“If you want to see what this nation’s all about, you've got to ride the rails. Just look outside as you speed through and you’ll see the true face of America.”
Those were the final words uttered by a railroad agent as Cora (Thuso Mbedu) and Caesar (Aaron Pierre), two runaway slaves, eagerly boarded the train in episode one of Amazon Prime’s The Underground Railroad—and I can't stop thinking about them. It's a rather odd farewell to give two hopeful slaves who are desperate for freedom, but it feels appropriate. Especially since they've yet to fully understand how deeply flawed America is.