REVIEW: ‘Lovecraft Country,’ Episode 10-“Full Circle”

Lovecraft Country Episode 10 pulls out all the stops for its grand finale “Full Circle”. Picking up immediately where “Rewind 1921” left off, Atticus (Jonathan Majors) and Leti (Jurnee Smollett) come face to face with the ghosts of the Freeman family. With their newfound knowledge of magic, they launch one last plan to save Diana (Jada Harris) and stop Christina (Abbey Lee) from gaining immortality.

“Full Circle” is aptly named because nearly every plot thread introduced in the past nine episodes comes to a head. Hippolyta (Aunjane Ellis) deals with the fallout of her journey from “I Am” and how it led to Diana’s haunting in “Jig-A-Bobo”. Atticus and Ji-Ah (Jamie Chung) lay the past to rest. And Leti has a heart to heart with Ruby (Wummi Mosaku) about the nature of family.

It’s that last scene that served as a reminder of what makes this show work. As I stated in previous recaps, the reason this series works is that showrunner Misha Green makes sure the characters are just as interesting as the monsters and magic that surrounds them. Leti and Ruby have had a rocky relationship ever since the death of their mother, and now have become entangled in a world of magic. Mosaku and Smollett both are in top form here, with their shifting facial expressions saying just as much as the words they speak.

Majors also delivers a standout performance, as Atticus marches on to his destiny. Throughout the season, Atticus has either tried to flee from the supernatural or tackle it by himself. In Lovecraft Country Episode 10,   he reaches out to everyone: his aunt, his father, and of course the love of his life. And he heads back to Ardham not out of fear, but of love. Majors cycles through a wide range of emotions in this episode, but the most prominent is determination. It’s etched on his face, it seeps into every word. Atticus will see this through, whether he dies or not.

Director Nelson McCormick gets to stage some intense set-pieces, including a fight scene between Atticus’ family and the residents of Ardham. This scene is beautifully intercut with a fight between Leti and Christina, the blows from one fight transitioning into the next. He also films a stunning climax that neatly ties a bow on Season 1 and will have readers itching for a Season 2.

If there is one issue with the finale, it’s how Ruby’s story ends. I feel that the show could have gotten a lot more mileage out of her relationships with Leti and Christina, and her ending feels abrupt and unsatisfying. If the series is renewed, Green and her writing staff can hopefully pick up that thread and better weave Ruby into the ongoing narrative.

Lovecraft Country ends as it began: beautifully blending genre conventions with Black history to produce an entertaining and often emotional story. Green has already discussed potential plans for a Season 2, and I hope they come to fruition because judging from the climax, the Freeman’s story isn’t finished yet.

Season 1 of Lovecraft Country is now available to stream on HBO Max.