Amazon’s ‘Harlem’ Debuts to Mixed Reaction on Social Media

Amazon’s new dramedy Harlem premiered Dec. 3, and viewers had a lot to say about it on social media.

The 10-episode series about four stylish women living in New York City stars Meagan Good as Camille; Jerrie Johnson as Tye; Grace Byers as Quinn; and Shoniqua Shandai.

Related Story: Meagan Good Stays Focused on Career and Men in ‘Harlem’ Trailer (Video)

While some fans criticized the dialogue and sex scenes, others liked the fact that the show reminded them of other series starring Black women.

@Walkin_Holiidae wrote on Twitter: “I’m about to binge watch #HarlemOnPrime all over again but this time I’m taking notes. It gives big #BeingMaryJane energy with a little mix of #Girlfriends humor and I’m here for it.”

@tamrasutra tweeted: “Just watched first ep of #HarlemOnPrime & loving all this melanin sisterhood joy. #SATC but with much needed black queer representation Rainbow flag. I’ve cackled out loud & I am totally bingeing this with wine & Popcorn . More series like this and less black trauma please @PrimeVideo.”

@WarrenAdriana tweeted: “Watching Ep 1 of #HarlemOnPrime I’m living for all the colors, styling, and casting. Looking forward to how this show develops.”

But others felt the storyline was too much like HBO’s Sex and the City — which centered on four women balancing their love lives and careers in the Big Apple.

@bsulisy tweeted: “I was looking forward to #HarlemOnPrime but all four women are portrayed to be clueless and airheaded when it matters. I thought we were past “the Sex and the City” template. There was so much potential.”

One of the sex scenes also got Twitter users talking, including author @tariqnasheed.

“This is a scene from that #Amazon series #Harlem This tells you everything you need to know about the series. #trash #BuckBreaking,” Nasheed tweeted:

This is a scene from that #Amazon series #Harlem

This tells you everything you need to know about the series

??#trash#BuckBreaking pic.twitter.com/A4KcB5l9PF

— Tariq Nasheed ?? (@tariqnasheed) December 6, 2021

Creator and executive producer Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) said in a recent interview with Elle magazine that the series is one of her most personal projects yet, adding that it was inspired by her life when she entered her 30s.

“A lot of the shows at that time were about the uncertainty of your 20s,” she said. “But what happens when you’re in your 30s, and you’re still a mess, and you and your friends are nowhere near getting married, and you just got fired from your job? And you thought you were going to have kids and maybe can’t?”

She noted that the series is meant to tell the stories of Black and Brown women not often seen on television.

Watch the trailer for Harlem below: