War changes people, but not everyone is affected the same way. The motivations behind a conflict also come into play, as some may support military action while others oppose its reasons and want no part in it. Civil wars are even more complicated since former neighbors and friends may now be fighting each other. The Gray House begins during perilous times in Richmond, Virginia at the outbreak of the American Civil War as it spotlights those operating a resistance smuggling enslaved people to safety and helping to tip the tide in favor of the Union Army.
Eliza Van Lew (Mary-Louise Parker) is among the elite of Richmond in prewar 1860, but the guests at her formidable July 4th party are wholly unaware that she and her daughter Elizabeth (Daisy Head) don’t agree with their sentiments about slavery and what’s best for the country that’s about to be fractured. As Jefferson Davis (Sam Trammell) becomes President of the Confederacy, the Van Lews install Mary Jane Richards (Amethyst Davis) as a spy within his home as they work carefully with a network of fellow believers, including Clara Parish (Hannah James) and Thomas McNiven (Christopher McDonald), to ferry information to the South’s sworn enemies to bring a swift and decisive end to the war.
This is an ambitious undertaking, an eight-episode series that captures the spirit of resistance in the American South during one of the most troubled times in this country, when growing tensions boiled over and led to a true fracturing of a previously-established union. Its key players did exist, though less information is available than has been presented here, and other real-life figures like Confederate Attorney General Judah Benjamin (Rob Morrow) and John Wilkes Booth (Charles Craddock) play a part in the story as well. This is history packaged as entertainment, designed to educate and commemorate actual events but also to be an immersive watch with many twists and turns.
The Gray House, which initially premiered back in June 2024 at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, comes from Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffé, whose past credits include The Mission and The Killing Fields. This is an action-packed story laced with clever deception and near-misses but one which also comes with a good deal of emotion given the nature of its content and the horrific treatment of the Black residents of this new Southern capital. Richards is clearly smarter than nearly everyone around her – and has even recently returned from faraway Africa – but has to play dumb and pretend not to be able to read in order to avoid suspicion, especially since she faces a particularly severe punishment should she be caught, as compared with her white collaborators.
The choice to have this series drop all eight of its episodes at once is a bit puzzling because there’s a good deal that happens in each and they also run quite long, meaning that watching one episode at a time should prove satisfying enough without necessitating a binge. In this case, longer is a good, since it means more time to explore and flesh out characters, and to give spotlights to standouts like Ben Vereen as the kindly Isham Worthy and to show the various facets of this resistance, namely Parish’s brothel, which services its clients but also carries out a far more important duty.
The ensemble as a whole functions very well, with Louise-Parker in a more supporting role that lends credibility to the show and Head as its primary lead. Elizabeth is a strong protagonist who has a similar passion and resilience to Richards but entirely different circumstances under which to operate. Davis and James are both terrific and enhance their respective storylines, and Trammell offers a worthwhile interpretation of Davis, who seems to exude a true sense of honor for the important work he believes himself to be doing and gradually has that purpose and nobility driven out of him.
The Gray House pays tribute to an impressive and under-the-radar group, namely Richards, who achieved extraordinary things in a world where the capitals of warring nations were just over one hundred miles apart. The production values of this series are high and make it feel like a trip back to the past, and the cast contributes enormously to a show that feels as if it inhabits a much larger world than just the one brought to life in these eight episodes. It isn’t always easy to watch, but for those up for it, it’s both involving and rewarding.
Season grade: 7/10
