'Wu-Tang: An American Saga' Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Clan finally debuts on stage
Season 2 of the hip-hop show 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga' is seven episodes down and so far, we have witnessed how the clan is taking necessary steps to follow their passion leaving behind the ugly world of crime and drugs. The last episode titled ‘Airwaves’ saw the members doing everything possible in order to sell their debut record ‘Protect Ya Neck’- which was also the title of episode six.
In episode seven of the ‘Hulu’ original series, Bobby Diggs aka RZA (Ashton Sanders) tries hard to make their track get a few plays on a radio station but they all fail miserably until they get surprised in the end-all thanks to their unique promotional strategies. The latest episode is called ‘Saturday Nite’ where we get to see the clan facing new troubles as they get one step closer to achieve their ultimate dream. ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’ has been created by RZA and Alex Tse. The series has been executively produced by the duo alongside Brian Grazer, Merrin Dungey, and Method Man. Wu-Tang Members namely Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and GZA serve as the consulting producers along with the estate of Ol' Dirty Bastard aka ODB.
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Plot
Episode eight ‘Saturday Nite’ opens with Bobby Diggs aka RZA (Ashton Sanders) and Divine (Julian Elijah Martinez) sitting in the office of a record company trying to crack a deal. We also see Power (Marcus Callender) and Ason (T J Atoms) joining them as they hop different offices to get themselves a deal. All four of them get to sit with the bosses of Def Jam recordings as they converse over profits and how the industry goes. Bobby explains Wu-Tang has a different energy to which the label record boss asks if they have ever performed Live and that too with eight members.
This gives the opportunity to the squad to prove their worth but they end up lying that they have a performance lined up in a club called ‘Fever’. Now, the members plan to get a slot at the club as they gear up to face new troubles. On the other hand, we see “D-Love” Coles aka Ghostface Killah's (Siddiq Saunderson) wife going through her issues while taking care of their newborn. Circling back to the clan, in one of the scenes, we see Bobby and other members sorting things out like how to maintain energy on the stage in order to impress the record label, get a proper sound, and how to nail the crowd interaction.
Script
The makers always ensure there are enough twists and turns in the episode to make the show intriguing. The eighth episode deals well in displaying the hustle of hip-hop artists, especially what they have to go through cracking a record label deal. The latest episode also highlights the trouble that musicians face while getting a gig in the clubs. What we have noticed so far, is that the makers of 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga' take one topic per episode and play around with it.
In the second half of the episode, we finally get to see the clan debuting on stage as they perform in front of the record label boss. Also, this is the first time when we see all the clan members wearing matching Wu-Tang hoodies under one roof. Bobby along with Ghostface Killah, Ason, and the rest of the members deliver the promise of having different energy on stage as they manage to impress the record label boss. Ghostface Killah before hitting the stage gets a bit nervous but he finally manages to get it all together. The crowd at the club goes bonkers as all the clan members drop their respective verses at the venue. The makers shot a detailed sequence at the club which is out-and-out entertaining.
Acting
The actors on ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’ certainly raise the bar in the latest episode. Ashton Sanders, who plays Bobby Diggs aka RZA like always, outshines his counterparts. He is also the one who carries the entire series on his shoulder effortlessly. Actors in supporting roles like Julian Elijah Martinez, who plays Divine, and Marcus Callender, who plays Power have fewer scenes but they manage to get the emotions right. Siddiq Saunderson, who plays “D-Love” Coles aka Ghostface Killah is the one apart from Ashton Sanders who is able to convey emotions without speaking much.
‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’ returns to Hulu every Wednesday.
