Central Park Five miniseries is riveting

In only four episodes, When They See Us sheds insightful new light on a subject already covered widely by the media over the years. 

Ava DuVernay’s miniseries takes a closer look at the The Central Park Five case, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of the black and Latino men who were arrested and falsely convicted for sexually assaulting a woman in 1989 but then exonerated in 2002 after the real rapist confessed. The episodes chronicle their time as teenagers on the night of the arrest through their trial, prison sentence, exoneration, and the difficulties in rejoining the world. Their journey is distressing to watch because we know the outcome of it all — that these boys will spend the better part of their youth in prison for a crime of which they are innocent.

Yet it demands to be told — not only because the world deserves to see the truth, but because, although the case came to a close years ago, it remains relevant to the current political climate. The current president of the United States famously took out a front page ad in 1989  demanding the death penalty for the accused, and false incarcerations, racism, police brutality plague our world just as much today as they did 30 years ago.

When They See Us begins with the introduction Korey Wise, Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Raymond Santana as they congregate in the park with a larger group to goof around. Some of these boys allegedly harass bikers, but run when the cops arrive, it’s these few who end up in the police clutches.

On this same night, a woman is raped and left for dead a little further away in the park. At first, the police assume the kids are witnesses. It’s only after the arrival of prosecutor Linda Fairstein (played by Felicity Huffman at the most inopportune moment of her career) that they realize the urgency of solving the case. The country will demand justice for the attacked white victim, so of course they will believe the story of how the five boys of color who were arrested nearby are guilty. 

Harrowing scenes show the cops lying, beating, and coercing the kids into confessing a crime they didn’t commit. There are no attorneys or adults present in the room. The boys have been given no food, they are disoriented, and they keep talking about wanting to go home. Richardson was only 14 at the time, unaware of what the word rape even meant. Wise only went to the station to accompany his friend Salaam. 

Image: Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix

Episodes 2 and 3 are all about their extremely publicized trials. There’s a moment of real heartbreak when it looks like they will be acquitted. Families and supporters of the accused begin to cheer in the courtroom. It’s crafted so well that even I was carried away for a hot second, then reminding myself that’s not how this turns out. 

The story also keeps jumping ahead to show four of the five men adjust to life after their sentence is over. You guessed it: It is not easy. Santana, for example, comes home to a devoted father who has remarried a younger woman and has children with her. It’s a whole other family he isn’t familiar with at all.

DuVernay’s direction is exceptional as she focuses on each of the kids, letting us delve into their backstories and family life equally. The ending of the second episode contains her most impactful visual choice. As we hear the jury’s guilty verdict for each of them, they stand on the streets of Harlem looking forlorn, as if knowing the rest of their childhood is marred.

The final episode traces Wise’s journey. He spent the most time in prison as he was the only one tried as an adult, having been just over 16 when arrested. Jharrel Jerome, easily the breakout of When They See Us, is the only actor who plays one of the Central Park Five as both a teenager and adult. His performance left me shaken. He brings fear and naiveté of a young Korey to life as much as he does the hopelessness of an adult Korey, who has spent most of his time in voluntary solitary isolation after he was jumped more than once. 

Once again, DuVernay lets us right into Wise’s thoughts as he wonders what his life would’ve looked like if he hadn’t gone to the park that night, instead choosing to spend time with his girlfriend. 

When They See Us is stacked with a talented cast including Vera Farmiga, Joshua Jackson, John Leguizamo, Blair Underwood, Niecy Nash, Michael K. Williams, and Aunjanue Ellis, but the casting for the primary protagonists is especially perfect. Asante Black as a teen Richardson and Caleel Harris as a young McCray, in particular, render crushing performances in the police interrogation and trial scenes, respectively.

While the acting and story in itself is riveting and heartbreaking, the dialogue can sometimes be too on-the-nose. It’s jarring but luckily, doesn’t take away anything from the show. A specific conversation about Donald Trump seeking his 15 minutes of fame along with Fairstein, now a successful crime novelist still refusing to cough up the truth, appear to highlight that those who blatantly accused the Five have faced no real consequences. 

The show provokes sadness, frustration, anger toward various facets of the justice system. But it’s also clear in its message of hope, depicted in the smiling faces of the real-life Central Park Five in the closing moments. It’s a solid reminder that the four episodes you just watched aren’t fiction. At the very least, When They See Us will tell you a side of the story no one really has before. And that’s a win. 

When They See Us is now streaming on Netflix.