I Couldn't Finish

I read some of the reviews here and frankly I was disappointed that so many of them just brushed over or didn't even mention the blatant racism. I feel like to put it into perspective, what if a western drama had a character like Oli London in it? Majorly offensive right? And yet so many people think it isn't a big deal, or because it's not racist towards them it doesn't matter. Racism is everyone's problem. So, why was it so offensive? The supporting character, the friend, had darkened/tanned skin, dreadlocks with flies circling his head, and he basically was pretending to be black. The flies implied that his dreadlocks were dirty somehow, which is a harmful stereotype, and if you've ever known anyone with proper dreadlocks or even done a little research you'd know and so would the producers that they actually require quite a bit of upkeep. And that scene in the shop with the Black man from Nigeria...Jamaica is nowhere near Nigeria. It is not even the same continent. And as much as all Black people are part of the African diaspora to some extent, there is a major difference between being from a country in Africa and being African-American, African-Canadian, Caribbean, Black British etc. It would be like if in a western drama you had Oli London bonding with someone from China. Like, no. Black people don't act like that. Does anybody? It's not just cultural appropriation, it's racism pure and simple. I refuse to somehow look past that to see how "great" a show it is. Racist shows are not great, or good, or even okay. It was especially upsetting as the show was being released as BLM protests were happening across the world. It also baffles me that there was not a single person on the set who was like we can't do this, its racist. It really affected my enjoyment of the show, to the point where I couldn't watch anymore. So all I have to say is, if racism isn't a deal breaker for you then go for it. But maybe think about how much you are willing to overlook for a few laughs. This show had a lot of potential but there are plenty of great dramas without the racism.

Read More