The first trailer for FX's upcoming sci-fi thriller series Kindred is out now, and it has left a lot of questions unanswered. Based on Octavia E. But
The first trailer for FX’s upcoming sci-fi thriller series Kindred is out now, and it has left a lot of questions unanswered. Based on Octavia E. Butler’s critically acclaimed 1979 novel of the same name, Kindred is a time-traveling literary epic that explores themes of race, slavery, and American history, with the violent and dark story taking place over decades. Its first trailer doesn’t give away much, with just hints about its time-traveling rules and complex story, leaving many viewers scratching their heads.
FX’s Kindred will be an eight-episode series that adapts Butler’s classic novel and is the first-ever on-screen adaptation of the story. The book is Butler’s best-selling work and has an incredibly dedicated fanbase. Because of this, the trailer for FX’s Kindred adaptation has garnered a lot of hype, and FX has some high expectations to meet. There’s a lot of ground to cover, including what Kindred is about, how faithful it will be to the book, and when it will come out.
What Is Kindred About?
Kindred tells the story of Dana Franklin, a 26-year-old black woman from the modern day (1976 in the novel) who is suddenly and inexplicably transported back in time. Dana finds herself at a pre-Civil War plantation in Maryland in the Antebellum south, surrounded by all the slavery, sexism, and violence that would be expected of the time period. After passing out, Dana is transported back to her 1976 home without a clue of what had happened.
Over the course of the novel, Dana passes out and is transported back to the plantation several times, attempting to figure out what is causing these episodes during each visit. Kindred spans decades, using its sci-fi concept to explore racism, feminism, social constructs, and tons of other important themes. It is a classic example of using complex science-fiction storytelling to address social horrors. Kindred spans decades, weaving together a complex plot with rich themes to create a novel that has been praised and remembered since its release in 1979.
How Does Kindred’s Time Traveling Work?
Unlike other sci-fi movies and TV shows, Kindred‘s time-traveling doesn’t come via a machine or a magical object. In fact, throughout most of the story, Dana doesn’t even know what is causing it. The main plot centers around Dana trying to stop her unexplainable jumps to the past, and while fully explaining it would spoil the show, there are some rules that are introduced early on in the novel to explain Kindred‘s system of time travel.
Kindred‘s time travel has one core rule: although time progresses as normal when Dana is in the past, only a few minutes have passed when she wakes up in the present. For example, Dana’s second trip back in time sees her stay there for several hours, unable to leave. However, when she returns home, her husband assures her that it has only been a brief absence. At one point, Dana discovers that five years have passed in the Antebellum south, while she had only been in 1976 for eight days.
There are some other rules revealed about Kindred‘s time travel early on. Dana discovers that her time-traveling is somehow related to Rufus Weylin, the son of a slave owner that Dana rescues from death in her first trip to the past. Rufus can be seen in the trailer, being the young boy that Dana carries out of the burning building. Each time she travels to the past, Dana appears near the Weylins, making her think that Rufus is key to why it keeps happening. Dana also learns that others can time travel with her as long as they are making contact with her when she passes out. This leads to some major problems later in the novel.
What Is FX’s Kindred Changing From The Book?
The extent that Kindred deviates from the book is unknown for now, with FX keeping much of the story under wraps, but it seems to be fairly faithful to the book story-wise, with several shots from the trailer being ripped straight from the novel. However, FX’s Kindred seems to change one key thing from the novel: its tone. The trailer for Kindred gives off more of a psychological thriller vibe, almost sci-fi horror flavor instead of the mystery drama style that the novel sticks close to. While the book does have some horrific moments of violence, Kindred isn’t really a scary story. Considering it’s just a trailer, though, it could be misrepresenting the tone of the final show.
Will Kindred Season 1 Tell The Whole Story?
FX’s Kindred is currently only eight episodes, which may not be enough to tell the whole story. Kindred is a fairly complex novel, with its story taking place over years and even decades. Each time Dana goes to the past, the plantation’s characters have gotten older, meaning that the show would need different actors to play the same character as they age. It isn’t yet confirmed if the eight episodes are just Kindred season 1, with a further season to be commissioned if it proves popular, or if the upcoming 2022 show is a limited sci-fi series.
Kindred could easily fill up several seasons of television on its own. FX can even continue the Kindred series past the book, telling original stories in the same universe — something that has a lot of potential. While the question of how much of the novel is being adapted is still open, Kindred‘s strange release pattern may hint at an answer.
When Does FX’s Kindred Come Out?
Although Kindred‘s first trailer was released just recently, the show is dropping sooner than such traditionally early marketing might suggest. Like many of FX’s other shows, Kindred will be released on Hulu, with the series premiering on December 13. The first episode won’t be the only thing coming out that day, though. In a surprise twist, all eight episodes of FX’s Kindred will be released on Hulu on December 13, allowing the exciting story to be binged by viewers. The 2022 TV calendar has already been packed with fantastic content, and eight episodes of FX’s Kindred landing at once will be the perfect way to close out the year.
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