#FreeRayshawn (stylized as #freerayshawn) is an American crime drama television series written by Marc Maurino and directed by Seith Mann that debuted on Quibi on April 6, 2020.[1]
| #FreeRayshawn | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Written by | Marc Maurino |
| Directed by | Seith Mann |
| Starring | |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Quibi |
| Release | April 13 – April 29, 2020 |
Premise
editRayshawn Morris, an African-American Iraqi War veteran, finds himself holed up in his apartment along with his family after an altercation with overzealous NOPD cops. As he prepares to make his last stand, Rayshawn turns to social media and the help of a sympathetic police lieutenant for him to try to clear his name.
Cast
edit- Laurence Fishburne as Lt. Steven Poincy
- Stephan James as Rayshawn Morris
- Jasmine Cephas Jones as Tyisha
- Skeet Ulrich as Sgt. Mike Trout
- Danny Boyd Jr. as Ray Jr.
- Thomas Blake Jr. as Detective Soules
- Mitch Eakins as Detective Tommy Roberts
- Alyshia Ochse as DA Sarah Foreman
- Daniel Sunjata as SWAT Commander Alvarez
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "What Are You Doing Here?" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 13, 2020 | |
|
On the run from police, former Iraqi War veteran Rayshawn Morris hides out in his apartment with his wife Tyisha and 5 year-old son Rayshawn "RayRay" Jr. In their attempt to leave the building, the family encounters responding officer Steven Poincy | |||||
| 2 | "Clear the Building" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 13, 2020 | |
|
With nowhere to run to, Rayshawn's family is forced to barricade themselves in the apartment. As the building is cleared out, Rayshawn uses social media to explain the situation until a mishap causes police to open fire. | |||||
| 3 | "Get Away From the Windows" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 13, 2020 | |
| 4 | "Put the Brother On the Phone" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 14, 2020 | |
| 5 | "Face to Face" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 15, 2020 | |
| 6 | "It's Ok to Be Scared" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 16, 2020 | |
| 7 | "I'm Not a Negotiator" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 17, 2020 | |
| 8 | "No Way Back" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 20, 2020 | |
| 9 | "They All Want Me Dead, Don't They?" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 21, 2020 | |
| 10 | "He's Telling the Truth" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 22, 2020 | |
| 11 | "Black or Blue" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 23, 2020 | |
| 12 | "Fire in the Hole" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 24, 2020 | |
| 13 | "It's Time to Go" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 27, 2020 | |
| 14 | "It's your Lucky Day, Marine" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 28, 2020 | |
|
In a flashback before the events of the series, Rayshawn gets caught up in a drug deal that leads to his fight for survival. | |||||
| 15 | "He Just Wanted To Be Heard" | Seith Mann | Marc Maurino | April 29, 2020 | |
|
Unable to maintain his stress, Rayshawn lashes out at Trout and the police while SWAT escorts his family to safety. | |||||
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Laurence Fishburne | Won | [3] |
| Stephan James | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Jasmine Cephas Jones | Won | |||
| 2021 | Casting Society of America | Short Form Series | Jessica Kelly, Mary Vernieu and Brent Caballero | Won | [4] |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Short-Form Series – Comedy or Drama | FreeRayshawn | Won | [5] | |
| Outstanding Performance in a Short-Form Series | Jasmine Cephas Jones | Nominated | |||
| Laurence Fishburne | Won | ||||
| Stephan James | Nominated | ||||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Original & Adapted Short Form New Media | Marc Maurino | Won | [6] |
References
edit- ^ Pearson, Ben (March 27, 2020). "Everything Coming to Quibi in April, Including '50 States of Fright', 'Dishmantled', and Much More". Slashfilm. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ "Shows A-Z - #freerayshawn on quibi". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ "#FreeRayshawn". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ Lewis, Hillary (January 8, 2021). "Artios Awards: Casting Directors for 'The Boys,' 'Pose,' 'Watchmen' Among TV Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ "52nd NAACP Image Awards: The Nominees". NAACPImageAwards.net. NAACP signage Awards. February 2, 2021. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (February 3, 2021). "Writers Guild Unveils 2021 TV Award Nominees". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2021.