If you loved Lamorne Morris as Winston in New Girl, get ready to fall in love again with his new character Keef Knight in his new series on Hulu, “Woke”.
“Woke” tells the story of a black cartoonist who has always tried to keep his life “light”. Keef grew up unexposed to racism until one day he is wrongly profiled by the police. Harshly beaten down on the street, Keef is essentially arrested for hanging up posters with a stapler that they mistook as a gun.
Shook from this traumatic experience, Keef finds himself now keenly aware of the blatant racism and ignorance of the people around him. He is “woke”. With his world now upside down, Keef starts seeing and hearing inanimate objects (voiced by Cedric the Entertainer, Jerod Harris, Gabe Ginsberg, and Phillip Farone, to name a few) talking to him about how he should view the world through his new eyes, and what he should do about it.
The examples of racism used in the show are so painful that I found myself cringing and wincing through them. “Woke” forces us to really take a look at and face these “uncomfortable” topics in a hope to awaken us all. I sincerely hope that there are more seasons. Hulu has not yet released a statement saying that there will be a Season 2, but the season 100% teases at this fact with the cliffhanger it leaves you on.
I’ve read other reviews saying that the show didn’t do the best job delving into racist America, but Idk you guys. I just think that they are forgetting that this whole series is supposed to be a comedy. There’s so much pressure today on how our work/words we say/way we act is going to be perceived. We project our expectations onto a T.V. show instead of acknowledging the fat that at least they are saying something.
Some reviews complained about the character arcs and how the development of the character’s could’ve progressed more than they did. But like…come on…This is 1 season of a comedy on Hulu! Do you really expect a character in a comedy, to quickly realize the meaning of life and change every single thing about himself in a 8 episode (4 month) span!? Have you yourself changed completely and grown as a human in a 4 month span!? I know I haven’t. Sounds great though. Maybe healthy people do….?
Race is not an easy topic to write and produce a show about. These exceptional artists are using their time and their talent to shed light, in their own way, on such a disgusting part of society.
If you are going to watch this show (which I highly suggest you do), go into it with an open mind. Expect to learn some things, have your mind opened to some of the blatant racism and ignorant acts that the show points out. Expect to laugh, because it is a comedy, and expect to once again fall in love with Lamorne Morris for the style of acting he is famous for! And for the love of God, let’s praise this show and keep it going so that it can further delve into our color-blind and ignorant society.
If Hulu wanted a completed character development arc and all of the many issues revolving around racism to be covered in one sitting, they would’ve made a movie, not a show.
Boom. Scripps out.