BET+ is venturing into the historical/period pieces with this intriguing mini-series inspired by real events!
The Porter dives into the height of the North American railway system, mainly for Black workers who made their bread and butter in the transportation business as porters, a job that was one of the most common for Black men at the time.
And through what promises to be an enthralling series, The Porter draws from the formation of the first Black Union.
Through The Porter, we follow two train porters who were as close as ever, Junior Massey and Zeke Garrett.
One tragedy strikes on the job, leaving the community reeling; the two set on completely different paths that will inevitably conflict with one another in their dogged pursuit of a better life and all that it entails as Black men during the early 1920s.
Junior takes an “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach to life after that. Instead of making a gallant effort to fix the system that grinds him down, he opts to exploit it and bend the system to his will.
We follow Junior as he immerses himself into the dark, gritty life of crime, bootlegging, hustling, and gambling in his pursuit of money and his perception of the American dream.
Meanwhile, Zeke takes an active approach, wanting to change the system that grinds them down. The best way to do that is from within the system in Zeke’s mind.
A proud porter, Zeke’s dreams are more extensive and consist of fighting for the rest of their community, even if it means fighting against the railway system he works for and loves.
Zeke’s intentions are to union all the Black Workers for their protection, an uphill battle like no other, particularly during the time.
But unfortunately, Zeke’s bold and ambitious pursuit may put him in direct opposition to whatever nefarious things Junior has at play.
Their unshakeable bond is tested beyond its limits, and the brotherhood forged through war and struggle may rip them apart.
The series posits if they’ll have to betray each other, the community, or themselves in their efforts to follow their dreams.
In the official trailer, we see a stylish Junior Massey immersed in that Jazz nightlife of the time, oozing the confidence, self-assurance, and mischief that could only lead to trouble.
He’s a bit of a scheming type, positioning himself with Queenie, a powerful woman, who they refer to as the Southside Butcher, who runs the criminal underworld.
Junior appeals to Queenie with insider knowledge of the tracks, making himself an asset and potential partner in crime.
In his words, as a Black porter, he’s “the most invisible man on the earth,” and he intends to use that to his advantage.
It’s in direct contrast to Zeke, who makes some noise as he begins the grassroots groundwork effort to unionize the Black porters across the US and Canada.
Two separate dangers for different reasons will see these two best friends attempting to pull the other to their side until they’re increasingly at odds.
The Jazz and the clothing add to the vibe of the series and its historical context. We get action, brawling, dancing, some romance, and much more! And then there’s the cast.
The Porter features the esteemed Alfre Woodard, for starters!
But it also stars I May Destroy You and Sense8‘s Aml Ameen as Junior Massey, and Ronnie Rowe Jr. stars as Zeke Garrett.
It also stars Mouna Traoré, Loren Lott, The Expanse and American Gods‘ Olunike Adeliyi, Luke Bilyk, Sabryn Rock, Burden of Truth‘s Paul Essiembre, Arnold Pinnock, Bruce Ramsay, and Luc Roderique.
The Porter is created by Marsha Greene, Annmarie Morais, Arnold Pinnock, and Bruce Ramsay. It’s Executive Produced by Marsha Greene, Annmarie Morais, Jennifer Kawaja, Ian Dimerman, Aml Ameen, Alfre Woodard, Bruno Dubé, Charles Officer, R.T. Thorne, Arnold Pinnock. Charles Officer and R.T. Thorne direct it.
The eight-episode mini-series hits streamer BET+ on May 5.
Check out the trailer below!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.