Keef Knight simply needs to “preserve it gentle,” OK? He’s a Black cartoonist dwelling in ultra-progressive San Francisco and drawing a preferred, inoffensive sketch known as Toast ‘N’ Butter that’s about to hit syndication and make him wealthy. He doesn’t tackle race in his comics as a result of it’s by no means been a giant think about his life, and he doesn’t see any motive to rock the boat. However then he’s roughly tackled and handcuffed by police as a result of they mistake him for a mugger — and immediately, bottles of malt liquor and pens are speaking to him and pushing him to make use of his inventive expertise to pursue the next calling…
That’s the premise for Woke, Hulu’s sharply noticed, barely surreal new comedy — premiering Wednesday, Sept. 9; I’ve seen the primary 4 episodes — that feels prefer it may’ve been written this week, with the police taking pictures of Jacob Blake igniting recent protests in opposition to racial injustice. Quite a few latest TV exhibits have used drama to sort out related territory, from When They See Us‘ stark, searing docudrama to Lovecraft Nation‘s wild sci-fi horror. However Woke prefers to make use of a intelligent, chopping humorousness to handle these weighty points, and it really works, because of star Lamorne Morris’ terrific lead efficiency. He has an easygoing, laid-back enchantment, and so does this present.
So sure, Morris’ character Keef begins listening to unusual voices (supplied by the likes of J.B. Smoove and Nicole Byer) coming from malt liquor bottles and rubbish cans, imploring him to embrace his id as a Black man and use it in his artwork. (They offer him recommendation, too: “Do you know malt liquor makes Black folks impervious to bullets?”) It’s virtually like he has a brand new superpower that he’s unsure how you can use but — and that he by no means requested for within the first place — however Morris, greatest often called New Woman‘s cat-loving loftmate Winston, retains it grounded in actuality. He’s wonderful right here as Keef, radiating a low-key attraction whereas additionally wrestling with the appreciable weight of Keef’s newfound mission and including in very good bodily comedy as Keef argues backwards and forwards with voices solely he can hear. (He hardly ever wins, by the way in which.)
Woke has its goofy facet, to make sure, however it’s considerate as effectively, dealing with thorny material with a light-weight, comical contact. It doesn’t reduce the very actual points Keef faces, however it vividly illustrates them with extremely particular observations: Keef and his buddy being afraid to show in a white woman’s misplaced pockets as a result of then they’ll be accused of stealing it; Keef’s syndication group lightening up his writer photograph to broaden his enchantment; the “cultural plunder” of exhibits like Antiques Roadshow; the teachings to be discovered from John Legend’s profession path. The jokes are hilariously on track, particularly when taking intention at San Francisco’s well-meaning however clueless white inhabitants, who deal with Keef as a enjoyable curiosity however can’t appear to completely perceive his considerations as a result of they “don’t see colour.”
Morris is bolstered by a pair of stable performances as Keef’s roommates: Gunther (Blake Anderson, from Workaholics), a frizzy-haired white boy who’s oblivious to his privilege (he has the genius thought to promote cocaine as a powdered “power complement” and may yell at cops with impunity); and Clovis (stand-up comedian T. Murph), a hustler who pretends he’s a well-known athlete to get ladies and resells special-edition sneakers at an enormous markup. (Clovis additionally warns Keef concerning the monetary pitfalls of being too politically conscious, reminding him that “woke” rhymes with “broke.”) The feminine characters aren’t as robust — Keef’s girlfriend is especially thinly drawn — however SNL alum Sasheer Zamata exhibits promise as alt-weekly journalist Ayana, who spurs Keef to look inward.
I’m not completely certain the place Woke goes in the long run — it does appear to be steadily transferring away from the speaking rubbish cans into much less surreal territory — however I like the place it’s proper now. It doesn’t declare to have all of the solutions in relation to therapeutic the racial divide, however it’s refreshing to see a present strategy it with a humorousness that illuminates with out getting preachy. Dismantling centuries of systemic racism is tough work, in any case, and we may use just a few laughs alongside the way in which.
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Hulu’s new comedy Woke tackles racial points with a sly humorousness and an awesome lead efficiency from Lamorne Morris.