Beginning with a brief, but succinct, back story, the girl Millie-Jean Black leads us from Kingston, Jamaica to London, England, and then, as an adult, back to her childhood home, where haunting memories still reside. This part of Millie’s story plays out in the first few minutes and I was hooked. I had only come downstairs to record the first episode for later viewing, but I couldn’t move from my spot on the sofa.

Millie’s beloved brother, Orville, who suffered horrendous abuse at the tongue and hands of their mother, was presumed dead. In fact, it was his abuser who told Millie as much. However, when she sees her brother’s signature on their mother’s death certificate, she returns to Jamaica to work as a detective in the Jamaica Police Force. Searching for her brother, Millie realises he is indeed no longer, as Orville now goes by the name Hibiscus.

Marlon James, the ingenious creator and writer of this limited series, does not seem to concern himself with the possible backlash he may receive from the general population of the island, which is steeped in prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community. There is no time for bigoted homophobes to brace themselves, as James not only gives Millie a detective partner who is a gay man living with his life partner, but also throws his audience right into the underbelly of the transgender community, whose only refuge lies in the gullies of Kingston.

James’ storytelling is raw and real, astoundingly brilliant and depicts a truth about Jamaica that few islanders would be willing to disclose to foreigners. After all, isn’t our beautiful country a sought after tourist destination?

I did a little digging after watching this first episode. Transgender girls and women are literally thrown out of their homes by their own families. They have nowhere to go because no one will take them in and they have little to no money, as no place of work wants them either. The threat of violence against them is much more than a threat, rather a reality that often leads to brutal killings inflicted by homophobic males, who never suffer any consequences for their actions. The government and opposition have no interest in creating a safe space for anyone within the transgender community, hence why they live in the ditches of the city.

Truth be told, I could keep writing about this show and the social issues it highlights all day long, yet only one episode has aired thus far! However, I don’t want to give away too much about the story’s plot, which is multifaceted, startling and brutally authentic. Get Millie Black is a conversation maker, a glass ceiling breaker and a necessity in our society.

Thank you, Marlon James, for bringing this all to light.

More next week – emmasharptv@gmail.com