10 TV Seasons That Are Practically Flawless

Based on the Central Park Five, the story of five boys from Harlem that are accused of a brutal rape that they did not commit and their lives both in and out of prison. When They See Us is not easy watching, it isn't a fun show, it is harrowing and difficult but the subject matter requires it to be this way.

Ava DuVernay helms all four episodes of this short series and injects a level of raw emotion into every frame. The discrimination that these boys go through for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and, more notably, for not being white is disgusting to see. The show does not hold anything back and if you find it hard to watch, imagine what it was like to live through.

There are a slew of great performances but it is Jharrel Jerome who gives the most heart-breaking performance as Corey Wise, the young man who was convicted for the longest prison sentence. Jerome is the singular focus of the fourth and final episode and he rises to the occasion.

You will be exhausted once you finish When They See Us but you won't regret the time you invested in this relevant and powerful story.