"NYC Epicenters 9/11 - 2021½" (2021 release; 4 episodes of about 115 min. Each) is a new documentary mini-series from Spike Lee. As Episode 1 opens, we get some quick testimonials from New Yorkers when they heard about the coronavirus for the first time. Lee then serves up images of the abandoned city in March-April 2020 as Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" plays (in its entirety). We then go back in time to clips from 2005 and 2014 when then-Presidents Bush and Obama, respectively, predicted that a pandemic would strike at some point and we needed to be prepared for that. Of course Trump then threw out all existing preparations upon becoming president. It all leads to the devastation that COVID-19 brought upon the 5 boroughs of New York, each one more so than the other... At this point we are 10 min. Into Episode 1.
Couple of comments: this is the latest "joint" from Spike Lee, looking at something that is near and dear to his heart: New York, and Brooklyn in particular. What begins at a fairly high-level/big picture view, eventually becomes very personal, as we hear time and again how people in New York were affected by and coping with COVID-19 in all of its forms: from healthcare providers to how bars and restaurants were struggling, etc. At times it is so personal that it becomes emotionally overwhelming (listen to the second generation Colombian-American as he relays what happened with his mother on a nursing home, just heartbreaking). This wouldn't be a true Spike Lee joint if we didn't get some political stuff thrown into the mix: Gov. Andrew Cuomo's cooking the numbers relative to seniors deaths in nursing homes (and then for good measure, trying to cover it up) gets extensive attention, and rightfully so. But also the unintended effect of COVID-19 on the murder of George Floyd and its subsequent fallout are closely examined (always from a New York point of view).
"NYC Epicenters 9/11- 2021½" premiered this weekend on HBO and Episode 1 is now available on HBO On Demand, HBO Max, Amazon Instant Video and other streaming services. New episodes air Sunday evenings at 8 pm Eastern. I quite liked Episode 1 and I look forward to seeing the remaining 3 episodes. If you have any interest in New York, or are simply a fan of Spike Lee, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
*UPDATE 8/29/21* As Episode 1 was released, Spike Lee revealed in a New York Times interview that in the last episode of this mini-series, where much of the focus is on 9/11 and its immediate aftermath, he had provided extensive coverage/platform to 9/11 conspiracy theorists about what caused the World Trade Center buildings to collapse, and simply commented to the NYT that "everyone can make up their own mind". This caused a huge uproar and pushback from the public at large, and long story short, it was just reported that Lee cut out the entire 30 min. Segment dealing with the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. As a result, Episode 4 apparently is now just 90 min. Long. To be continued...
*UPDATE 9/6/21* I've now also seen Episode 3. I can't readily recall a better/more riveting look at 9/11 and all that it entailed, before, during and after. Which makes it all the more puzzling why Episode 4 originally contained a full 30 min devoted to conspiracy theories about how the Twin Towers collapsed. Really looking forward to see how the 4th and last episode turns out.
*UPDATE 9/14/21* I've now seen Episode 4, and it is a logical and moving conclusion of the mini-series. It does indeed clock in at 90 min instead of the usual 120 min. Why Spike Lee originally wanted to include a 30 min segment on the (long-time debunked) conspiracy theories on how the 2 towers "really" collapsed is frankly beyond me. It would've put the entire series to shame. So yea, Lee "did the right thing" but it took a public uproar to get him to do it.... It's important to keep perspective, though, as in: yes, the loss of almost 3,000 lives on 9/11 was and is horrific. But it's the same number of people who continue die of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic EVERY 36 HOURS, as we speak. Covid-19 has claimed 660,000 American lives, and still no end in sight.
