Set in sunny 1950s Los Angeles, the horrors of Them lurk just beneath the surface: In the dark abyss of the basement, in the suspicious looks from neighbors, and even behind the wallpaper. Creator Little Marvin’s Them is an anthology series that “explores terror in America,” and its first season—dubbed Covenant—tells the story of the Emorys, a Black family who move from North Carolina to an all-white neighborhood with residents that immediately see the newcomers as a threat to their livelihood. But it’s not long before the family’s own home seems to turn on them, revealing itself to be host to supernatural forces just as menacing as the evils next door.
Them’s period setting gives the season a distinct stylish flair, but it also provides Little Marvin and his creative team with a thematically rich lens to explore the fraught history of being Black in America, drawing parallels to the persisting horrors of today. In the video above, Marvin talks to The A.V. Club about his decision to use the post-WWII suburban boom as the framework for his story about Black homeownership, the “nightmare beneath that [American] dream.” Marvin also reveals how the series’ eye-catching, era-appropriate production design is more than just (literal) set dressing: Even the wallpaper holds secrets in Them: Covenant.
Covenant—the first season of horror anthology series Them—premieres on Amazon Prime Video on April 9.
9 Comments
Is this a horror anthology ala American Horror Story? Or is each episode a different story?
Good question and sorry that’s unclear here! It’s meant to be an anthology a la Horror Story, so the first season of Them follows the same story thread of this family in the 1950s. Unclear where it goes from here in future seasons/how they’re connected, but eager to find out!
“its first season—dubbed Covenant—tells the story of the Emorys… “
Anthologies can be weird. Sometimes a over arcing story can bookend a series of separate stories in the same universe.
Just watched the first episode – its an anthology closer to American horror story.
The 19th major studio spin on Get Out in the four years since it hit is a Ryan Murphy knockoff? That’s 2021, baby.I will be shocked if there’s anything about the show that is remotely surprising.
With a twist of Lovecraft Country thrown in. Surprised they called the period setting “distinct”.
Not a single giant ant joke? I don’t even recognize this place anymore
I was into him back when he was Regular-Sized Marvin.