"When They See Us" Review
Written by Riana Buchman
TW: Assault, Rape, Racism
SPOILERS
Ava DuVernay’s four-part Netflix miniseries, “When They See Us” (2019), recounts the 1989 Central Park Jogger Case, revealing the hardships the five then Black and Latino boys – Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana Jr., Yusef Salaam, and Korey Wise – faced during their wrongful incarcerations and in the aftermath following.
In the Central Park Jogger case, 28-year-old investment banker Trisha Meili, a white woman, was jogging in Central Park, New York before being assaulted and raped on April 19, 1989. A group of approximately 30 teenagers roamed the park around the same time “wilding,” as was infamously described, and while some were deliberately hurting people, others were not. During the event, the five boys were linked to the rape, convicted as guilty, and incarcerated for the crime though they maintained their innocence. They served varying from a range of six to 13 years with Korey Wise, the oldest, serving the longest term. It was only discovered a decade later the boys had been coerced by the police to make up confessionals indicting one another in order to secure these charges and as a result, their convictions.
Each episode focuses on different aspects of the Central Park Five – now the Exonerated Five – as explained in DuVernay’s Array 101, the online education platform filled with additional learning guides to help viewers engage beyond the screen. The first episode covers the initial arrests and interrogation, the second addresses the justice system and inequities within it, the third uncovers how their imprisonments affected their families, and the fourth documents the difficulties in prison as well as reentering society.
Early on, DuVernay establishes the importance and motif of home throughout the series. On that spring day in 1989, all of the boys are first introduced either in the company of good friends or within their homes. It’s a hopeful string that holds taut throughout the entire miniseries, the main motivators for these confused boys who grew up too fast. Even in scenes when the men are older, they echo this sentiment. Throughout the series, each boy aims to find his way home in one way or another whatever that means to him and in whatever capacity. Although the idea of home is a main driving force for the boys in the years they served time, its reality is severely warped as the world they know slips away while they’re behind bars.
The series is fast-paced and mimics a hurriedness that well accompanies the dire situation. Though the Exonerated Five start out as potential witnesses in the case, within minutes they’re branded as suspects. Another outstanding aspect of “When They See Us” is the language used to describe these boys and their actions. “Thugs,” “animals,” and “rampage” are just a few terms utilized by New York prosecutor Linda Fairstein and the media during this time, which is no different than some of the harmful rhetoric still heard today. The interrogation scenes leave the audience shrinking back from the screen as it’s revealed how law enforcement fabricated lies against these boys and actively worked against them in order to secure a conviction – albeit a wrongful one. Law enforcement convinced these boys that if they did what they asked, that they would be released and able to go home. At the end of the first episode, one of the most powerful scenes is when four of the five boys finally meet for the first time in a juvenile holding cell. The interactions between these teenagers are honest and raw. Despite the reality of the situation that these boys face, the audience is hyper aware of their youth. They’re practical with one another and piece things together with the help of one another in their collective state of bewilderment. Kevin Richardson is the first to admit, “I lied on you, man” when he finds out the identities of the other boys, only for the statement to be echoed by the rest of the group. It doesn’t take long for them to understand the gravity of their situation.
In DuVernay’s Array 101 companion, it is said, “‘When They See Us’ has been called ‘painful’ to watch. It is.’” For many non BIPOC viewers, this discomfort is only experienced through a screen in which they can step away from time to time. However, for BIPOC, this is a story they know all too well. While watching, emotions may arise in different parts of the body, whether it’s knots in the stomach or a tightening of the throat in the onset of a cry. It’s important to identify as a viewer when these feelings come up and where they reside.
Although this case took place approximately 30 years ago, the conversations sparked surrounding “When They See Us” proves these stories need to be recirculated as they remain relevant. In the second part of the series, parallels are drawn between the darker times of the late 1980s to early 1990s with today’s present and, quite, frankly, today’s president. In 1989, Donald Trump paid $85,000 for an ad in the paper that read, “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” in reference to the Central Park jogger case. When Sharonne Salaam is watching the news with a friend, the friend even says in regards to Trump, “His 15 minutes are almost up.” How wrong could they be. While it’s chilling to hear these hurtful words and similar ideas from the current president 30 years ago, it’s not at all surprising. His behavior only exhibits what Black people have known for years on end – little has changed. However, in the world's current moment, it seems more people are listening and recognizing the systemic injustices facing BIPOC, even if it is a delayed response. As the boys approach their trial dates, protestors are seen gathering around and echo in chants of “No justice, no peace!” much like those heard around the world right now.
Halfway throughout the series, time flashes forward, and the audience sees the growth of boys to men. Despite this, the older actors – save Jharrel Jerome who played both young and older Korey Wise – portray the five men with an air of playfulness and a sense of childhood they lost. Through it all, the men cling to their integrity, exhibited time and time again in the series when asked by others to accept responsibility for their crimes, which they refuse to do.
While each episode is mostly distributed evenly to share the perspective of each of the boys, Korey Wise is largely absent in the third episode, but is found again in the final one. DuVernay also has a special talent in identifying crucial moments at the right time. The audience gets a better glimpse into Wise’s family in the final episode when learning about his transgender sister, Marci, who is unfortunately murdered before Wise is released from prison. This is the audience’s first time hearing about Marci, but this inclusion accomplishes a lot by highlighting the importance of intersectionality in racial justice.
In this final episode, the audience also finally learns the truth of the situation, which comes in the form of serial rapist Matias Reyes. After meeting Wise, Reyes confesses to the Central Park jogger case and tells police it was a sole act. The episode follows a thorough investigation into Reyes’ confession, including a DNA test, before the call comes to release Wise and exonerate the rest of the men. This happened in 2002.
The five men received a $41 million settlement from New York City, the largest delivered in history. DuVernay’s series forced this story back to the forefront of people’s minds 30 years later, which sparked more conversation surrounding racial injustice in the criminal system and in the country as a whole.
DuVernay’s imagery is remarkable as well as the series’ overall accomplishment of humanizing the Exonerated Five, who were portrayed as monsters in the media at the time despite their age. From the tense courtroom scenes to a scene of Kevin Richardson playing a melancholic note on his trumpet in the street, DuVernay does not shy away from thought-provoking expression while simultaneously channeling the boys’ truths. Her commitment to depicting them accurately, though painful at times, is the best way to honor them.