FX on Hulu’s ‘Kindred’ Season 1 Non-Spoiler Review – A Dutiful Yet Dreadful Honor To Butler’s Legacy

The Cast of Kindred Season 1 

Mallori Johnson portrays the central protagonist, Dana James. Micah Stock portrays Kevin Franklin, Dana’s partner-in-crime as they travel through time.

Ryan Kwanten and Gayle Rankin portray Thomas “Tom” and Margaret Weylin, the owners of a Maryland slave plantation in the early nineteenth century. David Alexander Kaplan plays Rufus “Rufe” Weylin, Tom and Margaret’s son and Dana’s white ancestor.

Sheria Irving portrays Olivia, a new character (and freed slave) not physically present in the source material. Sophina Brown portrays Sarah, the head slave cook of the Weylin plantation. Austin Smith portrays Luke, Tom Weylin’s slave right-hand man.

Guest Stars

Eisa Davis and Charles Parnell guest star as Dana’s respective aunt and uncle, Denise and Alan. Brooke Bloom (Atlanta Season 4 Episode 2—“The Homeliest Little Horse”) and Louis Cancelmi play Hermione and Carlo, a couple who live in Dana’s neighborhood.

Adam Bartley plays Daniel.

Lindsey Blackwell portrays Carrie, a mute slave and a friend to Rufus. Christopher Farrar plays Nigel, Luke’s son and a slave friend to Carrie and Rufus.

Elizabeth Stanley portrays Penny Franklin, Kevin’s sister in the present and a character who does not physically appear in the novel. Karson Kern plays Jake Edwards, an overseer on the Weylin plantation in the second half of the season.

Shannon Lucio portrays May, Margaret’s sister from Baltimore. Donna Biscoe plays Regina.

Co-Stars

Abigail Shannon co-stars as Alice, a vital character from the Kindred novel. Khetanya Henderson appears as Hagar, Alice’s mother. (In the novel, Hagar is the name of Alice’s surviving daughter.)

Amethyst Davis portrays Winnie, a slave on the plantation who ends up involved in the affairs. Camille Robinson plays Celeste, an adult slave and a close friend of Luke’s.

Ethan Hernandez plays Buzz. Martin Chavez plays a mattress salesperson. Matty Ferraro and Kate Brown play two police officers. Henry Witcher appears as Rufus as a toddler.

In the second and third episodes, Drew Matthews plays Charles Broadus, a landowner and the Weylins’ neighbor.

David de Vries plays Doctor West. Cherrie McRae portrays Sabina, a house slave. Britt Douyon plays Verity.

Nicole M. Williams appears as Taylor, a cashier in the present.

Kenny Arnold II plays Peter, while Jared Jackson plays Jupe.

Michael Scialabba and Elizabeth Clemente portray Archibald and Phillipa Deighton, a respective father and daughter duo who visit the Weylin family in Episode 6.

Anny Jules plays Nancy.

Herschel Grangent Jr. plays Cyprian. Bill Murphey plays Benjamin Cole, a local man in Easton, Maryland.

Performances and Character Developments

Dana James (Mallori Johnson)

Dana James knows how to take charge as an individual, which is a trait that many young women—specifically Black women—look up to. Yet, she is a strong character who does not realize how much she requires Kevin’s help. Given the evolution of feminist theory and what it has become today, this might not be to every viewer’s liking. However, due to her race as a Black woman in the antebellum South, this is absolutely necessary.

I also love how the Jacobs-Jenkins and his writing staff made her a modern duplicate of what Butler depicted. In the series, Dana is an aspiring teleplay writer who wants to get her start in soap operas, which is not far from what Butler had in mind for the character. In fact, we could argue that this proclivity to act and perform is what allows her and Kevin to “perform” in the presence of neighbors, family members, the Weylin family, and others.

Johnson has a great performance throughout the season, but by the time I finished the finale, my favorite is in “The Waiter from Two Nights Ago”, “Jane”, and “Alice”. I would definitely recommend that any Television Academy member who sees this series keep this actor in mind for Emmy consideration.

Kevin Franklin (Micah Stock)

Tied to Dana, Kevin is probably my favorite character in Kindred. He is somewhat different from the version depicted in the novel. Stock’s character is hilarious at times — getting into awkward circumstances too –but knows how to stand up for people he holds dear to him. Kevin is truly a sweet and charming character. However, he does have his limits, and this is where the writers come in. They add a layer of flavor to him that is actually frightening and induces anxiety in me.

Unlike the series, the novel’s version of Kevin establishes him as Dana’s husband. There is a reason why this does not work in the show. (As a matter of fact, I will get to that when I publish my interview with Stock et al.) I do not think this changes anything, as Kevin is still the Kevin that I have grown to love and look up to when I read Butler’s Kindred. What I do love about this version of Kevin is his acceptance of potential homosexuality in the antebellum era, which he encounters pretty early on in the season.

Once we get to “The Waiter…” episode, we learn more about Kevin’s background and why we should worry about him. It isn’t too clear what his addictions are until we get to the penultimate episode of the season, and by then, it might be too late to save him. When we get to that point, the writers throw dire weight on his personal circumstances that are viscerally harsher than what Butler only wrote about in her novel. With that in mind, Stock should also be considered for an Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

The Slaves

Luke’s role in the series is a role that the younger children—Nigel, Carrie, and Rufus—have in the novel. There is a dark moment in the latter half of the season that makes me appreciate him more here than with the novel’s version of the character. I don’t think the novel utilizes him as much as this season does. Austin Smith’s performance matches what Johnson and Stock have to offer, and with empathy, I believe he has what it takes to be Best Supporting Actor material.

Sarah is a remarkable character, as well. I love how hard-working she is as the Weylin plantation cook. Like the novel, she despises Margaret. This is for a good (not in the optimistic sense) albeit absurd purpose, which is revealed in “Furniture”. Something about her made me feel that she is a villain of sorts. Of course, the choices that she makes show that she is still human, and a vulnerable one at that. Brown’s dynamic with Johnson’s Dana and Irving’s Olivia is to watch out for.

Irving’s performance as Olivia is excellent, but she is not present in the season as much as the other slave characters. I wish I could explain more of what she has to provide to the essential storyline, but that would mean going into spoiler territory. I will say that I am excited to see how the writers further develop her. This is especially given the fact that she is somewhat of a new character who did not physically exist in the novel.

The Plantation Owners

Thomas “Tom” and Margaret Weylin both have pathos, as all humans are supposed to. As slave owners, this is clouded by their character traits as racist, bigoted, and ill-minded. As parents, they want the best for their son, and yet, they do not quite have “the best” figured out. These characters both have roles in the future of Rufus’s life that influence his becoming the man that he is destined to be. I am unsure of what the writers have planned for them in the series, but I can only hope that their connection to Dana will be akin to something of strict grandparents.

In one of the later episodes, Tom expresses some specific views on women, which are not surprising at the least. You can juxtapose this with the novel’s description of white women’s “menial” views of themselves in “The Fall” chapter, section 6. His views on femininity extend to his critiques of the men that he interacts with, most of all Kevin. It begs me to wonder if he has any subconscious desire of sorts for the masculine, for the feminine, or both.

Kaplan’s role as the adolescent version of Rufus Weylin is interesting. In Kindred Season 1, this role is quite minor, but there are moments where he is evolving into a spitting image of his parents. There is a line or two at the end of Episode 5 (“Winnie”) that foreshadows the development of his dynamic with Dana and how that mirrors their relationship in the novel. Let’s just say that the term “complexity” could take on a new definition…

Back to the Future

Dana’s aunt and uncle are neat additions to the series. I am glad the writers gave them personalities, including what their professions are revealed to be. Denise is very much a mother figure to Dana, paralleling the other mother figures in the show. In the present, her role has a different layer, one that grants her a level of power that the others do not have the luxury of having in their possession.

Alan’s dynamic with Dana is as rough as father figure roles can be. With Kevin, it is a much different ballgame. In one of the earlier episodes, there is a nice balance of hilarity and gravity. I love how Parnell keeps a straight face during his scenes. Given his profession and the time setting (2016), I am curious how this character will develop later in the series.

I adore Penny’s role as Kevin’s sister. In the novel, she is depicted as a racist who disapproves of his marriage to a Black woman. Conversely, Penny is a good person in the Jacobs-Jenkins’s series who means well. Perhaps she goes too far, but there is a revelation about Kevin in the finale that will hit home for some viewers. Stanley deserves the credit for being included in this cast roster, and I hope the writers allow her role to be as large as Alan’s in the second season.

Final Thoughts on Kindred Season 1

Kindred is an outstanding and merit-worthy adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s novel that bites more than it can chew. Although, maybe it’s a good thing that every subsequent overwhelming swallow is worth the action. The writers, the production crew, and the cast took a huge risk with this project, and it pays off well. They make it evident how large kinship will be as a major theme of the show. Keep an eye out for the children characters, Carrie (Lindsey Blackwell), Nigel, Alice (Abigail Shannon), and Rufus as they supposedly play important roles in the future of the narrative. Think of Kindred‘s time-traveling element like Narnia but with a sadistic old American slave plantation instead of a magical kingdom of talking animals and sword fighting.

There is much praise to be had that you will not regret watching it. I will even go so far as to assert that this is FX on Hulu’s strongest drama series since this past summer’s The Bear. Do not move this off your radar as it deserves so much attention for what it is!

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Kindred Season 1 streams via FX on Hulu starting Tuesday, December 13th!

Have you heard about this series? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more drama, mystery, and science fiction-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

If you are looking to read up on the source material, I recommend purchasing the book online!