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Feb 26, 2026 By Kyle Mullin Photography by Prime Video Web Exclusive

From glamorous southern aristocracy and palace intrigue among shifty senators, to the gory backwoods chases of slaves hoping to join the Underground Railroad, The Gray House covers a lot of ground. But such ambition shouldn’t be surprising considering the new Prime Video miniseries, set at the outset of the American Civil War, was executive produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman. After all, they’re stars of some of Hollywood’s most successfully sprawling historical epics.

The Gray House’s opening scenes center on Mary Jane Richards, a black woman in Virginia contending with a slave trader tearing up the papers proving her freedom after stopping her on the street. Despite her chapped lips and tattered dress courtesy of the strong makeup and wardrobe departments, up and comer Amethyst Davis (Kindred) sells Mary Jane’s fearless glares and death defying wit as she faces down such whip wielding bigots in an impressive breakout performance. Before the slave trader can further brutalize Mary Jane, a bystanding salesman intervenes. Davis holds her own opposite Christopher McDonald (enjoying some elder statesman momentum thanks to recent turns on Hacks and The Last Rodeo) who plays this good samaritan. McDonald brings the gravitas you’d expect in terms of his presence and aghast facial expressions while standing up for Mary Jane. But the big swing he takes with an Irish accent is a melodramatic miss.

The same can be said about many of The Gray House’s ensuing scenes. There are promising moments. Among them, Southern belle Elizabeth Van Lew (Daisy Head of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) preparing for an elegant gala with her maids slipping a wooden bustle frame over her head before draping over it one of many showstopping gowns that become one of the series’ hallmarks. The eye for detail in that scene is matched in a far grislier later showdown between politician and lawyer Sherrard Clemens (Ionut Grama) engaging in a musket pistol duel on horseback with Obie Wise (Blake Patrick Anderson), the deputy of a senator who Clemens insulted at the Van Lew party.

Plenty of other drama occurs at that gala. Elizabeth is courted by Hamton Arsenault (Colin Morgan), a dashing aristocrat who has the bright idea to bring a caged gator to the posh party. Meanwhile, many of the elder bigwigs bicker about the merits or immorality of slavery during the party, prompting the head of the household, Eliza Van Lew (Weeds’ Mary Louise Parker), to repeatedly quell hostilities. Parker conveys believable sweetness in her scenes with daughter Elizabeth, thanks to her chemistry with Head. When mother and daughter trot out to the barn to confront slave traders chasing a runaway, Parker imparts believable fright and righteousness as their estate is part of the Underground Railroad and the runaway heard he’d be safe there. Fortunately for him, Mary Jane, a Van Lew employee, arrives in time and distracts the slave traders, who drag her to jail instead of dooming the Van Lew estate if the runaway were to be found.

Those scenes should radiate with intensity, considering the talent involved and the subject matter. And yet, the actors frequently sound hokey, and much of the dialogue drags as if it were ripped from a textbook, instead of coming from lived in characters.

This is a stark contrast to other recent series set in this relative time period. Every line of dialogue felt like a live wire in Netflix’s 1800s political drama Death By Lightning. Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad was hailed for its visceral visuals and invigorating ensemble. Parker brings her considerable talents to bear on The Gray House, but strains to make the inert dialogue soar. It often feels like she’s playing for the nosebleeds in a stage play instead of a weighty prestige TV drama. Despite the strong makeup, wardrobe and props, the direction by Roland Joffé (an Oscar nominee for The Killing Fields and The Mission) too often looks like theatre due to too many straightforward angles, rather than the immersive or visionary camera work of his cinematic background.

All this makes much of the 80 minute premiere duller than an old butter knife (musket duels notwithstanding). Sadly, turning point history comes off wishy-washy on The Gray House.

Author rating: 4/10