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‘The Gray House’ Premieres on Prime Video as Variety Says Civil War Drama Falls Flat

A Variety review says the lavish production stumbles on bloated plotting with broad villains.

Overview

  • All eight episodes of the limited series debuted Feb. 26 on Prime Video.
  • Created by Leslie Greif, Darrell Fetty and John Sayles, the project lists Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman as executive producers.
  • Inspired by real operatives, the story follows two Southern socialites, a formerly enslaved woman and a sex worker who run a spy network inside Jefferson Davis’s household to aid the Union.
  • The review praises Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head and Amethyst Davis and notes the show’s unflinching portrayal of antebellum brutality.
  • The critic faults overstuffed subplots, melodramatic staging and villain portrayals that read as caricature, saying the focus on the women’s heroism gets diluted.