Lovecraft Country‘s latest episode, “Jig-A-Bobo,” thoroughly creeped viewers out with its newest monsters, pickaninny demons Topsy and Bopsy.
The two demons, who only Diana (Jada Harris) can see, haunt her after she is cursed by Captain Lancaster, one of the Sons of Adam. Topsy, a character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin used to depict the pickaninny stereotype, come to life (along with her friend Topsy) after Diana drops the book.
Twitter was on fire with reactions, with the consensus being that viewers were going to go without sleep in fear of the two characters.
The Uncle Tom demons from Lovecraft Country have properly haunted me out of my sleep, so here we are at four in the morning being unproductive and jumpy
— Charles, Starching His White Shirt (@CharlesPulliam) October 5, 2020
I turn 55 this month and over the years have seen the scariest movies ever made. But Topsy and Bopsy ‘bout gone have me sleeping with the lights on tonight for the first time ever. #LovecraftCountry
— Lee Bey (@LEEBEY) October 5, 2020
Diana way better than me. I would’ve kept running from Topsy and Bopsy until my legs broke. That was some nightmare on elm street shit. Good job #LovecraftCountry
— Tito’s n Soda. ???????? (@ViSneakerBoy) October 5, 2020
I don’t ever wanna see Topsy and Bopsy ever again in my life…..
— Taye (@iThink_ItsTayE) October 5, 2020
I finally managed to fall asleep last night, but still can’t get #Topsy and Bopsy out of my brain. #LovecraftCountry pic.twitter.com/M0Bappl3Fb
— Leia (@sevillanadore) October 5, 2020
these actors’ performance stole today’s episode of #LovecraftCountryEp8 and they way they creep me out with their wierd dance.. remarkable! ????✨ pic.twitter.com/e5d2gsKP3K
— sary. (@sariebut) October 5, 2020
Fans also gave tons of credit to dancers/actors Bianca Brewton and Kaelynn Gobert-Harris, who portrayed the two monsters.
Props to the dancers behind #Topsy and #Bopsy, they gave us :
“The Colored Museum”–meets–*Thriller*
The Alvin Ailey Dance Company meets “Black Mirror”
Nightmare-inducing, bad-azzery AND in sync!
#LovecraftCountry #LovecraftCountryEp8 #Lovecraftradio— Lena J. (@CARTOONSByLenaJ) October 5, 2020
All I know is that if the *entire* cast and crew of #LovecraftCountry don’t sweep the Emmys like Schitt’s Creek did, more than a few folks are going to be putting that curse with those break dancing twins on the Emmy Voters ????????♀️
— brittany packnett cunningham. (@MsPackyetti) October 5, 2020
Both Brewton and Gobert-Harris wrote about their experiences on Instagram.
“I’m so emotional,” wrote Harris. “Thank you, GOD.”
“Backstory…I was given a task to embody this character by [creative consultant/director of choreography Jamaica Craft] & [choreographer Draico],” wrote Brewton in her caption for her post, which showed a snippet of a vintage blackface routine. “At first I was discouraged, because it was such a heavy part. But, eventually I felt empowered knowing that African Americans were so DAMN DOPE that [t]hey couldn’t resist imitating us. With that said I’m HONORED that I was given this opportunity to play BOPSY.”
What did you think of Topsy and Bopsy?
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