The Aftermath
When They See Us returns with part 3, with an update on how Raymond’s family are coping with the situation and how it has brought a strain on their relationship. Antron is also having trouble adjusting and has regular nightmares in the juvenile centre. We then cut to the future where we see Antron, now an adult, walking out of prison, finally free. We find out that his Dad has left but came back a couple of years ago, very ill. However, Antron hasn’t forgiven him for leaving them. Raymond is also out of prison and has an emotional reunion with his Dad. He also meets his father’s new wife who doesn’t seem happy to see him and resents him for how her husband has been over the last few years. Back in 1990, the mothers of Kevin, Korey and Yusef meet to discuss their sons. Korey is having hard time in maximum prison as he is only 16. Back in the present, we see the boys trying to adjust to their lives after being in prison for so long. Raymond is having trouble finding a job and doesn’t feel welcome in his home. He ends up having a confrontation with his new stepmom, who calls him a rapist. He later meets with Tanya who used to write to him in prison, however when his stepmom walks in the house, she gets angry and throws her out. Yusef would like to go back to school to be a teacher but because he is a convicted felon, he will not be able to. Meanwhile, Antron is going out with a girl called Adele who is not happy that he never wants to take her out. Instead, he goes back home to find his Father becoming sicker and emotionally reconnects with him; a faint glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak episode. Raymond and Tanya begin to grow closer, however he loses his job just before they were about to move in together. Feeling that he has no choice, he meets with a gang and asks to be their partner in drug dealing. Yusef and Kevin later meet, and we learn that Yusef is now married; Antron has moved to Baltimore and talk about getting married, but they don’t know what is happening with Korey. The episode then ends with Raymond being arrested and put back in prison. This third episode mainly focuses on the aftermath of the trial, their lives behind bars and how they adjust to life after prison. Although this episode feels a bit slower than the first two, it’s a harsh reminder of just how tough these boys have it, with the weight of the case hanging heavy over their lives. It’s an eye-opening look at how difficult life is for convicted felons, especially given our protagonists were wrongfully accused. There are also some questions left unanswered here too, as during the whole episode it’s hinted that Korey is still in prison and has had the worse time out of the Five because he was the only one not a minor when they were arrested. It will be interesting to see what the last episode will bring and if it will wrap up this mini-series fully, perhaps showing what they are all doing now.
