Sometimes there’s no better ratings boost for an unauthorized account of a celebrity’s life than that person speaking out against it. Or in the case of HBO’s “Winning Time,” several folks. Thanks to former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson’s documented displeasure with Hulu digging into his very public life, the eight-part limited series “Mike” has landed more eyeballs. The question, however, is will they be satisfied with what they see?
Initially, the answer is no. Unlike Tyson in his heyday, “Mike” takes a minute to heat up. Despite teasing Tyson shockingly biting rival Evander Holyfield’s ear to kick off the series, the first episode “Thief” travels back to Tyson’s rough Brooklyn upbringing as the youngest child being raised by a poor, single mother of three. It’s a bleak existence that’s truly hard to watch, mostly due to Zaiden James’ very effective performance as young Mike. By episode’s end, a juvenile home in upstate New York clearly seems more hopeful than the direction Tyson was headed back in Brooklyn.
B.J. Minor’s takeover as teen Mike in “Monster” delivers on the confusion Tyson must have felt in that emotional limbo with famed boxing coach Cus D’Amato, but rarely rises above rote storytelling. Still, it’s an essential piece of the story that cannot be skipped over. Fortunately, “Mike” finds its groove when “Moonlight’s” Trevante Rhodes fully takes over in “Lover,” the series’ third episode. The one-man show gives way to a much fuller narrative in which Rhodes delivers a truly introspective performance that offers not just insight into Tyson’s behavior but also the role society and boxing itself play into his depravity as a young man. From this point on, “Mike” raises hard-hitting questions, painting the boxer as both perpetrator and victim. It asks viewers to contemplate what role a society unconcerned with its youth plays in their demise.
“Lover” is also notable for the quick introduction and exit of Laura Harrier’s Robin Givens. While one episode is not enough for one of the most well-known and explosive chapters of the famed boxer’s life, it works hard to not just paint Givens as the heartless gold-digger she was so often depicted as. In a small amount of real estate, “Mike” questions many of boxing’s ethics while also confronting the boxer’s own self-loathing and destructive misogynistic behavior. Was it fair for Tyson’s body to pay for D’Amato’s widow’s lifestyle for the rest of her life? Again, “Mike” kicks butt, just not in the ways so many expect. “Desiree,” the fifth episode, really challenges viewers beyond completely writing Tyson off as a monster.
As Desiree, Li Eubanks strikes all the right chords. Her character is both credible, but also unbelievably compassionate and kind. There is no doubt that what happened to her was a crime, but she does not shrink because of it. Eubanks imbues the young beauty pageant contestant Tyson was convicted of raping with a dignity and strength that TV shows and films rarely capture. It’s a quite remarkable performance.
Russell Hornsby’s Don King, however, does not fare quite as well. Often the performance feels forced, with the noted Broadway and “BMF” actor never fully relaxing in the role. In all fairness, Hornsby’s lack of ease could very well reflect the lack of depth given to King. 25 years later and Ving Rhames’ portrayal of the infamous boxer in HBO’s “Don King: Only in America” is still unmatched.
“Mike” will undoubtedly feel rushed because it covers so much ground so quickly when it feels like the show had time to linger. Only five of the eight episodes were provided for review and most of the tabloid fare is covered in them. But as flawed as “Mike” is, there is something about Rhodes’ performance, along with the tough questions about what blame society must accept in not giving poor little Black boys from Brownsville, Brooklyn a chance for survival in the first place, that makes it worth watching.
“Mike” is now streaming on Hulu.
