‘The Good Lord Bird’ Episode 5 addresses toxic masculinity in Black men as they refuse to take Onion in a dress seriously
Spoilers for ‘The Good Lord Bird’ episode 5, ‘Hiving the Bees’.
At just beyond the middle of the story, ‘The Good Lord Bird’ provides an episode of such spectacular urgency, that it proves to be almost too much to wait another week to see what happens next. Even though it’s a biographical tale and anyone who has read about fanatical abolitionist John Brown knows what’s coming next. In preparation for the raid at Harper’s Ferry in Virginia, Brown (Ethan Hawke) sends Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson) to the town to spread the word among slaves of the uprising that is going to take place. And while Onion had little success, the party soon found itself under suspicion from neighbors thanks to the loose lips of one of the members. With an impending police visit that would ruin their plans for good, Brown takes the difficult decision to move ahead with the plans earlier than the fixed date for the raid. And that leaves us waiting for the next episode to feature the historical skirmish that would become one of the factors igniting the Civil War in the US.
This episode is enough to make anyone nervous about what’s to come. But it is also a great place to examine something else. Something that is more of a cultural problem. Something that echoes the present. And ‘The Good Lord Bird’, through its beautiful writing, has a unique way of doing that.
Onion’s character works perfectly in that regard. Henry was taken to be Henrietta (and later Christened Onion) by Brown when they first met. And ever since, he was forced to wear a dress and act like a woman. There’s something curious depicted in the show that is worth noting. Since episode one, not a single White person has ever doubted Onion’s gender. Most Black people, on the other hand, have recognized Onion for who he is -- a boy in a dress, putting up an act to stay safe. In episode 5, especially, we see Onion constantly being mocked by slaves, especially the men, for the way he looked - some women seemed to understand why he had to do what he had to do. Even when they found out that he was a messenger for John Brown, he wondered aloud why a “wimp” was chosen to deliver his message.
And that is a problem that the show subtly tries to cast a soft light on. That even when one can talk about the oppression of race, few want to address the oppression of patriarchy within the ranks of the oppressed. Writer James Woods, in an essay about Black masculinity, noted, “... Black men need to examine and explore why they are uncomfortable with femininity and the expression of it. The root cause of this discomfort dates back to slavery. Black men needed to shield themselves from the oppressor, which meant discouraging any forms of femininity and maintaining an image of power and might in a society that viewed them as anything but powerful.”
As per Dr. R L’Heureux Lewis, a sociologist, and professor of Black studies at the City University of New York, Black men need to “acknowledge we are oppressed but we can be equally oppressors, particularly to our sisters.” And that is what we have seen on the show so far. Sure, Black men have not oppressed Onion nearly enough as compared to the White men and women. But they have in many ways still stifled him. They have shamed him. They have tried not to understand him.
‘The Good Lord Bird’, in many ways, have echoed ideas that did not exist in that era - at least not so coherently. It has talked about the White savior complex and critiqued it well. It has talked about White supremacy, of course. But with this critique, that is not limited to just this episode, it has made quite possibly an invaluable point. Introspection is key and the show-makers know that well.
'The Good Lord Bird' airs on Sundays on Showtime at 9 pm ET/PT.