Get ready to play “Chain of Fools” on repeat. The latest installment of National Geographic’s anthology series, “Genius,” focuses on Aretha Franklin. Star of stage and screen alike Cynthia Erivo takes on the title role and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks serves as creator and showrunner.
The eight-part miniseries jumps back and forth through time; its anchor point is Aretha being crowned the Queen of Soul. At that moment, she’s excelling professionally but is contending with family strife and torn about her role in the growing civil rights movement. Flashbacks acquaint us with the adolescent Re (Shaian Jordan), a musical wunderkind who grows up very quickly when she accompanies her loving but hedonistic father, the minister and civil rights activist C. L. Franklin (Courtney B. Vance), on the road.
“Genius: Aretha” does fall into some common biopic traps — every interaction and experience is Important, and there is a an overall lack of nuance — but it’s impossible not to be pulled in by Erivo’s performance, the musical set pieces, and the gorgeous costumes. Whenever Erivo takes the mic — whether Aretha is on stage or working in the recording studio — the series soars. An early sequence that sees Aretha hashing out “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)” with new bandmates is a particular standout. Everyone in the scene becomes increasingly frustrated and tired, but even so, we’re watching a master in the process of making great art. It’s mesmerizing.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this is “Genius'” third season and its first to focus on a woman. (The previous subjects were Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso.) While imperfect, this new season emphasizes how much women of color have contributed culturally, socially, and politically throughout history — and how often their work has gone unacknowledged. We all know Aretha Franklin brought the house down with her music, but, crucially, “Genius: Aretha” pays tribute to the person she was off stage as well. Let’s hope this show sets a precedent and that we’ll see more women headlining “Genius” in the future.
“Genius: Aretha” will kick off with a two-episode premiere on Sunday, March 21, on National Geographic.
