Close Menu
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Momo and Okarun share a close moment in Dandadan

    Momo And Okarun: The Gold Standard For Shonen Romance

    07/03/2025
    Ironheart Episodes 4 6 But Why Tho 1

    ‘Ironheart’ Explained: Explore MCU’s Bold New Chapter

    07/01/2025
    Buck in 9-1-1

    ‘9-1-1’ Has To Let Buck Say Bisexual

    06/29/2025
    Nintendo Welcome Tour promotional image of the maraca mini-game

    The One “Game” That Justifies The Nintendo Switch 2 Purchase

    06/25/2025
    Destiel Confession in Supernatural - Castiel (Misha Collins) and Dean (Jensen Ackles)

    The Destiel Confession: The Lasting Importance Of Supernatural’s Greatest Ship

    06/22/2025
  • Squid Game
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
But Why Tho?
Home » TV » REVIEW: Amazon’s ‘Them: Covenant’ Can’t Commit To A Genre or A Story

REVIEW: Amazon’s ‘Them: Covenant’ Can’t Commit To A Genre or A Story

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings04/04/20214 Mins ReadUpdated:04/24/2024
Them
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Them: Covenant  is an Amazon Prime Original anthology television series, created for television by Little Marvin and executive produced by Marvin and Lena Waithe. Them (2021) goes as follows: In the 1950’s, the Emory family moves to California and settle into a new home. However, mother Lucky (Deborah Ayorinde) and father Henry (Ashley Thomas) must deal with racist behavior from the next-door neighbors including housewife Betty (Alison Pill) while their daughters Ruby (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Gracie (Melody Hurd) are slowly drawn into a horrific mystery in their new house.

Ever since the first trailer for Them (2021) has dropped, the series has been compared to Get Out and Us-the fact that Wright Joseph had a starring role in the latter didn’t exactly help matters. However, a better comparison would be Lovecraft Country. Both series are set during a certain time period in American history and deal with the racism that continues to plague this country, as well as supernatural forces. However, Lovecraft Country actively leaned into its supernatural elements and even managed to cross into a few other genres during its first season. Them (2021), in contrast, can’t decide whether it wants to be a piece of historical fiction or a horror series as the latter doesn’t really get started until halfway in the series. While I do love stories that blend different genres, if you are going to have horror elements in your story you must fully commit to the premise.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

When the horror elements kick in they are genuinely unsettling. Perhaps the most horrific element is the “Tap Dance Man” (Jeremiah Birke) who routinely haunts Ruby, appearing in her nightmares as well as television commercials and other places. Modeled after the extremely racist minstrel shows, Birke’s Tap Dance Man moves with a sinister spring in his step and malevolence etched into his painted face. Other unsettling images include a collection of racist dolls that Betty and her cronies string around the Emory’s front door, the closeups proving rather jarring. I applaud Marvin and his writing team, as well as the directing team, for reappropriating the minstrel figures into truly horrifying images.

However, “jarring” seems to be the only setting for this series-which is the opposite of any good horror story. Lovecraft Country, Us, and Get Out often balanced their scares with genuinely funny moments or their main characters having quiet moments to comfort each other. Even Antebellum delivered an emotional catharsis in its finale. Rarely does that happen in Them (2021)-the Emorys are belittled, mocked, and terrorized at every turn, with nary a breather. And over the course of 10 episodes, that feels drawn out — not to mention utterly exhausting. The eighth episode doubles down on that, with its black-and-white setting feeling more like a poppy aesthetic and less like an organic story choice.

The cast itself is hit and miss. Ayorinde displays a simmering undercurrent of anger and regret as Lucky, who is dealing with unresolved trauma from her childhood in addition to the challenges surrounding her. Likewise, Thomas’ Henry deals with multiple microaggressions at work despite the fact that he’s one of the more qualified engineers in the entire organization. Pill on the other hand doesn’t have much more to her character than “extremely racist housewife”-in fact, most of the white characters can be boiled down to “They’re racist.” The best antagonists often have dimensions, and those are severely lacking here.

Them (2021) is lackluster with its horror elements, and overbearing with its social commentary, leading to an ultimately dissatisfying experience. Amazon greenlit the series for a two-season order, so hopefully, the second season is an improvement.

Them: Covenant is streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime.

Them: Covenant
  • 6/10
    Rating - 6/10
6/10

TL;DR

Them: Covenant is lackluster with its horror elements, and overbearing with its social commentary, leading to an ultimately dissatisfying experience. Amazon greenlit the series for a two-season order, so hopefully, the second season is an improvement.

  • Watch via Amazon Prime Video

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘The Irregulars’ – Sherlockian Storytelling but Make it Supernatural
Next Article ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘One Piece, Volume 96
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8
7.5

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 7-8

07/03/2025
Anthony Ramos in Ironheart Episodes 4-6

REVIEW: ‘Ironheart’ Episodes 4-6

07/01/2025
The Bear Season 4 But Why Tho 3
7.0

REVIEW: ‘The Bear’ Season 4 Tries to Bounce Back

06/30/2025
Squid Game Season 3
9.5

REVIEW: ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 Delivers An Emotion-Filled Finale

06/27/2025
Taecyeon in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 5-6
7.5

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 5-6

06/26/2025
Cho Yi-hyun in Head Over Heels Episodes 1-2
8.0

REVIEW: ‘Head Over Heels’ Episodes 1-2

06/24/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8
7.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 7-8

By Sarah Musnicky07/03/2025

The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8 spends welcome time in pre-domestic bliss before new developments stir up trouble.

Together (2025) still from Sundance
8.0
Film

REVIEW: Have A Grossly Good Time ‘Together’

By Kate Sánchez01/27/2025Updated:07/04/2025

Dave Franco and Alison Brie’s Together (2025) is disgustingly funny, genuinely ugly, and just a good time at the movies.

The best dinosaurs in Jurassic World BWT Recommends

From T-Rex To D-Rex: The Top 10 Dinosaurs In ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’

By Jason Flatt07/04/2025Updated:07/04/2025

Jurassic World Rebirth is packed with one great, thrilling scene of dinosaurs after the next—we ranked the best dinosaurs in the new film.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here