The 10th and final episode, “The Ballad Of Moon & Stars,” looks to answer all of these questions and more. Upon awakening 48 hours later, Bahiya is greeted by her surrogate mother-figure Amunet, who urges her to spill it on what she experienced in her former life. Bahiya refuses to tell, leading to some slight torture. Amunet finally takes her leave, with the promise that Ramses won’t be so gentle with her. Bahiya, unafraid, resolves to face Ramses while several hours later, Charles awakens to find that his crew members have treated his wounds and are awaiting his expertise in coming up with a plan to save Bahiya. It seems that Sosa and Cierra are willing to put payment to the side to assist Charles, showing that what was once a partnership born out of mutual greed has become a real friendship between the four of them.
Heartened by this showing of comraderie, Charles comes up with his coolest and most ambitious plan yet, which involves soliciting the services of several characters we met throughout the season. Meanwhile, Bahiya finally confronts Ramses and tells him the truth, that her heart belongs to Charles and only Charles, and that Ramses’ blind devotion to Uhuru’s mission has made him cold and inhumane.
This was an excellent scene featuring some stellar acting from both Brittaney Traylor and Alonge Hawes. You can see the hurt and sense of betrayal plastered all over Ramses’ face as he struggles remain apathetic. In contrast, you can see the resoluteness and determination flash across Bahiya’s eyes as she finally lets Ramses have it. His inability to think for himself is what ultimately lost him everyone he loves, and that revelation seems to melt away all pretense of him being this indomitable badass. Refusing to concede, Ramses tells Bahiya that he knows Charles will come riding on a white horse to save her and that when he does, he’ll kill him and lay claim to the final Fragment. At this point we understand his threat is less about ruling as a God or uniting Black people as it is getting revenge.
It is this thirst for vengeance that ultimately blinds Ramses, and Charles’s plan is pulled off without a hitch. We see the return of some fan favorites from previous episodes, including Parker Benjamin (an engaging and hilarious Alex Patterson), Brilliance Meijin (Joshua Dennard), and Morrigan Chambers (the delightful Angela Van Tassel), who assist (for a price, of course) in infiltrating Uhuru’s stronghold, saving Bahiya, and taking Ramses hostage. Aiyden Booker (Julian Robinson) also pops up to earn a little get-back from Ramses and take both he and Bahiya to where Charles, Cierra, and Sosa have been waiting.
Here, Ramses and Charles have their final bout. Only instead of a sword fight, it’s a duel of philosophies, as Charles tells Ramses that death and destruction isn’t the answer while Ramses shoots back that the want for peace is what doomed them in Egypt centuries ago. Both men make good points, and ultimately Charles decides to let fate be the judge as he allows Ramses to bring all the Fragments together to see which of them is correct. When Ramses places the final Fragment in its slot, the Goddess Renenutet (Lasada Lloyd), wife of Geb, appears. She judges Ramses first and, seeing that his soul is twisted in anger and hate, finds him unworthy (which is apparently extremely painful) and as Ramses collapses, seemingly dead, Charles steps forward and is judged meritorious.
Renenutet gifts Charles with a bracelet with instructions to “correct the mistakes of the past, learn from the history of the present, and the future will forge itself.” As she disappears, Charles informs the group that the bracelet he’s wearing bears hieroglyphs that form part of a map to the door that guards utopia. This sets up
Silver & Gold for a potential second season of adventures, and as Charles winks at the camera one final time, I couldn’t help but wonder what those adventures could merit.
Besides an after-credits scene that I will not spoil, this is the culmination of
Silver & Gold’s first season. And as I type, I keep coming back to my initial impression of the finale: is Alonge Hawes a genius for combining two, maybe three different genres into one series and actually pulling off a fun, exhilarating roller coaster of a season, or is he crazy and I just happen to love his version of cinematic stir-fry? The dedication the cast has shown to Alonge’s vision is impressive. What could have come off campy instead comes off earnest, and what could have been corny comes off fervent.
I really came to like the ensemble and how they balance one another out. I also found the show’s mythology intriguing and well written. The highest compliments I can give
Silver & Gold is that I hope we are afforded a second season to see where Alonge takes this likable cast and what strange capers he’ll dream up next.
So, to answer the question on whether the man is genius or kooky, going by the fact that I had so much fun living in his cinematic playground…
Does it even matter?
RATING
Writing/Directing- 4.5/5 Stars
Performances- 4.5/5 Stars
Cinematography- 4.5/5 Stars
Audio- 3.5/Stars
Editing- 4/5 Stars
Warning: This review contains spoilers for the final three episodes of 'Silver & Gold’s inaugural season. Watch the series on JARO Media.
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