TV Review: #FREERAYSHAWN: Season 1, Episodes 1-15 [Quibi]

#Freerayshawn Season 1 Review

Quibi‘s#Freerayshawn: Season 1, Episodes 1-15 are thrilling, heart-wrenching, and as realistic as possible that combine for must see TV.

#Freerayshawn is about as powerful and emotional as a TV show can get. The plot is based around a real world issue of racial profiling, and the amount of deaths that have happened because of it. So far, all of the Quibi shows I’ve seen do a great job of spreading awareness on real life problems. I have gained a lot of value from watching these series’, and this one was no exception.

Plot

The plot of the show is as real as can be. I’ve known about the problems in the world with racial profiling, but watching these 15 short episodes gave me more insight than ever before. Seeing the emotion on Rayshawn’s (Stephan James) face and how he protects his family at all costs gave me no choice but to feel for him. Apart from the meaning behind the plot, the action and drama was on point. There was never a time where I was bored or wanted to stop watching.

Poincy/ Rayshawn connection

Throughout the show, the way Lt. Steven Poincy (Laurence Fishburne) connects to Rayshawn is worth noting and is a huge part of the plot. There is a reason Rayshawn only wants to talk to Poincy, and it goes beyond his skin color. It is meaningful to see Poincy stick up to the other officers who want to use methods of force and violence to extract him from his apartment. His voice is the reason Rayshawn had a chance, and is also the reason they trusted each other.

Racial Profiling

It is clear Rayshawn is profiled because of his race and is treated very unfairly. From the beginning, he is set up, unnecessarily shot at, and treated as an animal. Although he is the cause of the death of an officer, the odds were against him from the start. I knew this kind of treatment existed in this world, but seeing a descriptive depiction of it has furthered my understanding on how large the issue truly is. Seeing him not get a fair opportunity to explain himself is powerful to see and makes the audience feel for him.

Rayshawn’s Death

I’m going to be honest, I was surprised to see Rayshawn die. However, I am not surprised the filmmakers took that route. He was just on the verge of coming out of his apartment, and the sniper pulls the trigger. We the audience know that if law enforcement worked with Poincy there would have been a different outcome, an outcome where Rayshawn left the building unharmed.

Power of Social Media

A big reason he was able to get the story out to the public is through his social media accounts. It is powerful to see the community back him up with the positive comments and picket lines outside the apartment. After the fatal shot was heard, the crowd erupted into tears, yelling, and screaming as if they knew him. They may have not knew him personally, but they knew his story.

Final Thoughts

The final scene is what grabbed me the most. Seeing the amount of names of real people like Rayshawn who have experienced a similar tragedy is heartbreaking. It is hard to imagine that many people and their families having to battle this fight. What I do know is the people like Officer Poincy are the people who will make the world a better place, and if this series teaches us one thing, it’s that.

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