Blindspotting Review: Bride or Die (Season 1 Episode 8)
Blindspotting Season 1 Episode 8, “Bride or Die,” marks the closing of a chapter. The Season 1 finale perfectly encapsulates the energy the show has maintained all season long — a blistering, bold, and vivid love letter to Oakland. Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs pen an outing that’s equally heartfelt as it is humorous.
“Bride or Die” amps up the stakes and then some but never deviates from Blindspotting‘s signature liveliness. There are even a few tearjerker moments, notably Janelle’s vulnerable monologue, delivered beautifully by Candace Nicholas-Lippman, and Earl’s gut-wrenching rap before he’s arrested. Both scenes are jaw-dropping testaments to the actors and writers’ talents.
Benjamin Earl Turner is, hands down, the breakout star of Blindspotting. Of course, the whole cast are heavyweight champs when it comes to doling out top-notch performances, but Turner imbues Earl with so much warmth. You can’t help but fall head over heels for him.
That’s what makes his final scene so unbearably heartbreaking.
This show has always been a bastion of social and racial commentary, never pulling punches when it comes to showcasing real-life — namely for Black people and marginalized communities as a whole. Earl’s desperate, fourth-wall-shattering performance drives home just how racist our justice system is. How unfair and unbalanced it is.
EARL: I ain’t even get to say goodbye to the fam I almost had.
“Bride or Die” artfully infuses lyrical dancing to convey character emotions and stakes. The imagery of dancers dressed as inmates pulling Earl into a police cruiser is poignant as it is stunning. Casal seamlessly helms a handful of dance sequences that take your breath away.
Additionally, “Bride or Die” hits the visuals and cinematography out of the park. Earl’s job at the ports captures the captivating landscape of the Bay Area in vibrant colors, and the dark blues during Janelle’s monologue evokes a feeling of melancholy. The zooming in on Ashley and Miles’ faces as the latter tearfully proposes to her establishes that sense of intimacy for which Blindspotting is known.
MILES: I know I can be happy anywhere as long as I have you.
“Bride or Die” gives us the show’s happiest moment thus far with Ashley and Miles’ proposal and subsequent marriage. This show not only depicts the strong bond of a family amid insurmountable odds, but it invites the audience to become part of its family as well. It’s intimate, welcoming, and loving.
You feel like these characters are your family.
Jasmine Cephas Jones and Casal crank up the heat with performances that are brimming with passion. Ashley and Miles’ love is a story for the ages. The unique way in which they wed is memorable, touching, and hysterical — quintessential Blindspotting.
Blindspotting‘s season finale is compelling and thoughtful — most importantly, it’s driven by love. Overall, this first season is a home run, bolstered by solid writing, mesmerizing performances, Shakespearean-esque prose, ethereal dance sequences, and so much more. It’s one part searing commentary on systemic racism and one part family comedy.
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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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.
One thought on “Blindspotting Review: Bride or Die (Season 1 Episode 8)”
There is no way he would get locked back up just because he was late one time . Especially in today’s liberal climate. You have to really fuck up to go back like commit another crime.
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