Underground: Season One

Produced for WGN America, Underground is a historical drama about the creation of the Underground Railroad that helped enslaved blacks in their bids for freedom. Aldis Hodge stars as Noah, who has grown up as a slave working the fields of a Southern plantation and acts the loyal servant while plotting a break for the North, and Jurnee Smollett-Bell is Rosalee, who works in the manor house and becomes a target for sexual assault. Noah and Rosalee form the core of the group that Noah leads through dangerous territory—guided by a map written in cryptic verse—while the reputation of their “Macon 7” spreads through the South and they are tracked by bounty hunters who are after the ever-growing reward. The large ensemble cast includes Christopher Meloni as a bounty hunter who simply sees the situation as a well-paying job, and Marc Blucas and Jessica De Gouw as an idealistic couple who help the “passengers.” Underground is an escape drama with the expected tension, action, and drama, but it's also about the lives of enslaved African Americans living a brutal existence as “property,” and the series addresses both the politics of slavery and cultural racism. Presenting all 10 episodes from the 2016 debut season, extras include episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a gag reel. With the recent selection of Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad for Oprah's Book Club, there is likely to be even greater interest in this release. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)