Blindspotting Review: Smashley Rose (Season 1 Episode 2)

Blindspotting Season 1 Episode 2, “Smashley Rose,” holds nothing back while managing to top last week’s outstanding debut. Jasmine Cephas Jones deserves all the accolades that’ll surely come her way from her visceral, gut-wrenching performance as Ashley Jones. 

“Smashley Rose” tackles racial and class disparities with aplomb. Miles is sentenced to five years in prison for possession of MDMA, which obviously rocks Ashley’s world. The episode opens with Blindspotting‘s already signature flowy verses and rhymes.

Ashley herself notes how the rich get slapped on the wrist while the poor and people of color are imprisoned for far lesser crimes. 

ASHLEY: This crooked system is still crooked to the poor and brown, and he got that half down being from our block.

For comparison, we see a rich white man weasel his way out of a sentence. While we don’t know what he was accused of, it’s safe to say that it was most likely more significant than carrying pills. 

Helen Hunt brings everything to her role as Rainey, even a smattering of humor that provides levity to an intense situation. The scene with her outside of the courthouse is a treat, and it fits her “hippie” character perfectly. Additionally, Rainey’s determination to gracefully broach the news of Miles’ imprisonment to his son is nothing short of admirable. 

Blindspotting is deftly handling subject matter that we seldom see on TV. How do you explain to a young boy, let alone a Black boy, that his father will be spending five years in prison? Are there enough children’s books in the world that can convey that topic in a sensitive manner? 

Besides the ordeal of Miles’ sentencing, Ashley has to deal with more racist nonsense at her job. She puts on a British accent to make her seem “more appealing” and, presumably, “less Black” to wealthy white folks. There are microaggressions aplenty on display at the hotel where Ashley is employed. 

For example, that same rich white man that evaded jail time decides to ask Ashley if she wants to sleep with him to get his wife in the mood. He fetishizes her for her skin color. Then, that same wife approaches Ashley and asks if the latter can get her cocaine. “You look like you know a guy,” she remarks. 

Of course, the situation escalates when the woman vehemently asserts that she’s not a “f**king racist.” She proceeds to condescendingly tell Ashley that she should know her place. Now, while these racist outbursts from white people are nothing new, they’re still disconcerting to see on screen. 

Cephas Jones ascends to a higher plane in the following scene. A series of beautiful dance sequences unfurl that punctuate the intensity of the story. Ashley disrobes as if to appease the man who wanted to sleep with her. However, she instead takes a tennis racket and breaks everything in his room. She delivers a string of stirring verses throughout the destruction. 

ASHLEY: While we sit and rot, they rest and reset … and I’m on the stoop splittin’ thin checks, house a mess, and payin’ thick rent.

It’s such a poignant and moving display, with Cephas Jones delivering a fiery and raw performance. 

Blindspotting‘s “Smashley Rose” is consistent throughout, and bolstered by stellar performances and top-tier writing. Starz has a hit on its hands, and this show will undoubtedly change the television landscape. 

What did you think of this episode of Blindspotting? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Blindspotting airs Sundays at 9/8c on Starz.

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