Why the Hell Isn't Anyone Watching Hulu's 'Unprisoned'?

By Dustin Rowles | TV | March 31, 2023 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | March 31, 2023 |

Hulu released Unprisoned three weeks ago, but virtually no one has talked about it, online engagement is minimal, and even Rotten Tomatoes has only 12 reviews posted. Do people not realize that the Emmy-winning star of Scandal, Kerry Washington, and an industry legend, Delroy Lindo, are starring in a series together? The elevator pitch alone — Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo play daughter and father — should have been enough to make Unprisoned at least a minor hit. Did someone forget to market this thing? Did someone neglect to turn on the Internet ad campaigns? It’s Olivia Pope and the Denzel of his generation’s character actors, Delroy Lindo. What is going on?

I’ll say this much, at least: People aren’t watching because it’s bad, because it’s not. It may not have superheroes, cannibals, or soccer coaches, but it’s a solid half-hour dramedy with a solid premise: The life of a successful therapist, Paige (Washington), is upended when her father Edwin (Lindo) is released from prison. Throw in Marque Richardson (Reggie from Dear White People) as Mal, Edwin’s parole officer and Paige’s love interest; Brenda Strong as Edwin’s booty call; and Tim Daly as the married man Paige is sleeping with, and you got yourself a solid foundation. You can add to that creator Tracy McMillan, a longtime television writer who has had a hand in Mad Men, Life on Mars, and Runaways. The series is inspired by her own relationship with her father, who was a criminal.

If there’s a knock against Unprisoned, however, it’s that it isn’t a loud show; there aren’t a lot of character or plot twists, and no there are no scenes in the series designed to go viral. The cast is great. The writing is smart. The vibe is chill. Paige, who bounced from foster home to foster home, has abandonment issues owing to all the years her father spent in prison. She doesn’t trust him. Edwin doesn’t want to go back to prison. He wants to be an honest man who earns an honest living and he wants to spend more time with his daughter and grandson, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).

The deck, however, is stacked against ex-cons, so Edwin has to make an even bigger effort. He can’t use his prison record as an excuse, nevermind the fact that no one wants to hire an ex-con and he can’t get a driver’s license without his birth certificate and he can’t get his birth certificate without a photo ID. Paige, meanwhile, is initially involved with a married man but ends up in a relationship with a great guy she doesn’t think that she deserves.

It’s good. It’s a little scattered, but it’s genial, modestly funny, and short (there are 8 half-hour episodes). Plus, it’s a treat to see Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo separately, but even better to see the two together. They are fantastic and proof that Washington should be in more comedies, and Lindo should be in more of everything. I have no idea why no one is watching, but it’s worth carving out a few hours to do so.