Amazon Prime released the first season of its new original show “Them” April 9, and within that same week, I finished every episode and it left me feeling somewhat conflicted. 

“Them” is a story surrounding a black family of four, Henry Emory (Ashley Thomas), Livia “Lucky” Emory (Deborah Ayorinde), Ruby Lee Emory (Shahadi Wright Joseph), Gracie Jean Emory (Melody Hurd) and their dog Sergeant, who move from North Carolina to an all-white neighborhood in Los Angeles during the 1950s. They experience an enormous amount of racism from their white neighbors that includes physical and verbal attacks.  

I heard many things about it, and as a black teenager during a time of unjust, it seemed fitting to watch. The entire show centered on very heavy topics and can be very triggering. I had to stop watching quite a few times before I continued. However, it also shows the strength that black people have when dealing with racism — you often see that the Emory’s are standing up to the racists rather than staying quiet. 

“Them” definitely doesn’t shy away from details; we get full insight on the Emory’s and their decision to move to Los Angeles along with backstories of other minor characters. This helped me better understand everyone and piece things together when I didn’t quite understand what was going on.

The show definitely does well with conveying the story, but after a bit it feels like it just dragged on. Lots of side plots just became pointless to the storyline and could have been left out. Although, if it wasn’t dragged on, the plot may have been too short to create a whole season. With that being said, they could have made side plots more significant and consistent throughout the show.

Overall, Amazon Prime’s “Them” is an interesting show and the actors did a phenomenal job, but I wouldn’t really recommend it to people due to the amount of triggering content. 

“Them”: ★★☆☆☆