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André Holland Is Stellar as Huey P. Newton, but ‘The Big Cigar’ Never Ignites: TV Review
Despite its stellar acting from André Holland, "The Big Cigar" leaves out the most interesting aspects of Huey P. Newton's life.
Acting as narrator, Newton explains the varied contradictions of his life, why he and Bobby Seale founded the Panthers in 1966 and the manufactured murder charge that led to his decision to leave the United States just eight years later. Throughout six episodes, the series details how Blauner and Schneider worked to create an escape plan for Newton under the guise of a faux film titled “The Big Cigar.” Unfortunately, this month-long mishap-riddled escapade is one of the least intriguing aspects of the activist’s life. Likewise, while female Black Panther leaders like Moses Ingram’s Teressa Dixon kept the group from falling apart when the men were either killed, imprisoned or forced into exile, their contributions are barely examined in this tale.
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