Genius: Aretha (3×05, 3×06) Young, Gifted, and Black & Amazing Grace Review

For our review of the last episode of Genius: Aretha, click here.

Synopsis: Aretha, inspired by Angela Davis and the Soledad Brothers, records her protest album “Young, Gifted, and Black” in 1970. Despite Jerry Wexler’s uncertainty, the album is a success. Barbara Franklin makes a decision that has a devastating effect on Little Re in 1951; Aretha records her best-selling live Gospel album “Amazing Grace” in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, ignoring her sibling’s pleas to record instead at New Bethel with their father, C.L. Franklin. (TVGuide)

Young, Gifted, and Black takes us deeper into the most pivotal moments of Aretha Franklin’s life. During a time of great uproar and protests, Aretha decided to join the cause for herself. This journey began when she decided to record her own protest album, “Young, Gifted, and Black” in 1970.

As we see during the course of the episode, Aretha is met with a lot of resistance from all sides as she decided to make a protest album. The most resistance came from Jerry Wexler, who refused to give Aretha a producer credit as she asked for. But what comes out of this moment in Aretha’s life is her desire to push forward and fight for what she believes in.

Despite not getting producer credit for the album, it was a huge success for Aretha and her career, which was inspired by activists Angela Davis and the Soledad Brothers. It was great to see this part of Aretha’s life and to say that Erivo did a wonderful job is the understatement of the year. The emotion, the beauty, the strength, and the incredible voice she brings to the role of Aretha is unlike anything we’ve ever seen or heard before.

This episode also takes some time to reflect back on Little Re’s childhood, specifically the moment her mother, Barbara decided to leave home. It came at a major turning point in Barbara’s life after she learned that C.L. Franklin was cheating on her once again. Her plan was to leave with the children, but when C.L. comes home before that can happen, all hell breaks loose and Barbara leaves and moves to Buffalo.

She keeps in touch with the children over time, but eventually, the devastating news of her death shakes up Aretha’s life once again.

Amazing Grace dives into the time of Aretha’s life where she finally takes more control of her career and creates what goes down in history as her best-selling live Gospel album, “Amazing Grace”. In fact, it still remains the best Gospel album of all time, which comes as no surprise at all.

After a very difficult few years and losing King Curtis to a random, violent crime, Aretha needed a break and decided to take one away from the stresses of her life. She doesn’t stay away for too long, and decides on a whim that she wants to create a live Gospel album, but without the control of her father. That is difficult to do but with her relentless pursuit and vision, she makes it happen–and gets that producer credit. And this time around, Jerry Wexler was on her side 100%.

Not only did she get the producer credit, but she recorded at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church instead of New Bethel like her father and siblings wanted. It’s a huge moment for Aretha and gets even bigger when Jerry gets Sydney Pollack (Michael Hogan) to agree to make a film about the whole experience.

The entire event culminates in a multi-night performance that is equal parts emotional, beautiful, and mind-blowing. If only I was alive to have attended that event! The entire thing goes off without a hitch, despite all the roadblocks that were in her way.

In the past, Little Re learns that she is pregnant once again, courtesy of those out-of-town Gospel tours and one too many rambunctious nights. It’s jarring to learn that at such a young age she was the mother of two kids, but it’s with the help of James Cleveland (Omar J. Dorsey) that she gets through this difficult time, even with C.L. kicking him out of his church. Cleveland always seemed to be the light in Aretha’s life and the series has done a good job highlighting their friendship.

It is worth mentioning that in these later years, Aretha finally finds herself a new man, Ken Cunningham (T.I.), who becomes quite a support to her, and is by her side during the days of her protesting and Gospel album.

I’m loving all these tidbits of Aretha’s life and I can’t wait to see how the eight-episode event comes to an end!

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