Television series Created by Spike Lee based upon his 1986 film
Season 1 10 episodes released November 23, 2017
Season 2 9 episodes released May 24, 2019
Executive Producers Tonya Jackson Lee & Spike Lee
Directed by Spike Lee
"Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember and remember everything they don't want to forget The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly."
-Zora Neale Hurston
Their Eyes Were Watching God
That specific passage emerged as the opening image in Writer/Producer/Director Spike Lee's landmark debut feature film "She's Gotta Have It," an epigraph which fully served to inform and therefore introduce us to that film's starring protagonist, the formidable Nola Darling.
As portrayed by Tracy Camilla Johns, Nola was an embodiment of a revolution. Conceptually, she represented a sexually liberated woman who refused to adhere to anyone else's expectation other than her own, especially any of the men who wished to formulate relationships with her. Beyond the narrative, Nola Darling and the film itself represented a new wave in independent movie making, for Black filmmakers unquestionably and for the medium of cinema itself undeniably.
Returning to the epigraph by Zora Neale Hurston, as I look back to the film, in 1986, I think we could just take the quotation at face value and solely apply it to the film in which it is forever attached. Now, nearly 35 years after its release, we can now witness that the quotation was a most audacious opening shot in a most audacious film that represented the arrival of a most audacious filmmaker who has delivered a filmmaking career and legacy that has existed as nothing less than most audacious.
With a filmography that contains nothing less than the likes of "Do The Right Thing" (1989), "Jungle Fever" (1991),"Malcolm X" (1992), "Clockers" (1995), "Get On The Bus" (1996), "He Got Game" (1998), "Bamboozled" (2000), "25th Hour" (2002), "Inside Man" (2006), "BlacKKKlansman" (2018) and even more (phew...and dat's da truth Ruth!!) Lee turned his cinematic storytelling eye to television with a move that artistically brought him full circle, resulting in an experience that is purely, unapologetically, unrepentantly, and so beautifully SPIKE!!!
"She's Gotta Have It," the film and story that began it all for Spike Lee, has now been resurrected and transformed into a television series for Netflix. Running two full seasons with 19 episodes, Lee has far expanded the canvas of his 86 minute debut feature into a luxurious mosaic that unfolds over 10 hours.
The re-invention of "She's Gotta Have It" from film to television series is a wonderment to everything that has ever existed within Spike Lee's self-described "Joints." In fact, and even as its re-conceives the film's core characters and key events, the series crucially returns to everything that essentially built his filmography--from his singular characters, fair minded point of view and presentation, his delivery of a social/political Black activism while simultaneously displaying the breadth of the Black community and the Back experience overall, and of course, a lusciously artful love letter to Fort Greene, Brooklyn and an encapsulation of the filmography the city has thus inspired.
As with the film, "She's Gotta Have It" chronicles the life and times of Nola Darling (now played by a sensational DeWanda Wise), a young aspiring artist, self-professed cinephile and resident of Brooklyn, who is exploring not only her own sense of sexual freedom as she juggles three relationships--with wealthy and married businessman Jamie Overstreet (Lyriq Bent), vain model and photographer Greer Childs (Cleo Anthony) and over-the-top, streetwise, Air Jordan devotee Mars Blackmon (Anthony Ramos in the role iconically originated by Lee himself)--but her own sense of artistic purpose and self discovery.
Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" series is a ravishing production overflowing with vitality and vibrancy to the point where it practically leaps from the screen. Gorgeously filmed and edited, beautifully accented with still photos and album covers, and adorned with glorious costume design and a brilliantly eclectic soundtrack which features both Composer Bruce Hornsby's sweeping expansion of Composer Bill Lee's original film score and a wall-to-wall song score curated by Spike Lee himself, it is a series that is wholly idiosyncratic to the vision Lee has cultivated from his debut as it looks and sounds like nothing else other than himself.
Now that Lee has an exceedingly larger palate to paint upon, this new version allows him to alter and expand considerably upon characters and themes familiar to the original film plus increase his vision even further to make considerable inclusions.
All three of Nola's suitors have been given expansive backstories and additions. This time, we meet Jaime Overstreet's wife Cheryl (Sydney Morton) and son Virgil (young electric guitarist phenom Brandon Neiderauer), learn of Greer's biracial heritage and of his European upbringing and we also have the major alteration of the Mars Blackmon character to also now being biracial (African-American and Puerto Rican), a touch plays heavily into the character, as he lives with his sister Lulu (Santana Caress Benitez) as well as the entire series as it grows and deepens over its 19 episodes.
Also returning with expanded characterizations are Nora's former roommate and now art dealer, the brittle, pragmatic Clorinda Bradford (Margot Bingham), former lover Opal Gilstrap (an excellent Ilfenesh Hadera), who herself is now a single Mother to daughter Skylar (Indigo Hubbard-Salk) as well as Nora's therapist Dr. Jamison (Heather Hedley).
All of these characters are now joined by more family, friends and citizens of Fort Greene including Nola's Mother, Septima (Joie Lee) and her musician Father, Stokley (Thomas Jefferson Byrd). We also meet Nola's maternal yet frustrated landlady Miss Ella Chisholm (Pauletta Washington), Nola's friend Shemmeka Epps (Chyna Layne), a dancer who works at the local burlesque club owned and operated by Winny Win Winford (Fat Joe) and who struggles with body image issues, Papo (Elvis Nolasco), Fort Greene native, an artist and now homeless war veteran who often clashes with new brownstone owner Bianca Tate (Kim Doctor), and also the formidable Raqueletta Moss (De'Adre Aziza), who nearly always addresses herself in the third person...and don't even think of questioning her about that!
As for Nola Darling herself, she remains the captivating front and center of this new series and with all due respect to the character's originator in Tracy Camilla Johns, DeWanda Wise is spectacular as she has re-created the role with a fearlessness and unstoppable passion and depth to the degree that actress and character become inseparable. She is game for anything and is equal to every solitary curve ball Spike Lee throws at her, making this character exist as possibly Lee's greatest, most singular creation as she firmly represents the filmmaker at his best and purest--when he is at his most artistically fearless and uncompromising.
Yes indeed, Nola Darling makes some tremendous errors in judgement, is often financially irresponsible and often falls into a level of self-absorption that can alienate those closest to her. That being said, "She's Gotta Have It" deeply asks of her and for us in the audience to question what is the "It" that Nola just has to have as the series chronicles her inner journey towards a sexual freedom then an artistic freedom which even then, leads to a potentially professional, personal and existential freedom. Nola Darling is committed to following her life path whatever it may be and wherever it may take her and her utmost refusal to compromise, to appease the herd or follow the norm is inspiring to the point of existing as nothing less than uplifting. Her level of integrity is unshakable and observing her spiritual ascension throughout the series is resplendent.
There has always existed a certain through line within Spike Lee's filmography of females who call back to Nola Darling as they exist somewhere in between being free spirits and social/political feminists (although Nola herself would vehemently reject any sense of labels outright). We see pieces of Nola in the nameless titular would-be actress turned phone sex operator played by Theresa Randle in "Girl 6" (1996) as well as the conspiratorial, conniving Fatima (Kerry Washington) in "She Hate Me" (2004), for instance.
Yet, over the years, Spike Lee has indeed taken some criticism for the conception and presentation of his female characters so to assist with Nola Darling's resurrection, Lee has wisely invited a team of women writers to script and therefore, shape the bulk of the series ensuring that the imperative female perspective, energy and soul is as inherent to the narrative as possible. While Lee has directed every episode himself, we more than gather a greater honesty and validity to the character than we would have if Lee had written the series solo, which also gives the series a deeper gravity and stronger sense of uplift.
One criticism of the original film, and even long noted as a source of regret to the point he now feels it to have been an outright mistake on his part as a writer and storyteller was to have Nola Darling raped by Jaime Overstreet in the final third of the film. For the series, the ways in which women exist in an unsafe world is firmly weaved into the narrative as a whole, for both satirical and dramatic effect and always honestly presented.
For Nola specifically, that very source of violation returns but within a completely different framework and set of circumstances presented in the series' debut episode, which does set up the course for Nola's evolution for the remainder of both seasons. Again, this was a crucial touch that elevated the purpose, dimension and cumulative effect when regarding the odyssey upon which Nola Darling embarks. And to that end, as the series progresses, we also witness how her odyssey inspires and mirrors deep transformations for several of the characters as well, projecting them far from where they began.
Often, Spike Lee has also been criticized for creating films that are conceptually over-stuffed,a criticism that I have always eschewed because I feel his films to be distinctively layered. With "She's Gotta Have It," there truly is a tremendous amount of material and themes to unpack, so much so, that it is a series that demands to be explored more than once.
Love and sexuality, female friendships, family histories, art vs. commerce, and issues of race and class are all surrounded by the re-gentrification of Brooklyn. And even then, we are also presented with Black history and how it affects the Black present. For me, this is not over-stuffed and frankly, even describing it as multi-layered doesn't seem fitting enough. Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" series is a sprawling mosaic, making the experience function as an opera that works as connective tissue to and through much of Lee's filmography, simultaneously wrapping everything together while still charting forwards paths.
The themes of Black self-degradation as presented in "Bamboozled" make a disturbing, satirical return with the existence of a horrific show within the show called "She ASSED For That?!," a program devoted to the exhibition and exploitation of the stereotypical Black female figure, a feature that takes Shemekka down a dark, surreal tunnel. The majesty of the Aaron Copeland Americana from "He Got Game" resurfaces as Nola enjoys a day at her "happy place" in Coney Island.
Speaking of Americana, the series continues what has been oneof Spike Lee's greatest arguments: Black history IS American history, and so, the Black experience is indeed the story of America itself. Just being in the Brooklyn neighborhoods and seeing various sights and landmarks over and again firmly link the characters and the series to "Do The Right Thing," "Mo' Better Blues" (1990), "Jungle Fever," "Crooklyn" (1994), "Clockers," "Girl 6," "He Got Game," "25th Hour," "She Hate Me" and "Red Hook Summer" (2012). And in doing so, we can see how Lee has been crafting an on-going cinematic representation of the history of Brooklyn all along as his filmography has charted this location the 1970's to present day.
Black history and Black excellence is paramount to the series and the characters that populate it. Again, Lee's uncanny skill with delivering a cinematic world that does not acknowledge the imaginary White audience yet speaks directly to the Black community remains as audacious in the 21st century as it was in 1986.
Lee proudly presents cameo appearances and works from Black artists throughout, most notably during one episode where Nola travels to an artist retreat in Martha's Vineyard. One episode is devoted to a block party celebrating the life and artistry of Prince (whose intro to his own "Raspberry Beret" opens every episode). And within the series' own dialogue, the characters often engage in all manner of social/political digressions, asides, soliloquies, monologues, diatribes (Mars' evisceration of Christopher Columbus made me jump out of my seat) and feverish debates (including an extremely intense discussion between Nola and Shemekka during the series climax, regarding a controversial painting Nola has created).
All of this makes for a series that is as superbly thoughtful as it is enormously entertaining. Now, of course, not every single moment works. Some musical sequences go on perhaps a tad too long. Maybe some dialogue is a tad too didactic. Maybe the series has a few too many characters to juggle around at times. But even so, everything is purposeful and essential to the show's operatic nature and breadth. And I am telling you, there are so many instances when Lee diverges from the narrative entirely just to execute some visual poetry and the effect is often soul stirring, as evidenced by the downright astounding episode during which Nola, Mars, Shemekka, Winny Win visit to Puerto Rico to offer some aid after Hurricane Maria.
What I loved the most about the series is essentially what Spike Lee has accomplished for the entirety of his career, and it is the sheer joy I feel of just being able to regard Black people in the act of living life!!! Just the sight of contemporary, everyday Black people experiencing this thing called LIFE is a representative act and image whose continuing rarity in film and television makes what Spike Lee has created so monumental for me as a viewer.
Even now, when so many films feel to wish to present Black people either within a slave narrative or in situations where we are victims to be slaughtered (and even when the work is good to great), Lee has never really been interested in being one more filmmaker who wishes to present Black people suffering and dying. Even so, he has never been tentative about the harsh realities of being Black in America either. Lee, in his dynamic aesthetic, gives us Black people rising every day to face a world that still happens to view us as less than human. And yet, we thrive, we survive, we build and cultivate friendships, relationships and communities while we all figure out our individualizes spaces and places with each other as well as within the world.
This is the greatness of Spike Lee's re-invention of "She's Gotta Have It." Nola Darling strives for independence, elevation, artistic fulfillment and spiritual deliverance in a cold, harsh world that would truly love for someone like her to just fall in line and silently play the part to which she has been assigned. Her refusal to dance to anyone else's tune is inspiring, making for a series that is unforgettable.
Very much like Spike Lee himself.
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