When They See Us

Limited series as justice document; forced renewed reckoning with a wrongful conviction.

Why it matters

Episode guide

4 episodes across 1 seasons — titles, air dates, and synopses.

At a glance

Five Black and Latino teens are wrongfully convicted in the 1989 Central Park case; the series tracks interrogation, prison, and exoneration’s incomplete mercy. True crime without rubbernecking. Empathy as structure.

Network & studio

• Netflix — streamer network
• Harpo Films — production studio
• TriBeCa Productions — production studio
• ARRAY — production studio
• Participant — production studio

Why watch now

Watch for the cultural DNA of the 2010s — and the star power that made living rooms feel like red carpets.

Cultural impact

Limited series as justice document; forced renewed reckoning with a wrongful conviction.

Creators

Ava DuVernay

Key cast

• Asante Blackk as Young Kevin Richardson
• Caleel Harris as Young Antron McCray
• Ethan Herisse as Young Yusef Salaam
• Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise
• Marsha Stephanie Blake as Linda McCray
• Niecy Nash as Delores Wise

Flash facts

• Netflix limited series directed/co-written by Ava DuVernay; May 2019.
• Jharrel Jerome won Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series.
• Reintroduced the case to a global generation.
• Model for social-justice limited prestige with A-list craft.

FAQ

Back to the decade

More from the 2010s — Peak TV & Peak Discourse. All shows.