The Good Lord Bird

Synopsis

Told from the perspective of Henry 'Little Onion' Shackleford, a newly freed teenager who joins abolitionist John Brown on a holy crusade to end slavery. Onion encounters Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, and he finds himself as a part of the famous 1859 raid at Harpers Ferry.

First Air Date: 2020-10-04

Last Air Date: 2020-11-15

Number of Seasons: 1

Number of Episodes: 7

Created By: Mark Richard, Ethan Hawke

Networks: Showtime

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Ethan Hawke as John Brown
Joshua Caleb Johnson as Henry 'Little Onion' Shackleford
Hubert Point-Du Jour as Bob
Beau Knapp as Owen Brown
Nick Eversman as John Brown Jr.
Ellar Coltrane as Salmon Brown
Jack Alcott as Jason Brown
Mo Brings Plenty as Ottawa Jones
McKinley Belcher III as Broadnax
Quentin Plair as Shields Green / 'Emperor'

Seasons

Limited Series (2020)

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Meet the Lord (2020-10-04)

Henry Shackleford, a young slave living in the Kansas territory in 1856, encounters abolitionist John Brown, who mistakes him for a girl and promptly 'frees' him. Believing Henry to be his good luck charm, Brown welcomes him into his ragtag army and nicknames him 'Onion'. Donning a dress for the first time while dodging bullets, Onion quickly awakens to the life or death stakes in the battle over human bondage and witnesses Brown's divinely inspired violent agenda: to free the land of slavery by any means necessary.
Ep. 2: A Wicked Plot (2020-10-11)

Separated from Brown's army, Onion and fellow slave Bob leave the fight in Kansas, only to cross paths with pro-slavery 'redshirts' who escort them to the slave-trading town of Pikesville, MI. Onion is taken under the wing of Pie, a mixed-race prostitute working out of the local hotel, who instructs him in the ways of the world despite her discovering his dangerous secret. Onion soon finds himself enmeshed in a mounting slave insurrection where he learns the consequences of his own actions.
Ep. 3: Mister Fred (2020-10-18)

Following the battle in Pikesville, Brown, now one of the most wanted men in America, travels north with Onion to raise funds for the abolitionist cause. They take refuge at the home of famed orator and 'King of the Negroes' Frederick Douglass and his two wives. When Brown and Douglass clash over methodology, Onion discovers just how complex the fight for justice and human equality really is.
Ep. 4: Smells Like Bear (2020-10-25)

Brown and Onion continue fundraising, this time heading to Canada on foot. After seeing true freedom for the first time and frustrated with Brown's increasingly irrational behavior, Onion demands freedom from Brown's army. But, when the legendary Harriet Tubman endorses Brown in a room full of new recruits, Onion realizes that he may be more invested in the cause and the 'old man' than he thought.
Ep. 5: Hiving the Bees (2020-11-01)

Onion and new recruit John Cook head to Harper's Ferry to prepare for the arrival of Brown and his army. However, Onion quickly struggles to perform his mission of recruiting more Black soldiers from the area when Cook's reckless behavior threatens their exposure to suspicious neighbors. After weeks of waiting, Brown, his army and his daughter Annie finally arrive — creating a new distraction for Onion: true love.
Ep. 6: Jesus Is Walkin' (2020-11-08)

The plan to take control of the nation's largest armory at Harper's Ferry is finally put into action. However, a crucial mistake by Onion threatens the success of the entire operation. Brown's army takes hostages, grabbing the attention of an angry mob and local militia. With shots firing, Onion is sent out to get reinforcements.
Ep. 7: Last Words (2020-11-15)

John Brown and his remaining army take a last stand as more federal troops descend upon Harper’s Ferry. With John Brown captured and held for public execution, Onion, truly on his own, risks his life to say his goodbyes to Brown. Series finale.