Underground Railroad Season 1 Episode 7 Chapter 7: Fanny Briggs

Chapter 7: Fanny Briggs

In this gripping episode of The Underground Railroad, we are introduced to Fanny Briggs, a free-born Black woman who has been living in relative safety in Indiana. However, her idyllic existence is shattered when she is forcibly taken back to the South by slave catchers.

We see Fanny's harrowing journey as she is transported to a slave market in Louisiana, chained up with other enslaved people and subjected to cruel treatment at the hands of her captors. Meanwhile, Cora and Caesar, on the run from the relentless slave catcher Ridgeway, find themselves in a bind when they come across a group of runaway slaves who are hesitant to trust them.

As Fanny struggles to survive in her new environment, she meets many other characters who are also trapped in the brutal system of American slavery. We see the various ways they cope with their situations, whether it's through numb resignation, defiance, or hope.

The cinematography in this episode is particularly striking, as the camera takes us through a dizzying array of landscapes, from the lush forests of Indiana to the desolate swamps of Louisiana. We also get glimpses into the minds of the various characters through dream-like sequences that add to the haunting mood of the episode.

As with previous episodes of The Underground Railroad, the acting is uniformly excellent, with Thuso Mbedu continuing to impress as our heroine Cora. We also get a strong performance from Abbey Lee as Fanny, who conveys her character's fear and desperation with convincing nuance.

While this episode can be difficult to watch due to the brutal subject matter, it's an important chapter in Cora's journey as she continues to evade capture and search for true freedom. The Underground Railroad is not a show that shies away from tough topics, and this episode in particular is a stark reminder of the horrors of American slavery. However, it also highlights the resilience and determination of those who fought against it, and it's this spirit of resistance that ultimately makes the show such a powerful and essential watch.