Exterminate All the Brutes Season 1 Episode 1 Part 1

Exterminate All the Brutes is a 4-part documentary series that explores the history of colonialism and racism, examining how these ideologies have shaped our modern world. Episode 1, titled "Part 1," sets the stage for this deep dive into the history of humanity's cruelty towards one another.

The episode begins by setting the significance of the series' title and the imperative of examining the history of humanity's aggression towards itself. It highlights that to appreciate the motives and mechanisms underlying the world we live in, one must understand the past. The documentary highlights the falsehood of supremacy and how it is used to justify the oppression of one group of people by another.

The episode goes on to detail the Middle Passage, the forcible transportation of millions of Africans from their homelands to the New World in chains during the transatlantic slave trade. It goes through the economic, social, and scientific developments that enabled such trade to thrive, including the dehumanization of Africans by the West.

The documentary explains the roots of racism as a disease that breeds delusion and is a societal tumor that keeps recurring under different forms. The episode portrays in vivid detail how colonialism developed as a project of exploitation backed by science and religion and how it justified the extermination of the indigenous people.

The episode takes us on a journey from the start of the slave trade in the 1400s to the present, explaining how centuries of exploitation by European colonial powers like Britain, France, and Germany ruined indigenous customs and cultures.

It highlights the roles of religious beliefs, particularly Christianity, which was instrumental in the shaping of the mindset of colonialism. The episode details how religion was used to persecute indigenous people, including, in the case of the conquest of the Americas, a deliberate effort to eliminate the indigenous religions, language, and spirituality.

As the episode concludes, it ties the horrors of the past to today's world, illustrating the inextricable link between the practices and attitudes of the past and the current state of morality and power in the world. It begs the question, what will it take to end the cycle of cruelty, oppression, and prejudice that we carry with us into the present day finally?

The opening episode of Exterminate All the Brutes provides a clear insight into the systemic and institutionalized oppression of countless people by dominant groups throughout history. It takes an in-depth look at the major events and ideologies that have shaped social and political structures at a global level. The production is excellently crafted, full of shocking yet informative revelations that make it a must-watch.