Review for the second episode of ‘‘Blocked’’ by Anntreece Jones

After the series pilot left us hungering for the next chapter in the tumultuous lives of the protagonists, we arrive at Episode 2 of acclaimed series Blocked, by writer, director & producer Anntreece Jones.

Plot-wise, episode 2 paints a grim picture of the lives and struggles of three African-American women in modern society. Building on the events of the pilot, we are introduced to themes of addiction, self-destructive behavior, infidelity, PTSD and maternity, at the same time interrogating the societal and personal causes to these issues. Jones manages to craft a compelling story while at the same time shedding light on the main issues that plague the black community in the US.

The episode's esthetics are vastly improved over the pilot, with lighting, art direction and editing all a step up. Makeup once again brings characters to life in grotesque sometimes realism, and the use of different color palettes to denote different emotions and points in time expertly frames the events of the plot. Unfortunately, the sound mixing suffers from poor balance, leaving large parts of the dialogue very hard to hear, a shame considering the hard-hitting content and effortless believability of Jones' script.

All in all, Blocked has had a strong start and an even stronger second episode, deepening its social drama and noticeably upgrading its visual storytelling, in a bid to underline the major challenges and dilemmas faced by the average African-American trying to carve out a decent living.