If you haven’t heard, Hulu's new series Black Cake is a must-watch drama. Based on The New York Times-bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson, the series follows the story of Covey/Eleanor (Mia Isaac), a runaway bride who leaves behind her home in Jamaica after being forced into an unwanted marriage and wrapped up in a mysterious murder.
Once she lands in Europe, she's forced to hide in plain sight, keeping her past a closely guarded secret while enduring a number of traumas. It would not be until she dies that her truth comes to light through a series of audio recordings she leaves for her children.
Right away, the show captivates you with its diverse perspectives, heartbreaking scenarios and thought-provoking mysteries. All of which we talked about with the show's director, Natalia Leite.
Leite directed the first three episodes of Black Cake and has plenty of experience directing riveting dramas. She previously took to the director's chair for episodes of The Handmaid's Tale, Love, Victor and the much-talked-about independent film, M.F.A. So when we got a chance to speak with Leite about Black Cake, we wasted no time in asking her some of the questions viewers undoubtedly want to know the answer to.
So let's dive into what we learned from the interview and how that's shaped our theories about the show going forward.
How did your directing journey lead you to Black Cake?
Leite: I hadn't read the book when I found out about the project. I had heard about the book, but I hadn't had time to read it yet. I decided not to read it going into the shoot because I kind of wanted to separate the two works in my brain.
But what drew me to it was really just like — the scripts were incredible. It's such a big story taking place in multiple countries, multiple generations, multiple cultures, and I was just really drawn to the essence of something that happens in one generation that can affect the next. The idea of things being carried on even if you don’t know about them.
WTW: That brings up a good point about the son and daughter. So far, they're not heavily in the early episodes, will that kind of shift as the story goes along?
Leite: Yeah, you'll jump and spend more time with them, and learn more about their story. And why Benedetta has been away from her family for a while. And then, it will circle back. There are more things to come that you might not be expecting.
What this could mean: Covey faced a lot growing up, with her mother abandoning her, her father betraying her and her having to survive the cruelties of some men. Knowing the dangers of the world, it's not hard to imagine she kept a close watch over Benedetta to protect her, which to the daughter felt like smothering. Then, when Benedetta got a chance to leave home, she took it seeking freedom, only to have her own encounters with evil. Given what Leite stated, we think some insight into Benedetta's past is forthcoming.
Will viewers find out who murdered Clarence "Little Man" Henry?
Leite: You will. You will eventually find out who actually did it and how it actually happened. That wedding scene, we go back to it several times.
What this could mean: We're grateful this is a mystery that will be solved this season, as it's the biggest mystery of the series so far. While Leite understandably didn't shed light on who the murderer is, in episode 2 of the series, Covey clearly says it wasn't her father. If that proves to be the case, that leaves the housekeeper Pearl (Faith Alabi), Covey's best friend Bunny (Lashay Anderson), Covey's teenage boyfriend Gibbs (Ahmed Elhaj) or someone completely random.
Is Glynn Turman's Charles Mitch, the attorney playing the audio recordings, really Gibbs?
Leite: [laughing] I can't tell you. I mean that's a good guess, but I can't tell you.
WTW: [laughing] We won't rule that out then.
Leite: I love Glynn. How brilliant is he in this show?
What this could mean: Leite did a phenomenal job of not answering the question with a firm yes or no. However, since she didn't reject our theory, we're going to believe Charles is Gibbs for now. Especially when you consider that Gibbs as a teenager wanted to be a lawyer and Charles is one. Working with that suspicion, is it possible he actually murdered Clarence, hence the identity change?
On another note, we too love Glynn Turman. He portrayed the patriarch in another fan-favorite show, Queen Sugar.
If Black Cake returned for a second season, would you be willing to return to the director’s chair?
Leite: I would love to. I want to tell Bunny's story more in-depth. I have my favorites, Bunny and Lin, even though he's not a great guy.
What this could mean: It sounds like by the end of the season, these two characters will have unveiled more complexities that call for further exploration.
What do you hope viewers take away from watching the series?
Leite: I hope it makes people think about the cause and effect of life, and nothing is so black and white. Trauma on one person [sic] then maybe they go enact trauma on someone else. Someone has to break that cycle. I think that's a big part of what Covey/Eleanor is trying to do at the end of her life. She needs to share this information because she wants to break a cycle and put it all out in the open. And then in response, hopefully her son and daughter will do the same. I think there is something to be said about that.
Covey is an incredibly resilient woman and strong woman. And she gets really beaten down throughout her life, and she's able to come out of it strong. Hopefully, that is empowering to watch as well.
Black Cake episodes become available to stream on Hulu in the US.
