From the moment Leti Lewis (the character played by Jurnee Smollett in Misha Green’s HBO horror series, Lovecraft Country) stepped foot out of Dora’s home, with the Book of Names in her hand, we all expected her to run. Run like the god damn wind! (As she’s done in previous episodes.)
But her slow walk through a burning city, despite how invulnerable she may be, shocked us all!
Yeah, she’s not gonna be harmed while walking her slow ass pace, dragging her feet like she ain’t had no place to go, through the city of Tulsa, where racist white folks took it upon themselves many years ago to burn down Black establishments out of what I can only assume is jealousy. (Cause lets face it, that’s really what every racist attack boils down too. Jealousy and sometimes fear.)
But she had people waiting on her!
A very sick, cursed girl, who was the very reason she traveled through time to return to Tulsa in the first place.
A girl who we all found out in episode 8 is a complete badass, named Dee.
Along with Dee’s mother, Hippolyta, who was electronically hooked up to the time machine used to transport Leti, Tic, and Montrose back to 1921, due to it needing a new ‘motherboard’, foaming at the mouth as it shocked her practically to death. So why the hell did Leti walk like she had time to spare?
Here’s Why I Think Leti Walked So God Damn Slow In Lovecraft Country Episode 9
Trauma from watching another Black woman and her family burn to death
Listen, if you told me you watched another person die in front of you and then you got up and ran home, despite not being scared for your own life, I’d think you were crazy.
Looking at a dead body, in a casket, is hard as it is. But watching someone die in front of you is traumatizing!
So imagine how Leti felt after she watched another Black woman, another Black MOM, slowly burn to ash before her, as she held her hand and listened to the rest of this woman’s family, and children scream as they all burned as well. Imagine the immense pain one would feel to have to hold someone’s hand through such a horrific event!
And then y’all want her to run? B*xch! You’re lucky her ass could still f*cking WALK!
It’s insane how strong we think Black women are! That we would even for a second think that a Black woman could go through a traumatic event and still RUN like a Gold Medal olympic champion not days later, but seconds after going through it!
Not to mention …
She wasn’t aware of Hippolyta’s condition
I haven’t seen one person mention why the men didn’t do more to help Hippolyta as they stared at her shocking herself blue (literally). Yet, so many folks asked why the woman who couldn’t even see or had no idea another woman was in pain, was walking so slow.
And yes, I too had the same thought when I first saw her walking instead of running like we’re so used to seeing Leti do throughout this entire season of Lovecraft Country.
However, when I stopped to think about it, I realized sis couldn’t have known!
When she left Hippolyta, she was doing okay!
There was absolutely no way for Leti to know Hippolyta was foaming at the mouth, ready to collapse at any given moment. I’m pretty sure if she KNEW, that would have given her the strength she needed at that moment, to run.
Oh and let’s not forget that …
Leti has carried the world on her back a million times before this
If it weren’t for Leti’s ass, Tic woulda been dead a long time ago!
Leti saves his ass in every god damn episode! Sis is now pregnant, with his child, and still saving his ass, and worrying about his safety.
So God forbid this woman actually woosah for a few seconds and walk through some damn fire with the Book of Names in her hand, again … completing the task at hand, and saving everyone single handily, yet again.
SHE’S WALKING THROUGH FIRE FOR GOODNESS SAKE!
Cut her some slack! She’s done a LOT! She’s been through a lot!
We gotta stop acting like Black women aren’t human, because they are. So while Leti is a strong, Black woman, she can’t carry the entire team alone! And she deserves a break every now and then. Even if that means she walks slow during a time where she’s needed.
Let’s face it, if she ran to the portal and collapsed, lost the Book of Names or ended up in the hospital because she forced herself to do more than her body could withstand, y’all would drag her and ask why she didn’t stop to think of herself and the baby.
Black women can never catch a break!
Well, this Black woman is giving Leti f*cking Lewis a break! She did damn good and I’m proud of her. (I’m side-eying all the men in this show, but that’s another story for another day.)
2 comments
I was guilty of doing the same thing, but after reading this bit in complete agreement I also realized it was the tension of the episode that had me riled up and screaming at my screen for Leti to RUNNN. Such a good show and great episode…
Absolutely was the tension of the film!!! We were ALL wanting her to run! But some folks just can’t and I think it was nice of them to show what it’s like when you can’t run from your trauma.