EPISODE
When We Rise - Season 1
The series is about the movement born from the 1969 Stonewall riots. It chronicles the real-life personal and political struggles, set-backs and triumphs of a diverse family of LGBT men and women who helped pioneer one of the last legs of the U.S. Civil Rights movement.
5 April 1982, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
19 November 1965, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
June 18, 1977 in Wittlich, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
6 April 1981, Sparwood, British Columbia, Canada
8 November 1984, Toronto, Canada
13 November 1955, New York City, New York, USA
20 April 1974, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
1 January 1991, Chicago, Illinois, USA
28 March 1986, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
3 April 1959, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
February 27, 2017
When We Rise is a high minded and generally recommended history of the gay rights movement, a sincere effort by Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter of Milk to provide history and hope in an eight-hour project.
March 02, 2017
When We Rise admirably illustrates the virtue and necessity of activism, but it doesn't have enough muscle. There's a piousness, a politeness at root in the series that withers in the harsh glare of our political moment.
February 23, 2017
Given the shortcomings and overreaches of the script, the acting is as good as it can be, with Skeggs standing out as the young Guy and Williams evoking deep alienation effectively.
February 28, 2017
While the excellent acting and compelling storyline in this series will likely draw viewers attention, the often stilted messaging can dull the drama.
February 27, 2017
Important television, but also wildly, maddeningly uneven TV, too.
February 23, 2017
A sprawling story creates an awkward combination of history lessons and personal stories, and broadcast standards prove far too restrictive. The result is a conglomeration of narratives that never reach their full potential.
March 06, 2017
This four-night drama about the gay and lesbian rights movement in the United States is packed with wonderfully nuanced performances and splendidly resonant moments.
February 27, 2017
Only by its own wild choices, like stunt casting and narrative stasis does the series start to lose its way, although the fire for the story it wants to tell is constantly, visibly burning.
February 27, 2017
For those under a certain age it's likely to be a well-dramatized history lesson; for those over that age it's a flashback look at modern times.
