At the plantation, Tom is trying to pacify Ernestine with some BS about how he wanted to be better than his father. At least he can hold his liquor better. Yes, Tom, because Sam is dead, you're talking to his mother and it’s all about you. And oh, Tom Macon ain’t even his real name. He says he feels bad about Sam. He can’t eat or sleep. He begs Ernestine to forgive him. Um. You just killed this lady’s first born. She ain’t hear for your sorrow, Tom.

Ernestine says that Sam’s lynching is all her fault, karma for what she did to Pearlie Mae. She tells Massa Tom that she killed Pearlie Mae and she prays for her own salvation. Lady, I don’t even hold that against you. You did what you had to, to protect your daughter.

Tom doesn’t even react about Pearlie Mae. He shoves his hand up Ernestine’s skirt— yes, the ladywhose son he just killed— and says that he wants her to go to DC with him, and they can be “free”. Define free, Tom. You gonna give Ernestine her manumission papers? And what about her kid, James, your kid, the one that you didn’t kill… yet? Is he gonna be free? You gonna take that bounty of Rosalee, or nah? And what about your wife and three kids? Will you be free of them? Tom makes me mad. He ain’t sh—.

Tom is giving a speech on his balcony in support of slavery , blah, blah values, blah, blah prosperity, blah, blah, heritage. "Are we who we say we are?" Tom asks. That is the question.

The camera zooms out and… Sweet. Jesus! As art, my God this is poignant imagery. Fireworks are going off like this is the greatest thing ever. But Dear God. DEAR GOD!!!

This is who you are Tom: a spineless mofo who has two enslaved children by the woman you’ve repeatedly raped. And you just killed her oldest child. And you knew you were going to do that when she gave you the uplifting pep talk. And instead of risking her seeing what you’d done, you had your goons capture her while she was looking for her son and you lock her in a box. You might not like it. It might make you queasy. But you do it anyway because there’s nothing you won’t do to get this ego-stroking job. you cheat on your wife with a woman from a race of people you consider subhuman, and you let the woman play dom to you. You parade your outside children in front of your wife with no regard to her feelings. Tom, you suck at humanity.

Underground Finale: Get Free or Die Trying

Underground Episode 8: Who We Say We Are

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