Eddie Murphy’s classic hit movie “Boomerang” came out in 1992, a year before I was born. So the movie wasn’t something that I became familiar with later in life. And I didn’t actually sit down and watch the whole thing from start to finish until very recently. That being said, when I first heard that BET would be making a series based upon the iconic film I didn’t have much of an opinion about it. Other than the slight worry that BET would overshadow Lena Waithe’s creativeness with their inability to connect with today’s Black culture.
I adore Lena Waithe, I appreciate her realness and her willingness to go above and beyond for Black people. She is here for us. So I am here for her and all projects she puts her name on. I want her to succeed and give Black people the real representation we deserve.
Boomerang, which aired its first two episodes Tuesday night, seems to be exactly what we have been waiting for.
Marcus and Angela Graham had a daughter, Simone, and she is tired of being known only because who her father is. She has dreams and ideas that go beyond her father and his Agency. But she’s been working for his company since she was in high school and no one takes her seriously. Other than her friends Bryson and Crystal.
The three have been friends for a long time, but in Graham Agency it’s the Millennials vs everybody else. And we all know what older folks think about us Millennials. Simone, Bryson, and Crystal all obviously have new fresh ideas but getting the approval of those new ideas is a challenge with a constantly moving goal post. Simone’s determined though and with the help of her whole group of friends she’s ready to make a name for herself outside of her fathers.
The cast of Boomerang has the kind of chemistry that could easily green light them seven more seasons. It’s refreshing to watch Black people of all shades being around each other comfortably and having fun.
Simone and Crystal remind you of the two best friends that never left each other’s side even when they were fighting. We all know a Tia, the wild and loud friend with a personality that fills the room. On the male side, it’s beautiful to watch three very different kinds of Black men hold a friendship together by talking about their feelings and being there for each other. Bryson is helplessly in love with Simone and although he goes back and forth about making a move on her his friends David and Ari support him. David is a hopeful pastor that is doing is best not to stray from the Lord’s word while maintaining a normal life with friends.
The biggest surprise of the show, however, might be Ari, a hopeful filmmaker that invites a friend to the gangs Game Night and casually implies to his bisexuality while not missing a beat. It’s absolutely amazing to see and I hesitantly hopefully that we get future Ari centric episodes that explore him and his sexuality fully.
In addition to the authentic feel of the show and it’s relatable dialogue, it’s also beautifully shot. The struggle to properly light dark-skinned people is still very real in Hollywood. And while we make great strides in film, television still gets away with not give Black skin the glow it deserves. Boomerang is here to change that as well. The cinematography for the show is ascetically pleasing in all the right ways. Even the soundtrack for the episodes lets you know that someone Black spent time working on it. The old school songs are gems of their own while the modern ones help give the show that Millennial feel.
I really like Boomerang. If nothing else for the fact it feels authentic by nature and not by force. When the characters interacted, the slang they used flowed. The banter was witty and the jokes made me smile instead of cringe. It was as if my friends and I were having a conversation on the screen. The situations the characters find themselves are all relatable, we are all out here struggling to be successful while the crushing weight of being Black in society sits upon us. The need to have a core group of Black friends for sanity and safety is something we don’t often to get to explore in the things we make. The chances aren’t given to us, but it’s been given to Lena Waithe and clearly, she’s not taking it for granted. It’s nice, and it’s long overdue.
I look forward to watching Boomerang every Tuesday night.
-Danyi
