The Unacknowledged Legacy of 19 th Century Slave Narratives
tity , the series finale conflates archetypes and further blurs Maeve ’ s reality .
Moira , too , follows an arc that deals with themes of escape and family . She crosses a barren winter landscape to find a farmhouse ; when she looks in the barn , she finds a car with Ontario plates that tells her she has finally made it to freedom (“ Night ” 21:15 ). The show does not indulge in the details of her escape , instead showing only her initial theft of a Commander ’ s car , then jumping to this scene in Canada . Miller uses Moira ’ s escape as an opportunity to critique the United States ’ refugee policies . Moira is brought to a refugee center , where she is given a prepaid cell phone , cash , an ID card , a medical insurance card , a prescription drug card , and clothing ( 37:59-38:47 ). She is unable to identify any family in Canada , so her initial entry gives her time alone with herself ; the case worker gives her the option to eat more , read a book , or take a shower : “ Whatever you want . It ’ s completely up to you ” ( 39:01-39:03 ). This casual comment seems like an afterthought in the scene , reminding viewers quickly that Moira is , indeed , free . Her final scene in the season comes when Luke arrives at the refugee center ( 52:18 ); he listed Moira as family and the government notified him of her arrival ( 52:57 ). The scene is more for Luke ’ s benefit than Moira ’ s , allowing him to have the experience of reconnecting with “ family .” Moira did not list Luke as family . Still , she is relieved to see him and cries in his arms ( 53:00 ).
Moira and Maeve do not experience triumph or empowerment in their closing scenes . Instead , the series seem to focus on their emotional distress , reveling in scenes of sorrow . Ultimately , both make active choices that lead to their resulting conclusions , which is positive . However , these moments feel contrived or thrown-in because there is virtually no time
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