The Underground Railroad
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After the events from last episode and the death of Ridgeway, this episode feels more epilogue than conclusion.
Its satisfying to get Mabel more on her own terms.
It asks us to return to the place that Cora has been fleeing the whole time.
Pollys husband, Moses, is whipped as punishment, and Mabel must clean the blood from the cabin.
This is simply too much for Mabel (and frankly, maybe for the viewer, too).
She gasps, Cora!
Cora isnt with her; or a moment, in all of the loss, shed forgotten.
But she cant leave her there alone.
Heading back, she trips over a log.
As she collects herself, a snake lashes out and bites her.
She only makes it a few yards away, to lean against a tree, before she passes.
Now we know the truth: Mabel never ran away.
Ridgeway was chasing a ghost.
Her body lay in that swamp all this time, and there was no way for Cora to know.
Molly pulls a bag from her sock: When the fighting was happening, I found it.
Its Coras okra seeds.
They find themselves at an abandoned field with a cluster of sheds and buildings among a few tall trees.
Cora uses a rock to dig a little hole for the seeds.
Her tears fall to the dirt.
But as the show has told us before, okra is a resilient plant.
She can leave all of this behind her now, to grow into something new.
The two approach the man slowly, Cora pulling Molly closer to protect her.
Are you kind, mister?
Cora asks him, having been through enough hardship.
Most times yes, he considers.
Of course, like anybody, I falters of course.
Hes headed to St. Louis, and then catch a trail to California.
Is that good with you, uh, miss…?
Cora, without saying which part of this journey seems good, answers by introducing herself: Cora.
The Caboose
Chapter 10: Mabel was written by Barry Jenkins and Jacqueline Hoyt.
The song played during the closing credits is Mahalia Jacksons How I Got Over.
Its a lot to bookend the series with stories set on the plantation.
The violence is visceral, and its pretty (perhaps intentionally) dissatisfying.
Its not lost on me that Cora and Okra are kind of anagrams!
So I do recommend reading Colson WhiteheadsThe Underground Railroadeven after watching the series.
(There are many differences and the book does some things that a series cant, and vice versa.
Mabels story, for example, is a compressed five-page kaleidoscope in the novel).
Thank you so much for reading and including these recaps in yourThe Underground Railroadjourney!
