The Big Cigar

"While i love Don Chetales work (he directed the 1st 2 episodes), this show falls flat from the start. The actors playing Kathleen Cleaver ( Eldridge Cleaver wife & informant for Cointelpro) & Richard Pryor look like they are ready for AARP membership & not 20 somethings. All characters including Andre Holland ( loved him in The Knick) came across to me as wooden & unconvincing. This really feels like an AI project done on a computer. This is supposed to be developed by Jim Hecht based on a 2012 Playboy article. Theres no backstory on how Huey & his wife Gwen Fontaine met, ( i believe she is another spy & informant like Kathleen, Elaine Brown & Angela Davis, all worked For the CIA) . In truth, the Panthers were instrumental in providing survival programs to urban communities worldwide. Legal aid, ambulance services, building maintenance & the free breakfast & lunch , were all firsts of there kind anywhere. But this is never even mentioned. The cinematography is unremarkable & dull. The soundtrack is also lackluster & dont complement the scenes. Overall this is something you will likely forget soon after watching 3/5"