What I’m Watching: Underground

Underground: Season 2, Episode 2 “Things Unsaid” (B)

I’m not sure it’s that the quality of this show is changing, but I think I’m becoming less and less drawn to it. There’s no denying the strength and effectiveness of the music, which was used a few times throughout this episode to propel its characters along and amplify their stories. We’re shifting now to a story that’s much more about constantly being on the run and about trying to keep the Underground Railroad functional, with a new slavecatcher with a reputation introduced to make things as difficult as possible. Harriet Tubman is becoming an important figure, and Rosalee is also being framed as a major leader. I was surprised when Rosalee got shot by the woman who vowed to take her and Tubman down since it felt like this show was literally just cleaning out all its characters and introducing a new slate, but not only did she survive, but now we have a familiar face – Cato – returned to make Noah’s suffering considerably more personal and vindictive. While I am curious to see how he got there, the prospect of not knowing doesn’t seem disappointing to me. This show is holding up okay with much of its infrastructure toppled, Elizabeth mourning the death of her husband and no stable place of either safety from the slavecatchers or reliable misery, and I imagine it can continue to tell a decent story for some time to go. I still think that I’m ready to bid this show goodbye and consider what I’ve seen satisfactory.