The Story of Catcher Freeman
Encyclopedia
"The Story of Catcher Freeman" is the twelfth episode of the second season of the Adult Swim
animated television series The Boondocks
and the twenty seventh episode overall. It aired on January 28, 2008.
regales the boys with the story of their heroic ancestor, Catcher Freeman. Later, Uncle Ruckus
drops by and tells his own version of the story. Finally, Huey
does some web research and uncovers yet another story.
All of the stories follow the same basic plotline — Catcher Freeman was a slave
, yet a mythical figure in the antebellum
South, nearby a cotton plantation where an anachronistic Confederate
Colonel, Colonel George Lynchwater a.k.a. "Massa Colonel", owns many slaves. The slaves include Tobias, the house slave and cringing lackey to Lynchwater, and Thelma, one of the cooks. Tobias is in love with Thelma, but Thelma does not (initially) return his feelings. Thelma escapes the plantation one night, but after an encounter with Catcher, returns to plan a revolt. The slaves secretly organize the revolt, in which Catcher Freeman (in all versions) plays a pivotal role. The Colonel and (in two versions) Tobias are both killed, and Thelma escapes to the North and marries Catcher.
However, the three versions have key differences in characterizations (not the least of which is Catcher himself), motives and how the events unfolded.
Robert's version shows Catcher Freeman as an escaped slave turned dashing highwayman, almost superheroic in his combat skills. While he kills several white men, he does so only in defense of other slaves. After rescuing Thelma during her escape, he inspires her to find her own bravery, and return to lead the other slaves to freedom. He pledges to return to spearhead the assault. Before leaving, he gives her a revolver, solemnly telling her that she will know when the time is right to use it. The next day, the revolt begins, yet the Colonel, informed of the revolt by Tobias, lays in wait with several soldiers. Catcher and his band appear and turn the tide, leading to a climactic swordfight between Catcher and his nemesis on the steps of the Plantation. Catcher wins and beheads his foe, and victory seems complete until Tobias, distraught over the death of his master, levels a flintlock at Catcher. Catcher stands bravely, ready to be martyred. A shot rings out, but it turns out the shot wasn't from the flintlock—it was from Thelma's revolver. Tobias collapses dead. The slaves escape to the north, and Catcher retires from his swashbuckling heroics to the more subdued heroics of assisting with the Underground Railroad. Riley for his part shows complete disbelief at the story, pointing out the anachronisms and that the story seems to be made up of clichés from the action genre. At one point Riley points out that one of the slaves has made a reference to Batman
when Batman wasn't made yet, causing Grandad to tweak the story.
Uncle Ruckus then gives his own version of the tale - Catcher Freeman's name was actually "Catch a Freeman," and he was a slave used to capture other runaway slaves. In Ruckus' version, Catcher is animalistic, barely able to speak, and unable even to walk upright, yet can somehow jump from tree to tree (Riley declares it "Some Ol' Tarzan
Shit"). Also in Ruckus' version, the white people are kind and the slaves live a life of relative luxury and sloth. In this version, Thelma is a vile seductress who leads the evil and ungrateful slaves in an unprovoked attack on the Colonel. Thelma seduces Catcher and ties him up as he sleeps, so that he can't come to his master's aid in the upcoming battle. Tobias is shown as heroically standing at his master’s side as the waves of attacking slaves close in, made to look like a subhuman horde of vampiric, zombie barbarians biting away at the Colonel's men. When the slaves win the battle, it is couched in Ruckus’ telling as a heartless and unprovoked massacre. Catcher, too dumb to know he was betrayed, goes with Thelma up north.
As Robert and Ruckus argue over whose version is correct, Huey presents the web-searched version of the story.
In Huey’s version (perhaps the most accurate in the episode), Catcher Freeman did not even exist at the start of the story. Instead, Thelma finds the will to fight back when she kills a white rapist
during her escape, and becomes the figurehead of the revolt exactly one week later. Meanwhile, Tobias, who is revealed to be a "mulatto
bastard" son of the Colonel, has developed the world’s first screenplay (before film’s invention) and convinces his father it is worth financing. To make sure the screenplay does get the funding, he tells the Colonel about the revolt. Thelma, however, gave him false information for the time of the attack and it turns out to be at that moment, whereas Tobias thought it would take place in a week. Despite this, the revolt succeeds and Thelma and the Colonel square off with the swords on the steps of the plantation. Tobias, not wanting the Colonel to die before he financed the project, fires the flintlock at Thelma’s back, but the struggling fighters turn and the Colonel is shot instead. Tobias, noticing everyone is looking at him, prudently pretends that he shot the Colonel on purpose, and thus the legend is born as Tobias becomes known as Catcher Freeman. This version of the story is denied by both Robert and Ruckus as it conflicts too heavily with their own versions. The episode ends as Riley prepares to give his own "version" of the story.
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
animated television series The Boondocks
The Boondocks (TV series)
The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name...
and the twenty seventh episode overall. It aired on January 28, 2008.
Plot
The story begins in the Freeman home, when RobertRobert Jebediah Freeman
Robert Jebediah "Granddad" Freeman is a fictional character in the animated television show The Boondocks, as well as a regular character in a comic strip of the same name. He lives in the suburb of Woodcrest with his two grandsons, Huey Freeman and Riley Freeman...
regales the boys with the story of their heroic ancestor, Catcher Freeman. Later, Uncle Ruckus
Uncle Ruckus
Uncle Ruckus, also known as Rev. Uncle Ruckus and Rev. Fr. Uncle Ruckus, as well as Uncle Rukus while serving at Robert Freeman's Soul Food restaurant "The Itis" , is a fictional character from the Boondocks comic strip and animated television series The Boondocks...
drops by and tells his own version of the story. Finally, Huey
Huey Freeman
Huey Freeman is a fictional character of The Boondocks syndicated comic strip written by Aaron McGruder, as well as the main character and recurrent principal narrator of the animated TV series of the same name...
does some web research and uncovers yet another story.
All of the stories follow the same basic plotline — Catcher Freeman was a slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, yet a mythical figure in the antebellum
History of the United States (1789–1849)
With the election of George Washington as the first president in 1789, the new government acted quickly to rebuild the nation's financial structure. Enacting the program of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, the government assumed the Revolutionary war debts of the state and the national...
South, nearby a cotton plantation where an anachronistic Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Colonel, Colonel George Lynchwater a.k.a. "Massa Colonel", owns many slaves. The slaves include Tobias, the house slave and cringing lackey to Lynchwater, and Thelma, one of the cooks. Tobias is in love with Thelma, but Thelma does not (initially) return his feelings. Thelma escapes the plantation one night, but after an encounter with Catcher, returns to plan a revolt. The slaves secretly organize the revolt, in which Catcher Freeman (in all versions) plays a pivotal role. The Colonel and (in two versions) Tobias are both killed, and Thelma escapes to the North and marries Catcher.
However, the three versions have key differences in characterizations (not the least of which is Catcher himself), motives and how the events unfolded.
Robert's version shows Catcher Freeman as an escaped slave turned dashing highwayman, almost superheroic in his combat skills. While he kills several white men, he does so only in defense of other slaves. After rescuing Thelma during her escape, he inspires her to find her own bravery, and return to lead the other slaves to freedom. He pledges to return to spearhead the assault. Before leaving, he gives her a revolver, solemnly telling her that she will know when the time is right to use it. The next day, the revolt begins, yet the Colonel, informed of the revolt by Tobias, lays in wait with several soldiers. Catcher and his band appear and turn the tide, leading to a climactic swordfight between Catcher and his nemesis on the steps of the Plantation. Catcher wins and beheads his foe, and victory seems complete until Tobias, distraught over the death of his master, levels a flintlock at Catcher. Catcher stands bravely, ready to be martyred. A shot rings out, but it turns out the shot wasn't from the flintlock—it was from Thelma's revolver. Tobias collapses dead. The slaves escape to the north, and Catcher retires from his swashbuckling heroics to the more subdued heroics of assisting with the Underground Railroad. Riley for his part shows complete disbelief at the story, pointing out the anachronisms and that the story seems to be made up of clichés from the action genre. At one point Riley points out that one of the slaves has made a reference to Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
when Batman wasn't made yet, causing Grandad to tweak the story.
Uncle Ruckus then gives his own version of the tale - Catcher Freeman's name was actually "Catch a Freeman," and he was a slave used to capture other runaway slaves. In Ruckus' version, Catcher is animalistic, barely able to speak, and unable even to walk upright, yet can somehow jump from tree to tree (Riley declares it "Some Ol' Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
Shit"). Also in Ruckus' version, the white people are kind and the slaves live a life of relative luxury and sloth. In this version, Thelma is a vile seductress who leads the evil and ungrateful slaves in an unprovoked attack on the Colonel. Thelma seduces Catcher and ties him up as he sleeps, so that he can't come to his master's aid in the upcoming battle. Tobias is shown as heroically standing at his master’s side as the waves of attacking slaves close in, made to look like a subhuman horde of vampiric, zombie barbarians biting away at the Colonel's men. When the slaves win the battle, it is couched in Ruckus’ telling as a heartless and unprovoked massacre. Catcher, too dumb to know he was betrayed, goes with Thelma up north.
As Robert and Ruckus argue over whose version is correct, Huey presents the web-searched version of the story.
In Huey’s version (perhaps the most accurate in the episode), Catcher Freeman did not even exist at the start of the story. Instead, Thelma finds the will to fight back when she kills a white rapist
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
during her escape, and becomes the figurehead of the revolt exactly one week later. Meanwhile, Tobias, who is revealed to be a "mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
bastard" son of the Colonel, has developed the world’s first screenplay (before film’s invention) and convinces his father it is worth financing. To make sure the screenplay does get the funding, he tells the Colonel about the revolt. Thelma, however, gave him false information for the time of the attack and it turns out to be at that moment, whereas Tobias thought it would take place in a week. Despite this, the revolt succeeds and Thelma and the Colonel square off with the swords on the steps of the plantation. Tobias, not wanting the Colonel to die before he financed the project, fires the flintlock at Thelma’s back, but the struggling fighters turn and the Colonel is shot instead. Tobias, noticing everyone is looking at him, prudently pretends that he shot the Colonel on purpose, and thus the legend is born as Tobias becomes known as Catcher Freeman. This version of the story is denied by both Robert and Ruckus as it conflicts too heavily with their own versions. The episode ends as Riley prepares to give his own "version" of the story.