I started watching “Black Cake” Season 1 Episode 1 on Hulu a few days ago, and I’m not gonna lie, this episode totally reminds us how men are trash, so naturally of course, I’m super excited to share my initial thoughts via this live recap.
“Black Cake” is a Caribbean drama series about Eleanor Bennett who loses her battle with cancer and leaves her children a flash drive that holds untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America.
And as a child of immigrants from the Caribbean, I absolutely love it! So here are …
46 Thoughts I Had While Watching “Black Cake” Season 1 Episode 1 On Hulu
Spoiler Alert – If you haven’t seen “Black Cake” Season 1 Episode 1 on Hulu just yet, this recap may spoil things a bit. I omitted names so you don’t know who is who. But if you loathe all kinds of spoilers, bookmark this joint and wait until you’ve seen the episode.
Trauma Disclaimer – Please note, that while I am watching this show, it can be triggering for some (or all). Which is why I write these recaps, so you can see what you’re getting into, before watching it on your own. Triggers in episode 1 can include:
- loved one having / dying from cancer
- childhood abuse
While these things aren’t graphically depicted in this episode, I am aware that sometimes even just the mention of something on screen can be triggering.
So I wanted to let you know upfront, what you’re getting into. Hope this helps.
Okay, so now for my thoughts …
- Y’all, this joint so damn dark I had to take all my lights off! Why is the screen sooo dark right now?!
- Her thinking her headaches were just ‘stress’, when it’s actually a brain tumor feels like typical Black folk behavior.
- How we gon’ jump from the hospital when she was sick to reading the will?! A whole damn year has passed?!
- Not she left a black cake in the freezer for them to share! Knowing they can’t stand each other. Caribbean mothers be so damn petty.
- Not this feeling like a foreshadowing of my relationship with my brother. Le sigh.
- 7 recordings? Is that one for each episode? Orrrr … because I need to know!
- I wonder what her relationship is to their house, and to the family that she left … because she never looked back? She don’t even wanna go in the damn house! So it must be something!
- They ain’t even know their mother’s real name!!! Makes me wonder what my parents ain’t told me. Not enough to ask them though.
- I wanna say yay to representation because yes there are Asians in the Caribbean, but this accent … feels weird?
- This voice got this man sounding extremely fake! I can’t tell if he’s faking this accent, like he was born here but went to the Caribbean for a bit to pick up the accent, or if it’s some sort of internal bias and I’m unfamiliar with Jamaican Chinese accents? But baby! It’s weird.
- Not she already dating the boy! *chuckles in Caribbean girl*
- This other girl looks so familiar! OMG I just googled her, she’s from that Get Even spinoff on Netflix!
- Ohhhhh this aerial shot is so freaking lovely.
- Not they stuck in a damn storm! Children!!!
- How is this so subtle and calm, yet so intriguing?
- Oh sis you were definitely being punished. *chuckles in Caribbean girl again*
- Nah Caribbean people really think boys are the end of the world for their daughters! Like, please relax!
- Nah son, why men always outside lurking just so for real?! In NYC, in the Caribbean, same story. Allyuh nuh ha job fuh go to? Please!
- Not he smoking a cigarette despite still coughing after going through a fire! Sir! Is dead yuh wah dead or wah?
- Not her dad still feel like a foreigner! Poor tink tink.
- Wait so this not her mom?
- Lawd why her name Pearl! Jamaicans really love that name boy.
- Not Pearl the housekeeper and her mama BFF. Nah, make that one make sense, please! Because what!?
- What the absolute f*ck! “A fearless girl without a mother or husband to keep her in check?” Did he really just say this dumb sh*t? Why do people (specifically men) think they need to keep women in check?
- Why I already know where this sh*t is going, and now I’m incredibly annoyed!
- Oohhh … mango, mmmm … but girl who the hell cuts up mango so? Just eat di blasted ting nuh.
- Now why TF was she dancing with the door open and unlocked?! Why kids don’t understand basic a** safety rules! She’s a whole TEEN! If unno can go and sneak around behind yo father back, unno can at least have enough common sense fuh lock di door when nobody dey home!
- Not she gon put on a thick sweater over her two-piece like ninjas even care WTF you got on! Men are disgusting! They don’t care if you cover up.
- Awww, she was tryna call the police but then remembered what her dad said about calling. That makes me so freaking sad because Black people, Black women, and women of color in general, can never actually call for help when they need it!
- Not that old man wanna court her! Sir, you’re like 50, please! WTF do you want with a 16-year-old? I don’t even know if she’s 16, but she’s probably that young. Why are men so f*cking disgusting?
- I knew that’s why she ran away!!! Just from the trailers! I didn’t even have to watch this joint to know the backstory and that’s actually so f*cking sad!
- Not he gon marry her off to some dude to pay HIS f*cking debts! Yuh see how men so f*cking disgusting?! Your one and only child yuh gon’ sell cause yuh cah control yo own self! Stupes!
- Not he wish there was another way!!! SIR BFFR! They could easily kill you instead yuh know! THAT would actually be a better way!
- Not she think the man who gon marry her off gon’ actually save her! Sis please, unno ah gwan like yuh nuh have NO sense right now! Please!
- So again, I ask — why do grown a** men need to marry children? This sh*t makes my skin crawl!
- Not even her best friend tryna help!? This is fowl!
- Not he gon walk her down the f*cking aisle!!! Somebody, please come get me, I can’t!!
- How does a grown man officiate a ceremony like this? In good f*cking will! THIS IS WHAT I MEAN! Disgusting!
- Oh shit someone poisoned the man? Good fuh yuh!
- THATS when she ran away? She wasn’t taking no chances huh? Sis dipped in case he stayed alive! And I don’t f*cking blame her one bit!
- Guess she had to be a swimmer to pull off this escape huh?
- Not they wanna blame sis for the murder! It’s always a woman’s fault, huh?
- Not he STILL f*cking smoking!!! Sir, you are NOT this stressed out, please cut it out.
- This girl better STFU!!! On god, if you get my sis caught I sweartagawd!
- Ohhhh Nina Simone! Lovely!
- Wait … since the girl knew who she really was … she had to kill her? Oh, this just got REALLY interesting huh?
I’m mad it ended like that! Excuse my accent, but if you know me, or any Caribbean American person for that matter, the accent seems to find its way out when we’re mad. And this episode made me incredibly mad! Because men really are disgusting!
Anywho, that’s it for this week!
But I’ll be back to recap episode 2 because this is really good! Minus these accents.
P.s – This series was inspired by the book written by Charmaine Wilkerson, and you know they say the book is always better! So if you wanna read “Black Cake” before watching the series, grab it here.
