The Other Black Girl: Jaw-Dropping Book Alterations That Will Leave You Speechless!

Spoilers for The Other Black Girl season 1 and the novel ahead.

Summary

The Hulu series adaptation of "The Other Black Girl" masterfully blends satire and thriller elements, delivering a riveting reveal and finale that surpasses the novel.

Delving into Nella's backstory and intricacies, the TV series expertly captures her character's nuanced moments while streamlining backstory details to prioritize the plot. Additionally, it affords more screen time to the captivating character of Hazel.

The show effectively portrays a post-pandemic world and the increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It sheds light on the superficial attitudes of Nella's white colleagues, placing them in a contemporary context.

Adapted from Zakiya Dalila Harris' popular novel, The Other Black Girl successfully brings the comedic and thrilling storyline to the small screen. Centered around Nella Rogers (played by Sinclair Daniel), an editorial assistant at the prestigious Wagner Books, the Hulu series depicts Nella as the only Black woman in the workplace, facing racism on her own. However, the arrival of Hazel-May McCall (played by Ashleigh Murray) unveils a series of strange events that prompt Nella to uncover the unsettling history of Wagner Books. While the overall plot remains consistent between the TV series and the book, the Hulu show strikes a better balance between satire, thriller, and mystery elements.

10 Nella's Backstory Is Handled Differently In The Show

In a similar vein to the original material, the focal character Nella Rogers serves as an editorial assistant at the esteemed Wagner Books. Nella, known for her intellect and desire to please others, stands alone as the sole Black employee at Wagner initially. Reflecting the events of the novel, Nella's upbringing in a predominantly white community in Connecticut and her attendance at a predominantly white college are pivotal aspects. Yet, the book and subsequent series revolve around Nella's identity as a Black individual and showcase her unwavering dedication to advocating for Black authors at Wagner.

"Writing for Nella from this perspective was of utmost importance to me, albeit a bit nerve-wracking at the outset," Harris conveyed to USA Today. In the 10-episode television series, Harris has the opportunity to explore the intricacies of Nella's character and the multifaceted moments that unfold throughout the course of the show. However, unlike the readers, viewers aren't provided with as much background information. Despite Nella being a tremendously captivating character in both versions of The Other Black Girl, the series streamlines the backstory to offer audiences a more focused plot and, importantly, more screen time for the brilliant Hazel.

9 The Other Black Girl's Thriller Elements Are Threaded More Clearly Throughout

One criticism of Harris' celebrated novel was its sudden introduction of mystery and thriller elements, particularly in regards to the ending. While the series is also satirical in nature, it is the compelling mystery surrounding Wagner, and even Hazel, that hooks viewers and keeps them eagerly awaiting the next episode. In a significant departure from the novel, both the novel and series commence with a flashback to an event that occurred three decades prior to the main story. However, it is the series that skillfully maintains a thrilling and mysterious atmosphere throughout its ten episodes, resulting in a more gratifying revelation, satirical undertones, and finale that matches the caliber of Jordan Peele's upcoming film.

8 Hulu’s The Other Black Girl Is Set Post-Pandemic

Published in 2021, The Other Black Girl was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impactful events of 2020, such as the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade. The Black Lives Matter movement experienced a resurgence on an unprecedented scale in 2020, emerging as the largest social movement in history, as reported by The New York Times. Consequently, the conversations surrounding systemic racism and implicit bias underwent a significant transformation. Harris acknowledged the need for a different approach to the world and narrative of the show in light of these renewed discussions in 2020, as they extended beyond the awareness solely among Black and brown individuals. [Placeholder for additional content]

7 Nella's Micro-Aggressive Workplace Changes With The Times

With the changing level of consciousness, Harris and Jones decided to reexamine not only Nella's experiences in dealing with microaggression and racism at work, but also how individuals who claimed to be supportive allies actually revealed themselves to her. In the post-2020 era, there might be a greater recognition of the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion; however, these principles have predominantly been incorporated in performative ways, if they have been embraced at all.

6 Nella & Hazel’s First Meeting Is Much Different

In 2023, Nella's white colleagues in the workplace struggle to understand the distinction between intent and impact. On the Hulu TV series The Other Black Girl, character representations of Nella's boss Vera (played by Bellamy Young) and CEO Richard Wagner (played by Eric McCormack) closely align with their written counterparts, while also emphasizing the shallow attitudes prevalent in a post-2020 society.

The initial meeting between Nella and Hazel in the Hulu adaptation differs from the novel. In the source material, Hazel introduces herself to both Nella and Vera, who is Nella's boss, simultaneously. However, the show cleverly removes Vera from the scene entirely. Describing the scene, Harris explained to Elle, "Hazel seems effortlessly comfortable and at home [at Wagner], despite being new, but we don't see this in the show - Nella's first day is unlike Hazel's." Nevertheless, the way they meet clearly indicates that they have contrasting experiences.

5 Nella’s Boyfriend Owen Is Made More Likable

In both iterations of The Other Black Girl, Nella finds herself in a relationship with Owen (Hunter Parrish), a Caucasian boyfriend. Similar to her upbringing and college years, Nella's romantic partner serves as a connection to the complexities of navigating her experiences with whiteness. "I didn't want the spotlight on [Owen] per se... My intention was to shine it on the Black woman," expressed Harris during an interview with USA Today. While Owen's presence is more subdued, he embodies a more endearing portrayal of the character: instead of openly displaying entitlement, he provides unwavering support to Nella and empathizes with her encounters at Wagner College.

4 Shani’s Role Changes From Book To Screen

Harris' novel introduces The Resistance, a well-organized group consisting of various prominent characters, among them Shani (portrayed by Karina Willis in the series). However, in the show, Shani embodies a lone fugitive operative, deviating from her role within the organization. Due to constraints in adapting The Resistance for the screen, Harris and her co-writers chose to use Shani's enigmatic persona as a surrogate representation of the larger group. This alteration captures the depth and complexity of the central conflict in The Other Black Girl, offering a more relatable and human perspective.

3 Nella Meets Her Literary Hero In Hulu’s Series

Both versions of The Other Black Girl include important characters from the past that initially attracted Nella to Wagner. One such character is Kendra Rae Phillips (played by Cassi Maddox), the only Black editor at the publishing house who disappeared after collaborating with Black writer Diana Gordon in the 1980s. Nella, inspired by both Gordon's book and Phillips' career, ends up joining Wagner because of these influential figures. However, in contrast to the novel, the TV series allows Nella to meet her idols — although this doesn't always turn out to be a positive experience.

2 The Other Black Girl’s Ending Diverges From The Book

In the TV show, Hazel is not your typical "villain" character. This is partly due to her significant amount of screen time and also because the series delves deeper into her questionable motives. Towards the end of the first season consisting of ten episodes, Nella discovers that Hazel plays a key role in a nationwide network aiming to assist Black women in assimilating into white society. However, this comes at the cost of their autonomy and selfhood. According to Marie Claire, the women rely on a special hair grease as a "social lubricant," which numbs their ventromedial prefrontal cortexes.

1 The Show Keeps Things Open For The Other Black Girl Season 2

The hair product aids Black women in conforming to white-centric professional norms, granting them the same sense of tranquility and confidence as Hazel in their work environment. Nella soon uncovers that Diana Gordon, a cherished role model and renowned author, is the mastermind behind this plan and intended to apply the product on her colleague and former Wagner editor, Kendra. Ultimately, in the conclusion of The Other Black Girl, Nella pretends to utilize the hair product to appease Hazel and Diana, while secretly hoping to expose the scheme to the world.

Nella, the protagonist, experiences a more unsettling conclusion in the book. She comes to a realization that she has never truly experienced genuine freedom. In her pursuit to conform to the workplace environment, she succumbs to Diana and Hazel's deceitful plan, sacrificing her identity. Despite her efforts to expose their actions throughout the story, Nella ultimately becomes unrecognizable in the epilogue. Intriguingly, this leaves room for the possibility of a second season of The Other Black Girl.

In a possible attempt to secure a second season, Hulu's The Other Black Girl depicts Nella feigning the use of hair grease, successfully deceiving Hazel and Diana. This conclusion not only leaves Nella's self-preservation open-ended and optimistic but also hints at her potential ability to thwart Diana's schemes in a hypothetical season 2 of The Other Black Girl. Sources: Various.