Talk about star clout, “UnPrisoned” definitely hit the jackpot with its cast of Kerry Washington, Delroy Lindo, Brenda Strong and Tim Daly.
In need of a comedy break, I was drawn to this series largely because of the names attached to it. And I wasn’t disappointed.
If the multi-hyphenate Washington has proved anything with her TV projects, “The Fixer” and “Little Fires Everywhere”, and some of the biggest Hollywood films in recent years, it is her skill to slip into any character, own it, and get viewers completed invested in the journey.
And she does that with aplomb in her role as Paige Alexander, a therapist and single mother to teenage son Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
The title of the 8-part series is both literal and metaphorical as her father Edwin Alexander (Lindo), with whom she’s had a very fractured relationship, is released from federal prison after a 17-year stint.
Of course, she has a lot of hangups about this, including the influence he could have on Finn, who has never met him.
Meanwhile, Edwin’s parole officer Mal (Marque Richardson), who is quite easy on the eye, tries to assuage her concerns about him returning to her life.
As much as she has a long list of rules, her plan goes pear-shaped.
Firstly, Edwin, after meeting and bonding with Finn, ends up moving into Paige’s new home - something she is exceptionally chuffed about, a joy shared by her sarky yet supportive sister, Esti (Jee Young Han).
The irony of Paige being an emotional mess despite having all the textbook knowledge of how she should be handling the situation isn’t lost.
But I suppose that is the heartbeat of the narrative.
The episodes, which boast very woke themes and titles, open with a sort of truce between father and daughter.
Now Edwin is a character. He is charming. That much is evident the moment he is released from prison and starts schmoozing the ladies he encounters - including his ex, Nadine (Strong).
He's also dealing with the generational trauma of racism as a black man. His anger, while bubbling below the surface, is masked by his happy-go-lucky disposition.
There is a genuineness about him that is derailed by the system, prejudice and red tape.
Every time he tries to prove that Paige can trust him by standing on his own two feet, he is dealt a setback by an unreasonable manager, bureaucracy or plain misfortune.
He also tries to get his daughter to distinguish between when she is a man’s choice or option, more so when Paige refuses to acknowledge that her relationship with Bill (Daly) is nothing more than a rebound entanglement.
In a way, his Steve Harvey-esque advice proves helpful.
As for Finn, he is thrilled to bits to get some quality guy time with his granddad, who teaches him to drive and also helps him build his confidence.
In the series, Paige banters a lot with her younger self. This balances her in a way. And she uses social media live chats to unpack her daily struggles amid sharing life lessons and sage advice.
Of course, with Paige not dealing with her emotional scars, especially her animosity towards Nadine, who raised Paige even though she wasn’t cut out for motherhood, she starts spiralling a bit.
The drama stabilises briefly when she gets into a stable relationship with Mal, but her self-doubt and innate ability to self-sabotage override her need for peace and happiness.
At face value, this is another comedy about a dysfunctional family. But when you dig a little deeper, below the surface, it unleashes painful emotions of abandonment, abuse, racism, loyalty and love.
In a way, the comedy, while refreshing and honest, raises a new consciousness around mental health, happiness, self-love, racism and relationships. And, in the end, it’s liberating escapism but with a few cautionary tales to boot.
“UnPrisoned” is streaming on Disney+.