“The Good Lord Bird” builds toward the incendiary events at Harpers Ferry, a mixture of tactical errors, blind faith, and tragedy. And the show’s rowdy atmosphere is flexible enough to slide into intensely moving and disturbing moments (with some emotional gospel songs on the soundtrack), thanks to directors such as Albert Hughes and Kevin Hooks and creator-writers Hawke and Mark Richard, all of whom stay true to McBride’s vision. As Brown, Hawke is also able to slide between tones. For much of the series, he and his bluster are the source of the comedy, as his belief that there’s no justification for owning human beings leads him into the heart of American hypocrisy. He is simultaneously delusional and clear-headed. But he will also break your heart with that same undying commitment to the fight.
