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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
There is evil everywhere — out there and in here, so it’s time to stop running. The third episode of HBO’s Lovecraft Country is titled “Holy Ghost,” written by series creator Misha Green and directed by Daniel Sackheim.
Some minor spoilers ahead for those who have not yet seen this episode or the show’s previous two episodes. If you have not done so, get to that now, then return to this article!
Green and Sackheim return to collaborate on this episode for HBO’s newest hit horror series. The episode follows female lead Letitia “Leti” Lewis (Jurnee Smollett), where her decision to open a boarding house — previously owned by an astrophysicist named Hiram Epstein — in the middle of a white neighborhood faced with racial prejudices as well as supernatural entities within the house.
Alongside Lewis, Atticus “Tic” Freeman (Jonathan Majors) and Tic’s father Montrose Freeman (Michael K. Williams) cope with their relative’s passing, affecting George Freeman’s wife Hippolyta Freeman (Aunjanue Ellis) and Lewis’s half-sister Ruby Baptiste (Wunmi Mosaku) in the process. The whole episode centers on themes of loss and the impact it can hold on individuals.
“Holy Ghost” has some literary references in it, including the return of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a novel that has been fitting for the plot of the series; but while the title may imply some Biblical allusions, it can come off as the complete opposite. The episode deals with how we treat others while in a dark state, and sometimes we keep matters to ourselves and it isn’t healthy. It is highly imaginative and thoughtful of depicting evil and the many fictional ways it takes to conquer such evil, tying in what is historical with what is mythological.
Mosaku’s character Baptiste brings about a perfect monologue in the introductory episode addressed to her sister Lewis, and it is something that everyone needs to hear, especially in these trying times. She says:
What did you do to make a mark on this world? What mountains did you climb? Which angels gave you their wings? Which skies have you flown? When you reach the heavens, who was there to catch you when you fell? And di they tell you that you saved them too like you saved me, that they’re mending their wings and holding them up to the sun, just to step back and watch you fly?
Smollett delivers a mighty fine performance as Leti Lewis that cannot be — and must not be — ignored, and might be disrespectful to do so. Throughout the episode, we see more development in Leti Lewis and Tic Freeman as viewers will learn more about their personal background, that there is nothing necessarily wrong with us and that we are just “fucked up.”
Lovecraft Country‘s third episode maintains the racist yet monstrous tones of what it means to exist within this universe. Similar to its predecessor episode, “Holy Ghost” does well in its supernatural elements although in a much different setting and environment. The episode views like a mini-movie and can be a great sight to watch over and over again.
What do you think of the series so far? Have you seen the show yet? Let us know! For more horror, drama, HBO, and Lovecraft Country-related news and reviews follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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