Genius: Aretha (3×02) Until the Real Thing Comes Along Review

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

Synopsis: Struggling to find her sound, Aretha catches the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1966. Meanwhile, Little Re has her first touring experience on the Gospel Circuit in 1954 with C.L. Franklin and meets her idol, Clara Ward. (TVGuide)

The second episode of Genius: Aretha continues to brilliantly tell the story of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin and the unknown struggles of her childhood, and the tumultuous relationship she had with her first husband, Ted White. It’s a jarring look into the singer’s life, and the second episode dives even deeper into her demons.

As the premiere revealed, Ted was far from the perfect husband, and his abusive behavior towards Aretha was one of the many secrets she carried with her. The shot of Aretha doing a killer performance followed by her removing her makeup to reveal the bruises she had underneath is extremely devastating. But it is a testament to the way the writers are able to convey Aretha’s journey and pack an emotional punch while doing it.

Throughout the second episode, we see that Aretha’s dependence and inability to break free of the men in her life is something that goes as far back as her father. Unfortunately, her father, C.L. Franklin, didn’t give her the attention and love she truly deserved, not in the way she needed it at least. As a young girl, he had her join his gospel tours but didn’t pay much mind to Little Re’s whereabouts in the late evening. One particular night, Re is wandering about the hotel designated just for colored people looking for her father and stumbles across him in a room surrounded by women seducing him. It’s not exactly the type of thing a young girl her age should see, but what happens later that night (or at least what is implied) is more heartbreaking than anything.

In the days and months to follow, Re complains of stomach pain and the fact that she hasn’t had her period for four months. While we didn’t see any such incident take place, we can all but assume that the night we see Re walking about and stumbling into a party is the very same night someone raped her and got her pregnant. I personally don’t know much about Aretha Franklin’s life so learning that she had a baby at the age of 12 broke my heart. What broke my heart more was hearing her grandmother Rachel (Pauletta Washington) and her father tell her that life would continue as it always has. She would have the baby and it’d be their family baby, and she’d continue to sing as she always has. Maybe it was a way of dealing with his guilt of abandoning Aretha when she needed protection the most, but it’s incredibly saddening to see. Eventually, Rachel would go on to help raise her great-grandkids before Aretha eventually got married years later.

While this is an incredibly important moment in Aretha’s life, the series continues to focus on her journey and the path she would take to rise to fame. That involved her transition from working with Columbia Records to eventually joining Atlantic Records with Jerry Wexler, who would take Aretha to the heights we came to know her in. It was a beautiful moment to see in this episode when Aretha performs on The Steve Allen Show and captures Jerry’s attention. He’s not as wowed by the television performance but is completely taken aback by her impromptu piano performance which ultimately leads to her signing on with Atlantic Records. It’s the turning point in Aretha’s career and the foundation on which her future is built.

A great aspect about Genius: Aretha is how it weaves in the social issues of the 1950s and 1960s but still ensure that Aretha’s genius is realized by the audience. Amidst her focus on her career, Aretha faced sexism and racism, and the doubt of every person in her life. It was near impossible for her to succeed, but she did anyway and did it impressively, and the show is doing an amazing job highlighting that journey. We see the struggles of a 1950s America and the fact that segregation is still very much a thing she and her family are dealing with. It’s incorporated into the storyline but it’s done in a respectful and honorable way while still focusing on the person of the hour.

I am smitten over this show, and I’m so excited that the event will continue for the next few days. It’s going to be an amazing journey!

Check out my TV blog to read reviews, recaps, and much more! Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and like my Facebook page! @watchwithreebs

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, follow us on Instagram, and also like us on Facebook.

Ariba Bhuvad