by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
The X-Men are some of my favorite characters in all of fiction. With the diverse group of mutants and a wide range of engaging villains, the X-Men have something for everyone. Perhaps the property’s greatest strength is the parallels it shares with social issues, including prejudice and hate towards a particular group of people. The two paths mutants take are those of peaceful coexistence and hostility. Charles Xavier and Magneto represent two sides of a fraught issue of how do mutants coexist with humans. The inspirations for the characters were Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
Season Four of Genius shows the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre) from their humble beginnings and the different ways they were raised, until they embarked on the struggle for civil rights in the United States during the 1950s and ‘60s. The men meet only once, officially, in Washington D.C., upon the passing of the Civil Rights Act, and not too long after that, they were both assassinated.
Genius is an interesting concept for a show, because it’s not afraid to show who these people are. The three previous seasons cover Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Aretha Franklin, who are shown as leaders of their respective fields, and the show lists out some of the subjects’ greatest accomplishments. However, it also isn’t afraid to show that these people make mistakes and are not perfect. Genius: MLK/X does an outstanding job of displaying many of its subjects’ great accomplishments and speeches. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech is a major focus, along with Malcolm X’s “Ballots or Bullets” speech about the necessity to vote. Chronicling the rise of their prominence among the Black community, Genius manages to demonstrate their accomplishments without completely presenting them as infallible.
The way both men treat their wives, and at times make them submissive, is the main thing they have in common in the series. Both Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia) and Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson) are strong characters and activists who generally don’t like to be sidelined, which King and Malcom X often do to them. There are numerous stories of Coretta and Betty trying to figure out their role beyond just standing by their man’s side. This perspective is one of my favorite parts of the series — there is an amazing payoff in the final episode about what they want to be known for outside of their husbands. Opia and Lawson are fantastic; they go toe-to-toe with Harrison Jr. and Pierre. In fact, I could have used more of them and how they view women’s role in the Civil Rights movement throughout the series.
I like the focus on some of the smaller moments in both men’s lives. With King, two storylines that I found interesting were his stabbing during a book signing in Harlem and his relationship with his father. They both had long-lasting effects on his life and the season. These aren’t typically the focus in history textbooks, but they have major implications for King as a person. As for Malcolm X, his remarks on John F. Kennedy’s assassination were some of the more interesting parts of his story. I was also curious about some things that weren’t included, like Malcom X’s speech on how we didn’t land on Plymouth Rock or emphasis on King’s Letters from a Birmingham Jail.
Perhaps the biggest reason why I didn’t appreciate this season as much as I hoped is Malcolm X’s inclusion — the show doesn’t focus on him as much as it could. It was already looking like a curious decision to put these two together in one series, even though they didn’t work together a lot. In fact, Malcolm X tended to criticize King in a lot of different ways for his pacifist attitude. Regardless, these men are synonymous with the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, and it’s a disservice to not showcasing more of Malcolm X’s contributions, especially as I enjoyed more of his story overall. Maybe it’s because I didn’t know as much about him, or because I found it more interesting, but at times it did feel like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X should have gotten their own series and maybe a final episode where they both come together.
I knew it was coming, because I love history, but that doesn’t change the fact that the end solicited a lot of emotion out of me. After spending seven episodes with these figures, how their stories end still breaks my heart. It’s a great reminder of how the fight still rages on for acceptance, and how the legacy of these figures goes beyond the men themselves.
Genius is a solid series with a great cast and an amazing story. It also makes me wonder if National Geographic slightly regrets the decision to take on two subjects instead of one. I’m split on some of the decisions regarding what was omitted, and I wanted more stories about both of their wives, but it’s still a timely story and message that is relevant today.
Rating: Liked It
Genius: MLK/X is currently streaming on Disney+
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd