FX’s Kindred is the television literary event of the year, and the cast and crew are honored to bring such an iconic story to the small screen. The series adaptation, based on Octavia E. Butler’s famous 1979 novel of the same name, which debuted December 13 on Hulu, is billed as a “cross-genre exploration” of slavery, racism, sexism and family history at the root of The Unexpected Time Travel Expedition of a young black woman in 2016.
“Every decision we made, we tried to make at the core of the book or some version of the book that we were given access to.”
Revolving around Dana (played by Mallori Johnson), Kindred follows the aspiring writer transplanted to Los Angeles and her budding interracial romance with her new boyfriend Kevin (Micah Stock) as they are forcibly transported to a plantation in time is transported back from the 19th century She discovers that she has secret family ties to. Along the way, she struggles to understand the cause of her mysterious journeys, which blemish her with horrific memories with each journey. Well, Kindred might not follow every part of Butler’s bestseller to the tee, but showrunner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins tells POPSUGAR he credited the author’s work as “the Guiding Light” for its historical science fiction adaptation.
“Every decision we made, we tried to make at the core of the book or some version of the book that we were given access to,” he says of himself and the series’ writers. “I really wanted to tell the story of ‘Kindred’ myself. It’s a story about a young black woman who moves to LA and this crazy thing happens to her. And along the way, she begins to completely revise her own conceptions of herself, her history, and her relationships with others around her. In many ways, it’s an allegory for the coming of age that every type of artist ultimately goes through, but in some ways for what’s to come of it, as you age as an American and reckon with the history you’ve inherited — all the social ones dynamics and psychological forces that it brings with it.
Kindred stars Johnson, Stock and others who portray key characters shaping Dana’s journey on the series – including Ryan Kwanten as plantation owner Thomas Weylin, Gayle Rankin as his wife Margaret Weylin, David Alexander Kaplan as their son Rufus Weylin, Austin Smith as enslaved foreman Luke, Sophina Brown as plantation chef Sarah, and Sheria Irving as Dana’s mother, Olivia. Not every actor was familiar with Butler’s book before joining the cast, but they all felt the weight of the story they were telling for the period drama.
“It was extremely nerve-wracking,” says 24-year-old Johnson of her first starring role in the first-ever TV adaptation of Kindred. “Octavia Butler is so legendary and I know she had such a cult following. When I went into it, I just thought, I don’t want to show any disregard for her legacy… It was intimidating.”
“This show really covers the spectrum of hot topics that feel as poignant now as they did when Octavia wrote it.”
Aside from enriching Butler’s legacy, Kindred’s compelling storytelling and screenplay were also major draws to the cast. “It’s so hard to find emotional, character-driven, original stories these days and I can’t think of anything that comes close,” explains Kwanten of the series. “There are elements of the show that are present in other shows, but overall, when it comes to sexism, social standing and social scrutiny, this show really covers the gamut of hot topics that feel just as poignant as it is now, like they did when Octavia wrote it. It’s been a great honor for us to carry on her legacy and see how well Brandon has channeled her writing.
Brown also lauded Kindred’s “brilliant” writing – her co-star Smith even called the pilot (directed by Janicza Bravo of Zola) “one of the best I’ve read” – adding: “I feel so incredibly privileged to have just dipped my toe in Ms. Butler’s water. Your work is just amazing.
As gripping as Butler’s literary blueprint and FX’s Kindred are, the series delves into many heavy, emotionally draining themes. From past and present racial tensions to Dana’s strained relationships with her relatives to concerns about her mental well-being, “Kindred” does not shy away from sensitive material. But according to Rankin, everything was “handled very carefully and very openly”. “I know that was something we were all pretty grateful for and it was so needed,” she adds. “Participating in these types of narratives can be taken for granted, so being able to participate in the conversation or make art about the conversation is a privilege.”
Over eight episodes, Kindred takes on the daunting task of interpreting Butler’s literary masterpiece for a modern story. Without crafting a specific message, Jacob-Jenkins reckons the series will resonate with viewers and make them consider Dana’s circumstances — “What would we do if we were put in this situation?” In the meantime all of the show’s cast members internalized various points from the adaptation based on their characters.
“I hope that people will be able to look at this narrative and really understand it, empathize with it and learn from the past.”
‘ Octavia wrote [‘Kindred’] initially to honor enslaved people. To ask the question, “What would you do if you were transported back in time? What would you do? How would you act?’” notes Brown. On the other hand, Smith says his understanding of the series is that it’s “also about understanding and reconciling your family history.” “It’s about healing a family trauma and how difficult, scary and sometimes like a horror film that can be. And that we as a country cannot hide from it,” he adds. “We cannot hide from this story. Because the more we try to get away from it, the more it will pull us back. So I think that’s definitely something that audiences will walk away from after seeing the show.”
Dana’s journey is central to Kindred, but each experience highlighted in the series represents a reality all too familiar to American history. “… This story is so much bigger than its protagonist that it affects us all,” adds Kwanten.
At the end of the first season, viewers can simply walk away from Kindred with a whole new perspective on the past. “I hope that people will be able to look at this narrative and really understand, empathize with, and learn from the past,” says Brown. “So that we don’t make the same mistakes on the way into the future.”
All eight episodes of Kindred are now streaming on Hulu.