Just in case anyone was thinking that the Underground Railroad was just a hopeful euphemism, this show should hammer home the point that it’s anything but. True, there was no actual railroad and it wasn’t strictly underground, but the idea behind it was that the conductors and those that ran the railroad were very real, and their actions helped to free many people from the vile idea of slavery in order to grant them a free life that wasn’t filled with guarantees, but was at the very least a life that was well removed from the bondage they’d experienced in their past. This system was one that operated in great secrecy and has been depicted more than once throughout the long history of film and TV since it’s one of the uncertain triumphs of a nation that has been built upon a great number of atrocities but has also struggled to find its identity for quite a few years. In bringing this back to the public eye, as it was in Harriet in 2019, it’s not just making people aware once again of one of the most historical moments of the nation, it’s also making them aware of how difficult the process really was and why it was so important.
Unlike the actual railroad, it does sound as though this show will be featuring the literal embodiment of the name given to this movement since the synopsis makes it sound as though the main characters will find themselves being ferried about by actual train along with several conductors and other that are seeking to escape the antebellum south along with those that are helping them. The story does feel like one that will pull from fiction as much as from history if this is bound to be the course, but it’s definitely a good idea to mention this to the viewers since sadly in this day and age there are plenty of people that will think far too literally, and for good reason at times since there are moments when certain words do manage to carry more than one meaning that people don’t always pick upon. But the underground railroad was a system that was hidden away for good reason since if it had been known by those that were attempting to keep POC from fleeing the plantations they’d belonged to for so long, history would have gone very differently. The idea of an actual train and railroad system would have been interesting since it would have taken the kind of effort that simply wasn’t possible at that time since the first real underground railroad system wouldn’t come until around until 1863 in London, and it was a huge undertaking as history tells us that would not have gone unnoticed even in open country.
But the fantasy of it is interesting all the same as it keeps pace with history and attempts to tell the story once more of those that were seeking a better and more just life. Asking many people on the street, it’s likely that they would agree that the underground railroad was a very beneficial, if dangerous, way to freedom, but it was still far more mundane than the plot of this story is currently building up. Had such an underground rail system ever been developed, apart from what history shows was utilized, it would have been a massive undertaking several times the size of the actual operation that was taking place, which was sizable in its own right. History often needs help from filmmakers to be seen as anything but mundane, but the truth of the underground railroad is that it was a very ingenious system that wasn’t perfect but was definitely effective. Many people managed to gain their freedom from oppressive slave masters in this manner, though many still remained behind. The whole ‘underground’ portion of this idea was in fact a metaphor since a lot of what went on took place in the cover of night when people could sneak about easier and make their way north to their freedom and what they hoped would be a better life. For many individuals, it was better even if it wasn’t perfect since racism was still rampant throughout much of the country, and they still had a long fight to undergo before being able to move about and do whatever they wanted. People of color were still treated much better in the north than they had been on plantations in the south as many would claim, and it’s likely that both perspectives will be shown in this project, hopefully, to gain some kind of perspective that will allow people to make up their own minds.
Moments in history make for great entertainment as well as a way for people to remember the history of this country, however controversial it can get.
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