The Super Powered Fancast

The showrunners behind the hit HBO series Game of Thrones have announced their next project after the series ends and it is designed to court controversy.

In the wake of wide-spread local government and public rejection of symbols that glorify the Civil War and its history of oppression and slavery,  David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are reteaming with HBO for the series Confederate.

According to the Hollywood Reporter article on the announcement, here is the premise of the series;

The drama chronicles the events leading to the Third American Civil War. The series takes place in an alternate timeline, where the Southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution. The story follows a broad swath of characters on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Demilitarized Zone — freedom fighters, slave hunters, politicians, abolitionists, journalists, the executives of a slave-holding conglomerate and the families of people in their thrall.

There is literally nothing about the premise of this series that I find interesting and all of it seems like a means of courting controversy for ratings.

If HBO, Benioff and Weiss are determined to make Confederate their next project, here are some other “alternate” universe stories that they might want to explore next:

Internment – 

In a post World War II alternate America, Japanese citizens have continued their existence in Internment Camps throughout the American West. The government has modernized these settlements into an interconnected series of “Freedom Camps” where the Japanese are given every modern convenience as long as they remain in the camp or until they decide to relocate back to Japan, now under American military rule. The drama will come from the families of those who decide to stay, the ones who decide to go back and the ones who gather to resist.

Conversion – 

In an alternate America where the church is the state, government scientists have found a cure for the one segment of humanity that truly needs it: homosexuals. In this groundbreaking series, brave government scientists embark on a mission to administer the “cure” to those identified as being “non-compliant”. Will the government and the military be able to successfully end this menace or will it spread? Tune in to find out.

Middle Passage – 

This could be the first spin-off of the series Confederate. After all, if slavery is still legal and a modern institution, why not have a series about the brave men who have to transport their human chattle across the sea? You could really enhance the drama of the crew of the ship and their interpersonal journeys as you showcase just how modern slave ship technology has progressed. Can’t wait to see the drama unfold when the brave crew has to put down those pesky slave revolts.

If any of these ideas give you pause, upset you or genuinely make you mad, imagine my disgust at the notion of a series like Confederate being in the works at HBO. Slapping the term “alternate history” onto a premise this vile doesn’t make you brave in moving forward with it. It makes you cowards for finding a dodge for something this repugnant. Also, just how liberal will your series be with the use of the “N” word? After all, in an alternate history, it shouldn’t have the same impact, right?

Slavery is a stain on this country’s history that America has still not healed from, especially since its long-term effects can still be seen in this country today. I cannot fathom why the showrunners for the series Game of Thrones would consider this premise to be something they want to put on the air in this political and social climate.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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