EXCLUSIVE | 'Godfather of Harlem': Series creator Chris Brancato sheds light on unpredictability factor of gangster drama
If anything, 'Godfather of Harlem' was unpredictable. The gangster drama had its own share of surprises that it threw in every episode. The finale ensured this factor was set a few notches up when it saw Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch) leave the Nation of Islam, Elise (Antoinette- Crowe Legacy) save Bumpy (Forest Whitaker) and the death of Teddy Greene (Kelvin Harrison Jr).
For series creator, Chris Brancato, this was an attempt to certainly try to make it feel that way and "try to turn expectation". In an exclusive with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Brancato explained the idea behind every episode was to twist the expectations of the audience.
"We know as writers that the audience — especially if they like gangster shows — have seen virtually every version of the gangster show you could imagine," he explained. "So what we're always looking to do is figure ways to filter it through this prism of crime and civil rights, and then also to do things that hopefully you're not going to expect. I really hope you feel that way after you watch the final episode of the Season 1. I think there's a lot of unexpected stuff in that episode," he opined.
And that there was. 'Chickens Come Home To Roost' was a fitting end to what has been 10 weeks of great storytelling. The show started off as an ambitious, rich project and is definitely one of the top mob-genre series that's made in the recent past. Chin gives up on his plans to kill Teddy for the sake of his daughter and while that doesn't end up as planned, it still goes on to show that he was a man with a heart despite his wily, cruel demeanor.
(To lend an easy-to-read experience for our readers, the original interview has been split into multiple stories. Stay with us as we update our site with more of Brancato's valuable insights on 'Godfather of Harlem')