely shallow note, I would like Leti’s entire wardrobe, thank you very much in advance.

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    21 Comments
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    Callie-RoseD
    Callie-Rose
    2 years ago

    Goodness, I don’t know if I can hang with this one. I spent the whole time lost. I should’ve read the recap first and will do that next time. I adore Leti! She’d make a great friend.

    1
    Reply
    BostonAustinD
    BostonAustin
    2 years ago

    This show is just plain weird, but that’s okay because Journee Smollett and Jonathan Majors are really hitting it out of the park with their superb acting skills.

    1
    Reply
    Snarky-GuruD
    Snarky-Guru
    2 years ago

    I’m in the UK and not 100% familiar with the terminology like “sundown town”. Does that mean there’s a law on the books that prohibited African Americans from being there once the sun went down?

    1
    Reply
    Salome G
    Author
    Salome G
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Snarky-Guru

    They weren’t codified as such, meaning they weren’t official laws like many Jim Crow statutes*, as far as I can tell. However, they were treated like the law and often enforced (by either citizens or law enforcement) with violence.

    *Jim Crow laws, in case anyone didn’t know, were statutes that regulated segregation.

    0
    Reply
    Fade-to-BlackD
    Fade-to-Black
    2 years ago

    I’ll have to check this show out. I’m into sci-fi and love just about everything that’s been created by Lovecraft or inspired by his work. I even dig the tabletop games that give a nod to his universe.

    2
    Reply
    PersephoneD
    Persephone
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Fade-to-Black

    I like to play Arkham Horror with friends. Is that the one you’re talking about? I’ve only seen the first two episodes of this show so it’s probably too early to tell whether it’s great, but it’s enjoyable so far.

    1
    Reply
    DrewsiD
    Drewsi
    2 years ago

    I’m loving this! I think the pilot was great! It really gave us a lot of information on the key characters. I loved watching Tik, Uncle George and Leti. I’m really excited for a new show.

    1
    Reply
    RickiV25D
    RickiV25
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Drewsi

    I agree! I think they did a great job on the pilot episode. They gave us enough information about the key characters. After watching I knew I would watch the new show.

    1
    Reply
    EvieD
    Evie
    2 years ago

    I loved the first episode! It’s so sci-fi in so many ways! People turning into creatures! I’m really not a big fan of racism but the whole creature thing got me to want to watch episode 2.

    1
    Reply
    ShelbiiD
    Shelbii
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Evie

    I agree! With all that is going on in the world I thought it would be too much to watch. I did though and I enjoyed it. I love the whole sci-fi aspect too.

    1
    Reply
    DrewsiD
    Drewsi
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Shelbii

    Racism is going to be huge in this show. I really think that they are going to do great things though (Tik, Leti and George).
    The sci-fi part is awesome too.

    1
    Reply
    RickiV25D
    RickiV25
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Drewsi

    Yeah, I think or hope they will deal with racism correctly in the show. So far so good. It was very interesting to me. It’s good to see strong characters.

    1
    Reply
    Fade-to-BlackD
    Fade-to-Black
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Evie

    That’s the one thing that gives me pause about this show. There’s so much genuine, loud, unavoidable racism going on right now, do I really want to watch a show with it too? I’m not a fan of racism in shows anymore. It’s too close to what we’re seeing in real life. I try to do my part to fight that, but TV is my source of escapism.

    1
    Reply
    skyler2001rD
    skyler2001r
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Fade-to-Black

    I am with you on this but I did give it a shot. I thought it was pretty good. I’m late to the show, there are a few episodes already. I thought the racism part was played well.

    1
    Reply
    loebD
    loeb
    2 years ago

    I am happy that you gave this episode a good rating, because like you say, this episode (so far) is a bright and brilliant adaptation. I read the book as well and feel like this is just the beginning of good things to come.

    1
    Reply
    wayneD
    wayne
    2 years ago

    It is perfect to come across a review of a show that premiered just a few days ago, and that is growing in popularity. Now that the basis is a novel of the same name, I am unsure about where to start. Would you read this novel before or after watching the TV show?

    1
    Reply
    EvieD
    Evie
    2 years ago
    Reply to  wayne

    I was wondering the same thing. I don’t always like to read before because I like the suspense and I also gripe when it doesn’t follow the book. I don’t mind reading the books before watching movies, but not TV shows.

    1
    Reply
    Salome G
    Author
    Salome G
    2 years ago
    Reply to  wayne

    I really can’t say. I read the book in anticipation of the show. Reading the book will tell you some about what’s going on, but they’ve also changed a bit.

    0
    Reply
    ShelbiiD
    Shelbii
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Salome G

    See that is why I won’t read the book first. I hate it when things get changed up. I don’t mind as much when I read after I watched though. I don’t know why!

    2
    Reply
    PersephoneD
    Persephone
    2 years ago
    Reply to  Shelbii

    Matt Ruff’s book is an impressive piece of fiction, so if you get a chance to read it later it’ll be worth it. I don’t actually like H.P. Lovecraft’s work, it’s just too out there for me, but I often enjoy reading the work that was inspired by the man.

    1
    Reply
    sammariD
    sammari
    2 years ago
    Reply to  wayne

    Well, I think it depends on the timing. I am only getting to hear that the book is out now, so I will watch the show first. I assume that the book is more detailed. I can’t wait to get started on this one!

    1
    Reply

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