I first read abou Njinga (or Nzinga) in a 1954 book that had little information on her life, other than the highlights. (possible spoiler here-- my favorite is the 'chair'.) Njinga was the first African ruler to play European political games, play the Europeans off one another, and unify conflicting African nations, shifting alliances whenever the benefit was greatest for her people. Sadly, she played well, but it was still a losing game, as this fine series says in its closing titles. Njinga was a wise and courageous warrior who lived in a difficult time. The first episode starts slowly but becomes more surefooted in the episodes with the most historical information. Some anachronistic music is a distraction but this is not present after the first episode. The scholarly commentary is interesting (some is from a modern 'woman king'), explains historical events that are not portrayed onscreen, and never breaks the continuity. Adesuwa Oni and Marilyn Nnadabe give outstanding performances and the rest of the cast is very good. The South African locations are stunning. I was curious about the fate of two characters who abruptly disappear from the story line, but since Njinga was just as ruthless as her oppressors, I can figure it out for myself.
This is a good start to what looks like a fascinating series.
This is a good start to what looks like a fascinating series.