5 things wrong about The Other Black Girl and 5 things they absolutely nailed

Hulu's latest satirical drama, The Other Black Girl, has garnered a lot of attention since its September 13, 2023, release. The ten-episode-part series is an adaptation of author Dalila Harris' riveting novel of the same name, which revolves around the life of Nella Rogers, an African-American editorial assistant working at a white NYC publishing firm, and the challenges she faces in the news industry.

Here's the official synopsis of the series:

"Nella, an editorial assistant, is tired of being the only Black girl at her company, so she's excited when Hazel is hired; but as Hazel's star begins to rise, Nella spirals out and discovers something sinister is going on at the company."

Developed and produced by Zakiya Dalila Harris and Rashida Jones, The Other Black Girl brought in a storm of mixed reviews with its premiere.

A section of viewers believe that the dramedy was effectively able to unpack themes such as race dynamics in the workplace and black women's struggles. However, others criticized how the show missed the gravity of things, loosening the plot.

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5 reasons why you cannot miss Hulu's The Other Black Woman

Despite facing backlash for its lack of depth and imbalanced approach to aspects central to its storyline, the dramedy mystery thriller is still being accredited as an unmissable watch this season.

Critics have been lauding the show for its appreciation of black women's position in the American workplace, which deserves viewership and recognition.

Here are five reasons why The Other Black Woman cannot be missed:

1) Interesting Workplace Story

The show brilliantly navigates challenges faced by black people at work, especially the depiction of black people's struggle with code-switching and performance in such spaces.

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2) Good Characters

The characters in the show, like Nella and Hazel, have strong emotions and relationships, which adds more layers to the storyline, making it more appealing.

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3) Important Themes

The show plays out important themes like racist rhetoric and stereotypes faced by black people paving their way into predominantly white work spaces. It also portrays the other dialectic of how skin folk may necessarily not be "kin folk".

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4) Great Acting

Although the entire cast makes the show enjoyable, actors like Ashleigh Murray and Brittany Adebumola add brilliantly to the storyline with their powerful acting skills. Murray’s exceptional range from nice to nasty is an enjoyable watch.

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5) Blend of Genres

While talking about black people's feelings of othering, powerlessness, and kinship, The Other Black Girl combines funny, serious, and scary elements, making it different from other shows. It also has a special way of looking at how race affects work.

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5 things wrong about

The Other Black Girl

Although the show works well overall, there are also some things that could be depicted in better light than what is now on display.

Here is a list of five things wrong with The Other Black Girl:

1) Lack of Clarity on Workplace Dynamics

Despite setting out to display the workplace dynamics faced by black people, The Other Black Girl, doesn't justify it. Instead, the makers resort to devices such as flicking fluorescent lights, overshadowing the terror faced by Nella.

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2) Unconvincing Assimilation Plot

As much as the plot seems promising in the beginning, it falls flat while diving into the logic of how and why black employees are forced to tiptoe in white workplaces.

The depiction of Wagner, the company where Nella works, as self-correcting challenges any reason for why she would have to assimilate herself in the first place.

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3) Inconsistent Tone

There are several instances in the show where mixing satire with horror does not always work well. For example, a white editor seemed perplexed at the mention of the rapper Lil Baby.

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4) Over-the-Top Horror Elements

Some horror elements in the show are over-the-top and unnecessary, such as the scenes of kidnappings by masked people and interrogations in leaky back rooms.

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5) Missed Opportunity for Deeper Exploration

The Other Black Girl lacks a layered, deeper exploration of the things it sets out to question about the struggles of black people, missing out on segments that lean toward camp and incredulity.

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The Other Black Girl is now streaming on Hulu.