Underground
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Screen for YOUR familyParent's Guide to Underground
Underground is an American historical period drama and thriller television series that dramatically portrays the harrowing experiences of enslaved people in Antebellum Georgia as they plot a daring escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. The series, co-created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, blends historical narratives with modern cinematic techniques and a contemporary soundtrack, offering a unique and intense viewing experience. It focuses on a diverse group of characters, known as the 'Macon 7,' highlighting their struggles, resilience, and complex moral choices in the face of immense brutality and injustice. The show is intended for mature audiences due to its graphic depictions of violence, sexual content, and thematic intensity, which are inherent to its subject matter.
Things to Consider
Violence
The series contains frequent and graphic depictions of violence, integral to portraying the brutal realities of slavery. This includes whippings, beatings, executions, and murders, often shown with visible injuries and significant emotional distress.
In a harrowing scene from the pilot, Rosalee (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) begs a slave driver to whip her instead of her younger brother, resulting in her being repeatedly lashed on the forearm, tearing 'bloody strips off her skin.' Rosalee’s mother, Ernestine (Amirah Vann), murders another woman to protect her family. The character Cato is depicted with a half-burned face, a result of prior punishment for attempting to run away.
Romance and Sexual Content
The show includes explicit sexual content and addresses the sexual exploitation inherent in slavery. This involves scenes of implied sexual acts, prostitution, and discussions around leveraging sexual relationships for survival or gain.
Substance Use
The series prominently features substance use, particularly in Season 2, where a main character struggles with addiction as a coping mechanism for severe trauma and loss. Alcohol consumption is also present in social settings.
Scary & Intense Content
The series is consistently high in intensity and suspense, immersing viewers in the constant fear and danger inherent to escaping slavery. It includes graphic violence, psychological torment, and life-threatening situations that create a pervasive sense of dread and horror.
Disrespect & Rebellion
Disrespect is a core theme, highlighted by the systemic dehumanization of enslaved people by their owners. The central plot is driven by acts of rebellion and defiance by the enslaved characters who risk everything to escape, directly challenging the established unjust authority.
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Additional Context
Best For Ages
TV-MA. The series features pervasive graphic violence, including whippings and murders, explicit sexual content, and mature themes related to slavery, psychological trauma, and substance abuse. It is designed for adult audiences capable of processing disturbing historical realities.
Good to Know
The series ran for two seasons on WGN America (2016-2017) before its cancellation, with rebroadcast rights later acquired by the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). A notable stylistic choice is the incorporation of contemporary music, such as Kanye West's 'Black Skinhead' in the opening scene, into the historical drama, which some viewers found enhances the modern feel while others felt it disrupted the period authenticity.
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