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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.
Kindred, the first of a few television adaptations of the late Octavia E. Butler’s literary works, is here. I got to see the entire first season of the series, and it is not for the faint of heart. There is so much emotion, trauma, and some laughter to be had that can be a lot to take in. Binge-watching this television program is not recommended, but pacing through in some manner would be a stronger suggestion.
(I also spoke with seven of the main cast members thoroughly earlier this month. Although, I will get to that outside of this article. Stay tuned for my three-part interview soon!)
In this review, I will be discussing FX on Hulu’s Kindred Season 1. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion as I will dive into an analysis of the adaptation as it pulls references from the science fiction novelist’s critically acclaimed 1979 book.
Please note that I have seen all eight episodes of this first season ahead of the season’s release. I have also credited as many cast and crew members as I can. Some FX Networks screeners provided to me do not have an end-credits sequence attached.
Kindred Season 1 Synopsis
According to FX Networks, here is the synopsis for Kindred Season 1.
FX’s Kindred, the television series adaptation of Hugo Award-winning author Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred, is centered on “Dana” (Mallori Johnson) a young Black woman and aspiring writer who has uprooted her life of familial obligation and relocated to Los Angeles, ready to claim a future that, for once, feels all her own. But, before she can get settled into her new home, she finds herself being violently pulled back and forth in time to a nineteenth-century plantation with which she and her family are surprisingly and intimately linked. An interracial romance threads through her past and present, and the clock is ticking as she struggles to confront the secrets she never knew ran through her blood, in this genre-breaking exploration of the ties that bind.
FX Networks Press Room
Plot Synopses for Kindred Season 1 Episodes 1 Through 8
According to FX Networks, here are the synopses for all episodes of Kindred Season 1.
Pilot—“Dana” (written for television by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Janicza Bravo)
LA transplant Dana has come to town expecting a warm welcome from family, but she’s met with quite the opposite. Some comfort arrives in the form of a new friend – but there’s also the matter of Dana’s terrifying and recurring dreams, which may not be dreams at all.
FX Networks Press Room
Episode 2—“Sabina” (written for television by Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Amanda Marsalis)
A nosy neighbor puts the wrong kind of spotlight on our heroes before a nasty fall triggers a trip back to the past. Kevin gains firsthand experience of Dana’s troubles as the pair are forced to play uncomfortable roles in order to stay out of harm’s way.
FX Networks Press Room
Episode 3—“Furniture” (written for television by Joy Kecken, directed by Marsalis)
Dana and Olivia search for the answer to what keeps bringing Dana back to the past. Meanwhile, Kevin acts the gracious partygoer at the behest of his hosts.
FX Networks Press Room
Ep. 4—“The Waiter from Two Nights Ago” (written for television by Bobak Esfarjani, directed by Ayoka Chenzira)
Back in Los Angeles, Dana and Kevin prepare to return to the past but have to deal with the familial fallout of their travels.
FX Networks Press Room
Ep. 5—“Winnie” (written for television by Zenzele Price, directed by Chenzira)
Dana and Kevin find themselves back on the farm. A confrontation with Olivia makes Dana reevaluate her purpose here. Meanwhile, Kevin must find a way to explain his mysterious return to the Weylin family.
FX Networks Press Room
Ep. 6—“Celeste” (written for television by Kecken and Noah Rubenstein, directed by Destiny Ekaragha)
The enslaved population faces unforeseen consequences from Dana’s well-meaning actions. Meanwhile, Margaret’s search for Rufus’s future wife finds Kevin drawn deeper into the family drama.
FX Networks Press Room
Ep. 7—“Jane” (written for television by Matthew Shire, directed by Ekaragha)
Tom takes Kevin and Rufus on a trip to town. Without Kevin’s protection on the plantation, Dana struggles with a vengeful Margaret.
FX Networks Press Room
Finale—“Alice” (written for television by Jacobs-Jenkins & Rubenstein, directed by Alonso Alvarez-Barreda)
Dana finds herself in a dire situation. Kevin chases a runaway slave. And Tom seeks to restate order on his plantation.
FX Networks Press Room
Discussion
Kindred takes place within a span of two days, a few weeks (or months or years) depending on how you perceive time. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins et al’s adaptation of Butler’s novel is quite faithful in how well it goes by the book — literally — with the source material’s pages. Personally, I was anxious to know whether this was a limited series or a straight-up television program with potential seasons. I did not get any answers until I watched this first season for myself, and let me tell you… The writers’ room does so well at fleshing out key points from “The River”, “The Fire”, and “The Fall” chapters — and less so later chapters — of the novel. Not only that, but they weave a prologue into the narrative structure in such a way that Butler had done it in her book.
Dedication to the Narrative
Enlisting American playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins as the showrunner of the series is an incredibly wise choice to make. He was previously a consulting producer on both HBO’s Watchmen and Prime Video’s Outer Range, two series that involve elements of time travel. His teleplay writing is poetic, initially comedic and enlivening, but more so tragic towards the end. Bravo’s work on Atlanta Season 1 — exploring the history of Juneteenth — was excellent. There, I could see her vision for Kindred‘s pilot, “Dana”. She introduces the primary cast as individuals who are looking for their place on this planet — or people who believe they already know what that is. The writers’ inclusion of neighbors and family members into the narrative is important since the novel focused mainly on Dana’s perspective.
Having historical consultation for the pre-Civil War era is also vital as this helps give an idea of how Mendis and Fleming should design the production along with how Caviness should design the set pieces. The Weylin plantation and the town of Easton look like they do come from this harsh part of history. Smith and Banner’s costume designs, Quinteros and Freeman’s make-up, and Amadio and Robinson’s hair also help mold the look of individuals who had existed here.
At first, I was skeptical about how the time travel method would be translated from page to screen. That was when I saw what wonders Grenaudier’s visual effects and the editing team’s work did for me. This aspect is awe-inspiring, and I would love to see more of that in the second season of the series.
Some Differences From the Novel
While it does keep these key points close, Jacobs-Jenkins’s Kindred does take a drastic direction in such a way that becomes its own thing. In fact, it could be argued that this television adaptation is stronger than the novel in how it tackles themes and issues not explored in the original. For example, Butler’s protagonist makes mention of her aunt, uncle, and mother, as well as Kevin Franklin’s sister. Although, they are not very physically present in the novel. In contrast, Jacobs-Jenkins and his writers’ room establish them in the story and give them names and personalities. (I will get to that in a bit.)
Also different about the series are the points in the past that Dana James (Mallori Johnson) and Kevin Franklin (Micah Stock) travel back to. Butler marks these various points by chapter names (in order from first to last: “The River”, “The Fire”, “The Fall”, “The Fight”, “The Storm”, and “The Rope”). When I say that the series fleshes out the story, the writers mean it. They are able to mesh both “The River” and “The Fire” into one episode, i.e. the pilot—“Dana”. From there, the writers have come up with episode titles that pay homage to the chapter title structure of Butler’s novel. While each chapter of the novel dedicates one or two sections to Dana and her husband in the present (June 9th to July 4th, 1976), the series keeps them in their present (2016) for an entire episode, more or less.
In addition to those travel points, the writers give us a couple of new points that are not found in the novel (as hinted at by its chapter titles). I cannot spoil what they are, but I do find them intriguing as fleshing out the story also means extending the lifespan of the adaptation to one or two more seasons. The remaining five episodes pull key events and information from “The Fall” chapter, spreading them out into two different points in time.
A Few References to the Novel: Minor Spoilers
The writers are meticulous when it comes to which details of Butler’s novel are portrayed in the show. (Allow me to nerd out a bit here.) Some details that occur in the series but are rather insignificant to or backgrounded from the main plot are as follows:
- Assumed to be a slave and therefore inferior, Dana finds herself to be “speaking back” to a doctor (David de Vries) when he suggests bleeding out Rufus. This talk about draining blood from the boy happens in “The Fight”, where Rufus is well into his teenage years. In the series, this conversation happens after his fall from grace.
- A mention of “furniture” was told to Dana in the novel. This information is revealed to another character, one who is original to the show.
- The Weylin’s overseer, Jake Edwards (Karson Kern), works at the plantation around the time Rufus has fallen. In the novel, however, he is introduced in “The Fight”.
- The “Bible” introduced towards the end of the season is mentioned after the halfway point of “The Fire” chapter, section 2, which is earlier than the series.
Kindred Season 1 Review Part Two…
On the next page, I dive into some key themes as well as the crew of Kindred Season 1.
On the final page, I credit the cast members and dig deeper into the character developments that occur throughout the show. I will also provide my final/overall thoughts on the matter.
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