Show: ‘Queen Sono’: Season 1
Executive producer(s): Kagiso Lediga,
Tamsin Andersson
Creator(s): Kagiso Lediga
Director(s): Kagiso Lediga, Tebogo Malope
Platforms: Netflix (streaming), DVD
Release date: February 28, 2020
Reviewer: Alexander Nderitu
Queen Sono is an African crime drama starring
South African actress and model Pearl Thusi (Quantico) as the title character. It was the first African-created
Netflix Original to be commissioned, though not the first to be streamed. In
it, a roguish female agent acts as the spearhead of an ultra-secret South
African-based intelligence agency dubbed the Special Operations Group (SOG). From
the get-go, the SOG has a lot on its plate. Even though its South African, it
somehow has a continent-wide mandate. Two major blips on their radar are ‘Superior
Solutions’, Russian-based arms dealers/organized criminals, and ‘Watu Wema
(Good People) Brigade’, a revolutionary/terrorist group. Headed by psychopathic
fitness buff, Ekaterina Gromova, SS are trying to essentially privatize the
continent’s military, for their own benefit. Meanwhile, the stated mission of
the homegrown Wetu Wema fighters is ‘to liberate Africa from the white man’s
religion and the clutches of colonization.’ Overshadowing Queen’s high-risk job
is her personal obsession with unraveling the assignation of her mother, Safiya
Sono, a famous apartheid-era activist.
Like the Black Panther movie, Queen Sono doesn’t shy away from the
political issues dogging the continent, especially the exploitation of minerals.
It also touches on neo-colonialism, religion, corruption, revenge, moral
ambiguity, family, and relationships. It also doesn’t side-step SA’s fabled
race issues. For instance, after Queen’s mother’s killer dies in prison, a member
of his White family claims, ‘He was a fucking legend.’ But to the Blacks in the
show it was Safiya Sono who was the ‘legend’ and her assassin a criminal.
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Spook business:
Special Operations Group officials in a heated discussion
|
A kind of African-based
Alias, the six-episode Queen Sono shifts between numerous
locations – Zanzibar, Harare, Jo’burg, Nairobi, Boston etc - which gives it an ‘international flavour’. It
premiered globally in 190 countries, in February 2020.
EPISODES
1. ‘I Am Queen Sono’ - Directed by
Kagiso Lediga - Written by Kagiso Lediga
2. ‘Dying Is Sore’ - Directed by Kagiso Lediga - Written by
Camilo Saloojee
3. ‘The Devil's Toys’ - Directed by
Tebogo Malope - Written by Muzi Dlamini
& Karabo Lediga
4. ‘Rookie’ - Directed by Tebogo Malope
- Written by Karabo Lediga
5. ‘Sugar Water’ - Directed by Tebogo Malope - Written by Christopher Steenkamp
6. ‘State of Emergency’ - Directed by
Kagiso Lediga - Written by Kagiso Lediga
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A scene from Episode 6
|
CASTING
The casting was
expertly done. I had never heard of Pearl Thusi before this series. The
31-year-old South African is an accomplished actress and model. Her previous
credits include the US television series Quantico
and the romantic film Catching Feelings
(also a Netflix joint and also written by Kagiso Lediga). I have a feeling that
many male (and some female) watchers will emerge from Queen Sono with a huge crush on Pearl, and who can blame them? The
lady has charm.
 |
OUTLAWS: Shandu
Magwaza (Vuyo Dabula) and Ekaterina Gromova (Kate Liquorish)
enjoy a drink and a
chat.
|
Other characters
include Vuyo Dabula, Sechaba Morojele, Chi Mhende, Loyiso Madinga, Rob Van
Vuuren, Kate Liquorish, Khathu Ramabulana, Enhle Maphumulo, Abigail Kubeka,
Connie Chiume, Otto Nobela and James Ngcobo. While much praise has been given
to Pearl’s performance, I think that Vuyo Dabula’s portrayal of the emotionally
conflicted Watu Wema leader, Shandu Magwaza, is masterful. Kate Liquorish (that
last name makes me chuckle, sorry!) is also very convincing as Superior
Solutions' high-handed boss, Ekaterina Gromova.
Incidentally, veteran
Kenyan actor Raymond Ofula is in the mix, and in fine form, as Kenya’s ageing
president.
ESPIONAGE & TERRORISM: A DEADLY
COCKTAIL
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SPIES & THIGHS:
Queen makes an entrance at a mixer, under cover as a wealthy arms dealer
|
Though the production
is definitely ‘watchable’, it has several drawbacks. For example, it’s strange
that, several years in, Queen doesn’t have a ‘legend’ to cover her identity as
a secret agent. She unconvincingly lies to friends about being an art dealer.
In Episode 1 (‘I Am Queen Sono’) her charming grandmother asks: ‘Are you a
prostitute?’
Though the show is
predominantly in English, many other languages are employed, including
Afrikaans, isiXhosa, French, Russian, isiZulu, Shona, and Kiswahili. However,
there’s a need for subtitles for long non-English dialogues, otherwise the
viewers’ attention veers off. And speaking of language, there’s way too much
swearing: ‘Fuck!’, ‘Bitch’, ‘Fucking!’, ‘Fuck all!’ This is Africa, not New
York. Unless you live in some seedy part of town, we don’t swear that much,
especially in business environments.
Some of the early episodes
don’t have as much action as one might expect from a spy thriller. It’s
commendable that the writers tried to humanize the narrative and add drama, but
that’s not what espionage fans espouse in spy flicks. We were raised on James
Bond, et al. Expecting mushy family drama in a spy series is like expecting a
cuddle in a brothel. I acknowledge that there are some espionage fans that
belong to the John Le Carré school of realistic (and often tragic) spook business,
but we (for I am one) are clearly in the minority camp. Besides, Queen Sono is not based on a book series
and is neither literally nor intellectual. It’s not as consistent as foreign
rivals like Alias and Nikita. It could, however, be argued
that ‘creative’ were building towards a climax. And the season does have a
‘flying finish.’ There’s enough tension in the last couple episodes to conduct
electric power!
Episode 4 (‘Rookie’)
takes us back five years and shows us how the current team coalesced. Why the
writing team and editors decided to stick back stories there is a mystery, as
it adds little value. The personal histories of the principal characters could
have been doled out over the season or even several seasons. (The ending of
Season One clearly anticipates a continuation.) And, to steal a line from the
ERB battle rap between J. R. R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin, ‘We don’t need the back story on every fucking tree branch!’
As for the physical
fight scenes, I’ll give them an ‘average’ rating. It’s very hard to convince viewers
that a female can beat up multiple males and with relative ease (although
Angelina Jolie did a good job of it in Salt).
Yes, we suspend our disbelief when we watch shows. And yes, this is ‘just
entertainment’ but still…come on! It’s beyond the pale, unless the female is
physically massive or has a weapon like a crowbar or machete. (It’s not even
realistic for a martial-arts-trained male to beat up multiple men his own size.
Maybe one or two.) There’s Action/Drama and then there’s Fantasy.
A vein of humour
runs throughout the series. It turns out that the talented
creator and head writer, Kagiso Lediga, has also
worked as a comedian. He was the creator and writer behind Late Nite News, a satirical South
African TV show.
MUSIC
The theme song is Disco Matanga by Kenyan boy band Sauti
Sol, SA rapper Sho Madjozi and Real Black Motion. There are several other African
tracks, including music by Simisola “Simi” Ogunleye, Babatunde Olatunji and Sampa the Great . In my opinion, Final Form by Sampa the Great should have been the theme song. It has a more relevant tempo, energy,
beat, and is about ‘Black Power’. Disco
Matanga is too ‘bubble gum’ pop. The best thing about it is that it
features Sho Madjozi (and that’s not ‘throwing shade’, it’s just how the cookie
crumbles). Sauti Sol harmonies are great as usual but the song has no ‘wow
factor’ and they sing in Luhya, a language that has few speakers outside Kenya.
Given the show’s Pan-African feel, they should have sung in Kiswahili (which
they have done before). After all, Kiswahili is an AU-backed language with over 100
million speakers worldwide.
On a side note, I
have been checking out Kenya’s ‘gengetone’ music trend and my conclusion is
that when they start sounding like Sampa the Great, they will have reached
their ‘final form’. (Now that’s
shade!)
VISUALS
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Queen romps through
the streets of Zanzibar in Episode 1
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There’s no official
word out on the budget but the show is visually stunning; great aerial and
establishing shots of locales like Zanzibar and Jo’burg. Blockbuster
movie-quality stuff. Brilliant. The one-camera
setup was used properly utilized here. If this production deserves an award,
it’s for cinematography.
WHAT NEXT?
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| Cast and crew at the premiere of the show (Photo:Courtesy) |
Following its
release, Queen Sono became the
most-watched Netflix show in some African and Caribbean nations. The novelty of
an African spy series is certainly one of the reasons for its success but I
disagree with the punters who suggest it that’s the only reason. It’s a decent show, especially by African standards. I
think that fans of the first season will tune in to future Seasons (hoping that
more will be commissioned) to continue the adventure, to follow the story to its
logical, arse-kicking, conclusion. Netflix also gave the production a strong
marketing push. I highly recommend it
for home-based date nights - there’s eye candy for everyone! As the famous slogan
goes, Netflix and chill!
My rating: 7.5 / 10
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The reviewer is an
award-winning Kenyan novelist, poet, playwright and critic. His collection of
short stories – ‘Kiss, Commander,Promise’ – contains two spy stories (‘Kiss, Commander, Promise’ and ‘Life
as Game’), one of which was nominated for an international award. Website: www.AlexanderNderitu.com
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