Lovecraft Country has to be the most anticipated new series of the summer for HBO. We saw the new trailer during Comic-Con@Home. Today, we got even more, as the synopses for the first five episodes were released. Here they are: (Potential Spoilers Ahead)
Season 1, Episode 1: “Sundown”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 (9:00-10:08 p.m. ET/PT)
Veteran and pulp-fiction aficionado Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) travels from the Jim Crow South to his South Side of Chicago hometown in search of his missing father Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams). After recruiting his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and childhood friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) to join him, the trio sets out for “Ardham,” MA, where they think Montrose may have gone looking for insight into Atticus’ late mother’s ancestry. As they journey across the Midwest, Tic, Leti, and George encounter dangers lurking at every turn, especially after sundown.
Teleplay by Misha Green; directed by Yann Demange.
Season 1, Episode 2: “Whitey’s on the Moon”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Inexplicably recovered from their terrifying night, Leti and George luxuriate in their new surroundings, while Atticus grows suspicious of their Ardham Lodge hosts – Christina Braithwhite (Abbey Lee) and her elusive father Samuel (Tony Goldwyn) – who unveil cryptic plans for Atticus’ role in their upcoming “Sons of Adam” ceremony. Later, after Tic, Leti, and George stumble upon a clue that could lead them to Montrose, each takes an unwelcome walk down memory lane.
Teleplay by Misha Green; directed by Daniel Sackheim.
Season 1, Episode 3: “Holy Ghost”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Hoping to mend her relationship with her sister Ruby (Wunmi Mosaku), Leti turns a ramshackle Victorian on Chicago’s North Side into a boarding house – an endeavor that stokes neighborhood racism and awakens dormant spirits stuck in the house. Meanwhile, Atticus remains burdened by a guilty conscience as George’s wife Hippolyta (Aunjanue Ellis) presses him for the full story of what happened in Ardham.
Teleplay by Misha Green; directed by Daniel Sackheim.
Season 1, Episode 4: “A History of Violence”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
After Christina mysteriously shows up at her doorstep, Leti confronts Atticus about his plan to surreptitiously return to Florida. Later, in search of missing pages to a crucial text, Leti, Tic, and Montrose head to Boston, with Hippolyta and Diana (Jada Harris) along for the ride. Back in Chicago, a handsome stranger nurses Ruby’s disappointment over a squandered job opportunity.
Teleplay by Misha Green; Story by Wes Taylor; directed by Victoria Mahoney.
Season 1, Episode 5 “Strange Case”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
After making a devil’s bargain with William, Ruby steps into the charmed shoes of a white woman, but her transformation only fortifies her resentment of the racial divide. A betrayal by Montrose unleashes Atticus’ pent up rage, leaving Leti deeply disturbed and sending Montrose into the comforting arms of his secret lover.
Teleplay by Misha Green and Jonathan Kidd & Sonya Winton; directed by Cheryl Dunye.
The series will be available on both HBO and HBO Max. Keep checking back for our review and more coverage.
Photo Credit: Eli Joshua Ade/HBO