You Must Watch SOLOS: Part 2
So…I know you’ve been waiting with bated breath for this second part, right? RIGHT?! Well, here it is and, needless to say, SPOILERS AHEAD!
I knew I wanted to dive deeper into the show and, initially, I thought it’d be a second video, but as I rewatched some of the episodes and took notes, it became clear that a text post would probably be clearer. So, here we are. Just off the top, I want to say that SOLOS is an incredible show featuring incredible actors and actresses with incredible monologues! As I rewatched, I noticed something that escaped me before: The episodes are short! When I initially watched, I would’ve estimated each episode being at least an hour just based on the depth of range and emotion that they take us through, but no, they run about 32 minutes max. In this post, I want to dig in and analyze some of my favorite episodes sans episode 1 which stars Anne Hathaway. I’ve got something else in mind for her. So, without further ado, let’s talk SOLOS!
Throughout the series in general, but especially in this episode, there are these cultural callouts that let us know that we’re witnessing a, perhaps, near-future version of ourselves in a more distant future. One of these little easter eggs, if you will, is when Helen Mirren’s character Peg mentions that she used to do TikTok dances with her father who, if you caught it, was Anthony Mackie’s character in the previous episode.
As a child, Peg was described as fearless; but, now we see her as a meek elderly woman who’s lived almost her entire life not wanting to be a “bother.” So much so that she’s allowed life to just happen to her as opposed to actually living it. One of the memories, and regrets, that Peg shares is of her schoolgirl crush, Ming; and the choices she made surrounding him and how they impacted her entire love life. And I wonder if the cautionary tale of the episode is to explore how childhood trauma—the loss of her parents—can radically alter one’s trajectory and silence one’s inner child.
Something else that stood out to me immediately is how she described everyone else’s desire for Ming. In particular, Peg says that everyone in the school wanted to go to prom with Ming; the girls and the boys. The line was stated so matter-of-factly that you might’ve missed it. I think just that simple fact says so much about the progress that we’ve made (and have made in this SOLOS universe.)
Lastly, I want to briefly touch on how beautifully & poetic Peg personifies the moon. As a kid, Peg would wish upon the moon for her father’s health and, after her mom died shortly after her dad’s passing, she stopped. But, when Ming comes to her door, she describes him as being illuminated by the moon as if it had gotten her wishes late and was trying to make up for its tardiness. While in high school, I, too, would gaze at the moon and have these romantic, poetic thoughts about a boy (there were a few) I was in love with, so this felt very familiar and childlike.
I feel as though there is a lot to unpack with this episode! Where to start…?
Ok, firstly, Nicole Beharie, who I was first introduced to in the “Striking Vipers” episode of Black Mirror…GIRL! I SEE YOU!! She does the things!! Her facial expressions as her character tells her origin story are beautiful, so familiar, relatable and, to me, truly shows her acting chops. LIKE I KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ACTING!!
Now, about this story though. It’s been quite some time since I was a pregnant Black woman all alone in a house during a blizzard and having to give birth to a genetically enhanced baby; but, there are a few points here that I think I can pick up on.
Nera’s reluctance to call 911. She first called her doctor and, after that was unsuccessful, she somewhat begrudgingly dialed for emergency assistance. As Black folx, even in the near/distant future, our first call in a crisis isn’t to the police because, well, you know why. When the police finally show up in the end, Nera has to make a choice: Give her “newborn” son up to the police or not. I think this episode explores what many protesters have said, “all we ever did was be Black.” There’s a moment when Nera’s son Jacob says, “all I did was get born.” From the moment Nera learned that Jacob wasn’t born “right,” she viewed him as a threat. What I found interesting is the garbled call she received from her doctor about Jacob. I believe Director Tiffany Johnson and/or Writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour intentionally made his message unclear: “The software malfunctioned…he is incredibly…You have to protect…by any means necessary.” The setup of the scene might lead you to believe that the doctor is warning Nera and allows us to fill in the blanks. “He is incredibly [dangerous.] You have to protect [yourself] by any means necessary.” But why not that he is incredibly unique or gifted? And that she must protect him by any means necessary? Jacob himself even says that he needs the knife to protect himself. Never does he threaten Nera. The episode explores how, as Black people, we are born with targets on our backs; how we are innately seen as threats, and how, as children, we are often seen as older than we truly are.
Now, let’s talk about another easter egg that is the Telfar bag! What a statement to make! What a timely cultural callout! Nera’s dark olive Telfar bag is seen more than once sitting on the dining table. To be transparent, I’m actually not a fan of the shopping bag; HOWEVER and before I’m crucified, I recognize its cultural significance. The Telfar shopping bag, created by designer Telfar Clemens, was created as a bag for everybody, as he told Harper’s Bazaar. But because he represents so many marginalized people—Clemens is queer and Liberian-American—the bag itself has become very much a statement piece, especially among Black and brown folx. So, seeing it so expertly placed in this episode speaks volumes. It acknowledges the significance of the bag today and extrapolates it for the future. The bag is already being compared to Hermes’ Birkin. Seeing it here further solidifies its iconic status. Nera’s bag could’ve been a Birkin, or one made by Chanel or Marc Jacobs, but for an episode about Black peoples’ lived experience, the Telfar bag is apropos. Kudos!
Alright…Stuart. Yeah…this one made we tear up, just a little! This one was straight poetry! Morgan Freeman delivered! This episode beautifully tackles self-awareness and dementia—"I know again and I know that I know”—and it all starts with the color green.
Stuart begins to describe the color green by listing a plethora of things that is the color as he’s slowly pulled from the “demented fog of dementia.” THE “DEMENTED FOG OF DEMENTIA!!” Ugh, the cadence and rhythm of that simple phrase! Simile, alliteration and irony run rampant through this episode and I appreciate the fuck out of them! Similar to how the episode begins with green, Stuart beautifully describes Otto’s mother’s eyes: “She had blue eyes. Blue like the Mediterranean at twilight. Blue like a starling’s feathers. Blue like an aster flower just moments after bloom.” It’s ironic to think that there is no way that Stuart could wax so poetic had he not stolen so many memories and experiences in the first place.
When Otto asks Stuart to tell him about his mother’s last words, Stuart delivers the most beautiful lines of the episode, possibly of the series. Stuart recalls, “It’s okay if you forget me…’cause you never can. You are literally made up of me. I’m in every fiber, every eyelash and follicle and cell, like the stars and the sky and the sand and the sea. I’ll always be with you. And you don’t need to remember for it to be true, for I will for you.” He goes on, “A memory isn’t simply a thing you have. It’s a promise. It’s a vow to the one you love. Remembering is a search.” Here, here is where someone started cutting onions in my house! This part along with the embrace and compassion shown at the end is remarkably touching.
SOLOS feels like a show that I’ve been wanting for quite some time. It’s unlike any show I’ve ever seen. Sure, it’s comparable to Black Mirror in that it’s an anthology series based in the future; but the premise, storytelling, and writing are unmatched. I’m already ready for season 2. In fact, I have a secret wish for it, but I’m going to keep that to myself. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?