Detective Dawn Reeve, played by Deborah Ayorinde, faces a daunting task when she solves the brutal homicide of a foster home mother in Los Angeles in Them: The Scare.
The crime has sent shockwaves through the LAPD, leaving everyone on edge. But Dawn is determined to catch the culprit red-handed within the series’ twists and turns.
Highlights
- Ruby Reeves believed that by sacrificing for Dawn and Edmund Reeves, she could make the lives of her children easy.
- But even after letting go, Dawn and Edmund still face inequity and biasness throughout their lifetime.
- Even Dawn’s mother, Ruby, couldn’t understand why they were treated differently.
When “Them: The Scare” premiered in 2021, it followed in the footsteps of “Lovecraft Country” and several other horror productions and depicted the deadly supernatural entities they encountered.
In the first season of “Them,” the horror wasn’t just about ghosts or monsters but the horrors of institutional inequity.
Little Marvin, the writers, and director Craig William Macneill focus more on creating an atmosphere of eerie tension than relying solely on jump scares or supernatural elements.
Warning: This Post Contains Spoilers Ahead
Ruby Reeves Sacrifices For Her Children- Dawn And Edmund Reeves For Their Good
In season 1 of “Them,” the Emory House wasn’t just haunted by a ghost; the specter of racism haunted it.
Grace, especially, felt the weight of this haunting, traumatized by the evil spirit lurking in their basement.
Ruby, the eldest daughter, bore the brunt of it all and underwent a disturbing transformation.
In a heartbreaking moment, she bleached her skin, internalizing the idea that being black was somehow wrong.
She longed to be beautiful like her friend Dorris, convinced by society’s cruel standards that blackness was a sin.
It’s unimaginable what Ruby endured and how she found the strength to carry on once she realized the truth of her oppression.
Ruby made the tough decision to give up her children.
It wasn’t out of selfishness but a desire to break the cycle of generational trauma.
She believed that by letting them go, she could prevent passing on the pain she endured.
However, even after her sacrifice, we see in “The Scare” that her children, Dawn Reeves and Edmund Gaines, still face their struggles.
Dawn Reeves’s Mother Faces The Same Biasness Throughout Her Lifetime
Going back to history, the Emory family’s journey during the Great Migration, moving from North Carolina to Compton for a better life.
But they soon realize that Compton holds its challenges, and one such moment occurs when the Emorys encounter a discriminatory housing contract.
Livia, Henry, and their daughters face discrimination at every turn, from Henry’s workplace to the relentless torment from their neighbor, Betty.
Despite Henry’s education and expertise in engineering, color discrimination still plagues him.
Even the young daughters, Gracie and Ruby, endure discrimination at school, unable to comprehend why they’re treated differently.
The show paints a clear picture of how discrimination can deeply hurt people and families.
Additional Information
- The series opened with a quote from Aristotle: “Fear is the pain arising from the anticipation of evil.”
- Dawn visits Malcolm’s little sister, Kia, who shares her frightening experience of living with Mrs. Mott.
- Dawn receives a page about a murder scene and rushes to the location. What she discovers is so horrifying that even seasoned cops struggle to keep their breakfast down.