‘Class of ’09’: Brian Tyree Henry is ‘stunning’ in FX’s ‘inventively conceived’ new drama series [WATCH TRAILER]

Ronald Meyer
·3 min read
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A timely drama that contemplates AI-era criminal justice, FX on Hulu’s “Class of ‘09” sounds like must-watch TV for admirers of futuristic realism. The subgenre, also referred to as lo-fi sci-fi, swaps hyper-mechanized cornucopias with the grounded, gradually evolved settings of “After Yang,” “Her” and “Ex Machina.” 

Created by novelist Tom Rob Smith, who earned a name for himself at FX (and an Emmy nomination) writing “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” the show cuts between three timelines (2009, ‘23, ‘34) and explores an ethical realm similar to “Minority Report’s.” Emmy nominees Brian Tyree Henry and Kate Mara lead a cast that includes Sepideh Moafi (“Black Bird”), Jon Jon Briones (“ACS: The Assassination of Gianni Versace”), Rosalind Eleazar (“Slow Horses”), Jake McDorman (“Limitless”), Brian J. Smith (“Sense8”), Raúl Castillo (“Looking”) and Brooke Smith (“Grey’s Anatomy”).

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Quantico recruits Tayo Michaels (Henry), a former insurance executive, and Amy Poet (Mara), a nurse, are part of a training roster designed to bring the FBI professionals from outside law enforcement. Their bond is challenged over the next 25 years by the ascent of Big Tech and AI-based operating procedure. See the trailer below. 

Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) calls the limited series “inventively conceived” and writes, “Smith hopscotches between eras with tantalizing (and generally surefooted) dexterity. They’re brought to life, moreover, by a cast that skillfully handles both the proceedings’ action-oriented demands and psychological and Big Picture interests.” 

Critics aren’t holding back praise while discussing Tyree Henry. Chase Hutchinson (The Playlist), though not entirely taken by the four episodes shared with press, begins his review, “Every so often, there are actors who will emerge as being so routinely outstanding each time you see them that any project they join becomes one worth seeking out for them alone. Brian Tyree Henry is one such actor.” Alex Maidy (JoBlo) says it’s “stunning” to watch the Oscar-nominated “Causeway” star play “drastically different” versions of Michaels, whose experience combatting domestic terrorism in the ‘23 timeline breeds an antagonistic side revealed 11 years later. Claire Spellberg Lustig (Primetimer) declares the middle arc “by far the most successful” and adds that Smith “ably unites these storylines” into a “legitimately compelling thriller.” 

“Class of ‘09” premieres on Hulu and FX May 10.

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