Underground Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Soldier
Jasmine Blu
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It can never be said that Underground doesn't bring the action.
If Underground Season 2 Episode 10 didn’t do anything else, it brought the action. There were multiple shootouts reminiscent of the Magnificent 7.
There was blood, death, and yes, even a birth. The season finale of Underground put the thrill in thriller with developments that were a long time coming and others that seemingly came out of nowhere.
For a moment, I thought maybe I was a tad harsh with my criticisms during my Underground Season 2 Episode 9 review. It probably felt like the criticism came out of nowhere when I have otherwise enjoyed the season.
After watching this final hour of the season, I still stand by it. The thing is, each installment individually has been good, sometimes even great.
Season two introduced some fantastic characters who have been enjoyable to watch (like Georgia and Harriet). The season has also delved deeper into some characters (Elizabeth and Ernestine) and made some interesting character choices (Cato).
When you’re watching the installments and taking all of that in, it has been good. When you look at the entire season overall as a unit rather than each individual episode, that’s where my critique regarding the lack of substantial movement comes in.
We got a lot out of every hour, but most of it didn't advance the plot, per se. But it's the deep character studies of individuals like Elizabeth and Cato that have made the season fascinating and enjoyable nonetheless.
Based on what we were given, there were a handful of things I expected to see in the finale:
- Ernestine and Rosalee reunited (even if it was briefly because something else happened to rip them apart).
- John Brown actually appearing because we’ve heard whispers about him and have seen his men but not the man himself.
- Patty and Harriet face off, or even Patty and Rosalee face off.
- A revelation that would help us figure out the significance of Daniel.
None of those things happened. We did get Rosalee having the baby and Elizabeth succumbing to her dark radicalism, two things that the season has been building up to, so there’s that.
Then there’s Cato. He is such a slippery character. We saw glimpses of him being genuine with Elizabeth, despite his plotting against everyone at the boarding house. It’s moments like that where you can’t quite place what side he’s on.
Of course, how foolish it is for any of us to even consider he would be fighting for or against anyone. Cato is consistent in one thing no matter what. The only side Cato is on is Cato’s.
I understand why they didn’t want to make him one of the good guys. I just feel like they could have still allowed him to progress as a character without redeeming him.
After fleeing the States and heading to London, living the life of luxury, falling in love with a nice woman, and returning to change the world, Cato is right back to where he started.
How does one go from funding the movement to operating against it in the span of days to weeks? He went from being a self- serving overseer to being a self-serving slave catcher.
The best thing that came out of Cato's most recent development was that he finally killed Patty Cannon. Technically her hubris killed her. We all saw that coming; the woman was so full of herself it was silly. I expected more out of Patty, and I'm a bit disappointed.
Harriet's a good start, but tonight we'll go down in history.Tonight I'm going to make sure that the legend of Patty Cannon never dies; that the name goes down for years.
Cato
I was curious when Cato had that random woman dressing up and pretending to be Patty. I didn’t know what it could mean.
After killing the real deal, it made sense. The legend of Patty Cannon would live on, but Cato would be the one behind it, and the hired woman would be the face when needed.
Although, I am also disappointed that Donahue didn't end up secretly being part of the movement. He was such a little shit to Patty the entire season; I just knew there was a reason behind that. Oh well.
Cato will get to be every bit the natural disaster that he boasted about being, but it won’t be for the resistance. I guess the power could be great, but what’s the point of it all when he can’t even take the credit for it because it’s contributed to Patty?
And is he back to thinking that he's somehow not black like the others? Cato spent all season laughing in the face of rich white people and talking about the struggle, and now he's on some Uncle Tom "I'm not like the others" bull?
And what are his plans for Rosalee? Will he try to sell her back to Suzanna or whoever else? I’m sure there is a price on her head after burning down Macon. Does he want a showdown with Harriet, and he thinks he can use Rosalee to get to it?
I’m concerned for her. In case it wasn’t clear that that woman is badass as hell, she delivered her baby while the boarding house was under siege by Patty Cannon, her men, and Cato.
It doesn’t get more stressful than having to bear a child while men are banging down a door trying to get to you and gunfire is being heard everywhere.
Tell Noah to find me.
Rosalee
Not to mention, her only backup was little James, who stood dutifully by with a towel to wrap the baby up in when he wasn’t barricading them inside and stabbing Patty’s men in the hand with a knife.
My heart breaks for Rosalee. She barely had time to spend with her newborn son (did she even name him?) before she had to hide him away before she was taken by Cato. She’s not going to fair so well being whisked away after just having a baby. Her health is in jeopardy.
It's okay. It's okay. You free. You gon be free. You gon be free.
Noah [to his baby]
It was a truly sweet moment when Noah found his baby and rejoiced over the fact that he was born free. To think he almost didn’t make it back alive himself. That mission to save Daniel's family nearly cost everyone their lives.
I loved the fact that Noah and Elizabeth were gung-ho about helping Daniel. I didn’t always understand Georgia's reservations and hesitancy.
Georgia is such a badass character, but as the season progressed, she went from being level headed to overly cautious and too non-confrontational for someone trying to make a real difference.
Georgia: I want to help them, I do, but there are only three of us.
Elizabeth: We can change that. If they're afraid of John Brown, let them know that they should be.
Rosalee: Give them their revolt.
Georgia: You are talking about armed insurrection for one man and his family.
Noah: If we ain't doing this for a good man and his family, then who the hell are we doing this for?
Am I the only one who thought it was odd when they said it was only three of them? What happened to the rest of the (criminally underused) Sewing Circle? When the boarding house was under attack, Georgia was not going down without a fight. God, I love watching her wield a gun.
I can’t decide which shootout was best because Noah fixing a rousing speech and leading the slaves off the plantation with guns a blazing was pretty damn great too.
Elizabeth, finally completely crossed over to the morally gray dark side. She was heading there all season, but we finally got to see it during that rescue mission.
Elizabeth was seeing black leather and had a gun on hand. Elizabeth did not come to play. She was there to kick ass and take names.
The only thing shocking about her shooting the master in the head was that Lucas was shocked that she did it. Has he not been paying attention at all?
From the way the hour ended, I’m assuming she fell in line with John Brown. I love that the hour began with Harriet being given a message from John Brown’s man about a slave revolt at Harper’s Ferry and ended with a ten month time jump and Elizabeth at Harper’s Ferry.
Captain Brown organized a slave revolt, attempting to arm slaves with the arsenal of weapons being shipped in and out there. He was unsuccessful in pulling it off, and many people died, I believe that was what led to him being arrested and later hanged.
So, it was a surprising moment that ten months after Rosalee and Georgia were taken, Elizabeth finds herself charming a man and located near the ferry, I’m assuming in preparation for the revolt.
Radical, revolutionary Elizabeth has been a delight. My other favorite lady (I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, ERNESTINE!) made quite the discovery when she and August got to the Macon plantation and realized it was gone.
Not so long ago, I was where you is right now...when you realize you been dying for a long time and just want it to stop. I tried to drown myself, but I was saved, I thought I was all alone, but someone reached a hand out and showed me I wasn't. I don't know if I should reach a hand out to you. I'm not sure you deserve to be saved. Things you done, blood on your hands...my daughter, she survived you, but how many others haven't? Tom was, I would have sat here and watched you pull that trigger, maybe even done it myself. But something in my heart has shifted recently. And I'm glad for it because it's let me start to forgive myself. We don't have to keep feeding the darkest part of ourselves.
Ernestine
I can’t begin to make sense of August and what his plans were or are with Ernestine, but the two of them are just so fascinating together. They’re so broken. The only difference is Ernestine has mostly worked through hers and August is still working on it.
They’re such an unlikely duo. Ernestine acknowledged as much, but they both can break your heart. I wondered why August took Ernestine to his wife and slave's graves? It was such an intimate thing to do.
And I found the small touch of his slave being buried right beside his wife interesting because despite his occupation August doesn’t appear to buy into the racism of slavery, only the business. The man was his family too.
When Ernestine gave him the drugs to dull his pain, I knew she would make a run for it. But they still feel like unlikely partners right now, and I can’t figure out their relationship, but I love whatever it is.
Their scene where Ernestine stopped him from killing himself was one of my favorite of the night.
I don’t know what to expect from either character in the future. Ernestine stopped him from hurting himself and walked away, but did she leave him? Where does she go now that Macon is gone and she doesn’t know where her kids are? There is no resolution for either character.
In the event of season three, I wonder how it will go on from here? Will it take place ten months in the future or will it be flashbacks and flash forwards?
Is the next mission Noah finding and rescuing Rosalee (and Georgia)? Will the next season explore the Harper Ferry riot? Will Cato continue to be an adversary?
Maybe the reason season two as a whole felt like it wasn’t leading up to anything because it was laying down the foundation for a huge season three.
This was the season of citizens vs. soldiers, and by the end of the season, all of our favorites became soldiers. I can't wait to see them fight again.
So, what did you think? Did the finale leave you on the edge of your seat? What do you hope to see in season three? What is Elizabeth up to? How do you feel about the time jump? Hit up the comments below and let us know what you think!
Still, need to catch up on the second season? No worries, you can watch Underground online right here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
