Revolutionary viewing
Protest can be tiring, so of course you need some downtime. Fear not, however, your rebellion doesn’t have to stop when your body does. Here are four rebels to study while you put your feet up.
TURN: Washington’s Spies
One of AMC’s suite of dramas it hoped would take the reigns from Mad Men, TURN takes viewers to the American Revolutionary War. The show follows the Culper Ring, an unlikely group of farmers who banded together to help George Washington win the war. Be warned though, it is heavily dramatized, so if you’re looking for a historically accurate chronicle of the minutia of revolution, this ain’t it. On the other hand, if you want a fast-paced drama about some peasants whining about tea and taxes, give this a try.
Halt and Catch Fire
Another underrated AMC gem (I promise I’m not shilling for them), Halt and Catch Fire follows a group of maverick engineers in the early days of the Personal Computer Era. Joe MacMillan, a mysterious engineer who disappeared from IBM, shows up at a small scale PC company in Texas with a dangerous proposition for unsuspecting engineer Gordon Clark. Together with unconventional student Cameron, they set out to reverse engineer an IBM PC and revolutionize the home computing game.
Mr. Robot
Keeping up with the theme of Computing, Mr. Robot follows modern day cyber-vigilante Elliot Alderson, played by the always excellent Rami Malek. Elliot, initially a security engineer struggling with depression and anxiety, is recruited into the hacktivism collective known only as ‘Mr. Robot’. What follows is a thrilling examination of the modern day security industry, as well as Alderson’s own mental state.
Underground
It’s unlikely that you’ve heard of Underground, but if you’re interested in historical fiction or an examination of slavery, this is something you need to pay attention to. Underground opts to present a very focused story by centering on one group of escaped slaves rather than addressing the injustice as a whole. In doing so, it manages to preserve the humanity of the tragedy and keeps a tight pace. The show manages to present enthralling and engaging action, whilst still managing to respectfully address the subject matter.
