Hulu's Wu-Tang: An American Saga - Episode 1.06 "Impossible"
A bird's eye view of Wu...
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Hulu's Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
"Impossible" was written by Zina Camblin and directed by Craig Zisk
There is absolutely no guarantee of survival in this world. Everyone loves Haze. And yet, he is the one who is dead by the conclusion of this hour. He becomes just a part of the collateral damage of this community. He is the one trying to ease tensions. But he's the victim of violence from the police. The hour earlier pointed out just how cruel and racist the system can be. When Bobby is on the ground with a serious head injury, a police car is more than willing to just drive by. The officer doesn't care to stop and investigate the hate crime that has just occurred. It's simply a part of this world. It's the cost of doing business because Bobby and Dennis tried to expand into a new market they thought would be an easy score. It wasn't. It was only enough money for Linda to gamble once more. That was very precarious. She did so hoping that she would make it big even though cheating the system is what got the family into their current debts with the Italian mob. Sure, that threat is mostly taken care of in this hour with the sudden introduction of Jerome, Randy's father, into the family home. That is a little random and odd. It makes it seem like this wasn't a serious threat. Up until that point, Linda and Bobby were working overtime just to pay off this debt. They weren't coming up with enough money in time and feared for their lives. The safety of their family was in jeopardy. But then, Jerome just swoops in and saves the day. That's not the impression the other characters had of him when they discussed him in the past. He was usually the one coming around asking for money. And now, he presents as the magical fix for their financial woes. That's a little strange and unlikely. But it's the current reality of their lives. It's enough for Linda to say that she trusts him again. He is becoming a part of their lives once more. That may not last. The audience should probably be suspicious of any deal he is trying to sell. For the moment though, he is the steady hand helping the people he cares about. Elsewhere, it's much more tragic and traumatic. Bobby had to go to the ER and Divine was almost picked up by the police once more. The show is trying to have an interesting conversation about generational differences amongst the black community. The older generation was part of the movement that fought for equal rights. Ms. Burgess proclaims from her window that she is the reason why the younger generation has so many opportunities now. She wants them to be doing more than just loitering outside her window having rap battles. She also doesn't see that as real music. It doesn't make a statement in the same way that Nina Simone did. And yet, it should still be seen as a necessary lifeline these young adults need right now. Otherwise, they may forever be trapped in a system that wishes to condemn them to death. Haze does everything he can to ensure that nothing bad happens. He's the leader his community looks to when the police arrive. He is the one with the nice manners to Ms. Burgess. And yet, he still pushes back against Officer Steven Marcus because he sees him as selling out his own community. Steven may overreact as a result. He kills Haze because of the hateful words that came out of his mouth and to appease his white colleagues. That's absolutely horrifying though. It ensures that this community is rocked by death once more. This can't be a cycle that is allowed to continue. Escaping it may be impossible. Divine, Dennis, Shurrie and Linda are all falling back into old patterns. What used to work may not be as simple though as Bobby learns here. Life is constantly changing. But the threat of death is always present in this world with the people trapped needing to hold on for dear life to whatever may allow them to escape that fate. Haze can no longer do so.
