4.5/5 Globes

Slight Spoilers Ahead 

Hulu is out with an all new original series titled “Woke” starring Lamorne Morris. Right from the jump I was excited to dive into the series simply because of Morris and his talent. As a long time fan of the show “New Girl,” where Morris stars, I was ready for another show that highlights Morris’ humor and personality even more than his former roles have. Thankfully, I got exactly what I was looking for. 

“Woke” follows cartoon artist Keef Knight and his journey as a black cartoonist. Just as he is about to rise to stardom he is quite literally tackled by outside forces that cause him to question his role in the business. The show stands as a success for two reasons. The first reason for success is the dynamic plot that seriously commentates on the political atmosphere that black people live in. Viewers see race explored on screen like no other show has ventured into. The show is not captivating because it focuses on black people, but it is succeeding because it is a show whose characters just happen to be black. 

The difference is that this show was not set up to be dramatic by what it says about race, just like Keef’s character, but it cannot help but to become ‘woke’. By Wikipedia definition, ‘woke’, is “a political term referencing perceived awareness of issues concerning social and racial justice.” It derives from the Black Vernacular English expression ‘stay woke,’ whose grammatical aspect refers to a continuing awareness of these issues.” 

The show innocently starts out as a fluffy narrative about a talented cartoonist and is transformed into a show that navigates the ignorant, seemingly racist world that black people live in. The show is in itself woke, clever, I know. 

The second reason for why this show is succeeding, is the magical artwork and visual angles, as well as the soundtrack, that floods the screen. When Keef begins to see animated versions of normal objects viewers cannot help but to smile at the creativity of the artists working on this show. Surely a show about a cartoonist would have great art, and overwhelmingly does. 

The visual elements of the show do not stop at animations because the camera is constantly adding depth to the show. In a collaboration of slow motion, high speed, and zoomed in scenes the audience’s eyes are glued to every moment. From the end of the very first episode viewers are left wanting more. Not forgetting about the soundtrack that lets audience members bop their head back and forth while simultaneously rooting for Keef as he goes forth in his next endeavor.

I know that 4.5 out of 5 Globes seems high, but of all arts and entertainment, this show  deserves it. Lamorne Morris is a legend and “Woke” is in fact woke.