Home TV Reviews ‘UnPrisoned’ Review: Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo Elevate Hulu’s Dramedy Series

We all could use a lot more Delroy Lindo in our lives and this new show, however uneven it remains, delivers on that from start to finish.

Image via Hulu

There is a fascinating tonal tension in Hulu’s UnPrisoned. On the one hand, it is a frank portrayal of the way America has decimated and continues to decimate the lives of countless people through a long history of mass incarceration. On the other, it has the narrative structure and visual style of a sitcom that starts to feel a little unfocused. Certain recurring gags undercut both the more emotional elements it is seeking to explore and earned moments of humor over its eight half-hour episodes. Striking a balance between these frequently competing aspects is a tough challenge that can pay off to remarkable effect, as seen most magnificently in the recent series Rain Dogs, though UnPrisoned often falls short of pulling this off. At the same time, it manages to carve out enough moments of reflection that make it into a flawed yet engaging debut season that grows on you the longer you get to sit with it.
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This all is seen through the eyes of one family living in Minnesota. Paige Alexander (Kerry Washington) works as a therapist and is trying to raise her son Finn (Faly Rakotohavana) by herself. Early on, we learn that she has built an online following by offering humorous yet heartfelt reflections about her own life over livestreams. One of the things she shares is that her father Edwin (Delroy Lindo) is about to get out of federal prison after serving a 17-year sentence. Paige is nervous about this as she still is dealing with feelings of abandonment from her childhood given that he was largely absent from her life up until now.

She does want to give him another chance, especially as he has promised that this time things are going to be different. While she remains skeptical, having been hurt by him many times in the past, she cares about him and decides he can stay with them as he gets back on his feet. The series comes from Onyx Collective, who recently released the narratively similar though more formally inventive film Bruiser. The conventional construction of UnPrisoned is then the element that holds it back from being as sharp as it could be. However, the connections between the characters and the chemistry of the cast are what successfully pull you back in.

Image via Hulu

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The more that we get to know Washington’s Paige, the more we see that she is carrying a lot of baggage with her. That she is a therapist makes it so she will frequently try to help others talk through their feelings, but she is also still repressing much of her past. This is expressed via a younger version of herself that will interject in the middle of a scene when she is feeling particularly stressed or frustrated. Played by a precocious Jordyn McIntosh, who wears smaller versions of everything her older self is, it is a silly yet sweet way the series gives voice to the internal anxieties that have continued to pile up for Paige over the course of her lifetime.

With that being said, this element can often feel like it is coming at inopportune times. Just when we are about to get to something more emotionally complex, we are suddenly pulled out of it as Paige speaks to herself rather than the person in front of her. Some of this makes sense as it is a coping method that the older version of herself uses, but it still becomes a bit disruptive to the flow of key emotional scenes. This isn’t always the case as one scene towards the end between the older and younger version plays out with far more patience. It just takes a long while to get there and offers increasingly diminishing returns before we do.

Image via Hulu

The saving grace of the series is Lindo. Just as he recently did in the outstanding Spike Lee film Da 5 Bloods, he can enter into the simplest scene and make it into something that is riveting. This role, while far more restrained and grounded than that, is still something he elevates in every single moment he gets. As Edwin, Lindo ensures we come to know all the multifaceted aspects of the man beyond just the criminal record that hangs over him. He imbues the character with real charm and wit, making us fully believe that he is capable of winning over someone just after a moment of meeting them. We see how Edwin is kind as he demonstrates a willingness to stick his neck out for others even as it may completely blow up in his face.

When he applies for a job as a chef at a local chain restaurant, which is definitely not Olive Garden, the small scene carries with it a melancholy as well. While Edwin is at ease as he demonstrates his ability to make delicious foods, Lindo also hints at how there is a greater unease lurking just underneath. Just the way his character will shift from discussing his passion for the craft of cooking to how he really needs this job to start to turn his life around keeps you locked in. There is a weight on his shoulders underneath his charming exterior. Edwin is working hard to try to turn over a new leaf, making it all the more painful when these efforts get caught up in the banal evils of bureaucracy or when he faces outright discrimination. It reveals how, no matter who you are or how well you do your job, the system is designed to punish first and ask questions later. The series mostly keeps things light, but there is no running from the more painful truths that are part of the fabric of this family story.

Some of this comes from a backstory that is revealed in the series’ sixth and strongest episode, where Lindo speaks volumes even when not saying much at all. In one moment where the troubled patriarch has his back turned while information is conveyed to his daughter, the sadness he has buried deep down in his psyche starts to take hold of him. Even as the episode and series can often spell things out that were already felt in Lindo’s performance, just seeing him in action remains a bright spot. One hopes future seasons give him more room to operate as that could elevate the series even further. UnPrisoned is engaging as is, but it has the potential to be much more in Lindo’s talented hands wherever it is the series goes next.

Rating: B-

UnPrisoned premieres March 10 on Hulu.