Genius: MLK/X

Disney+, Hulu
Streaming Release: February 2, 2024

Original Series

Studio: National Geographic

The fourth season will explore the formative years, pioneering accomplishments, duelling philosophies and key personal relationships of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. While King advanced racial equality through nonviolent protest, Malcolm X argued forcefully for Black empowerment, identity and self-determination. With their formidable wives, Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz, by their sides, King and Malcolm X became synonymous with the civil rights era and the fight for racial and economic justice. While they met only once and often challenged each other’s views, neither would have been as successful without the other.

Episode List for Genius: MLK/X

Episode	Date	Title	Description
8	2/22/2024	Can You Imagine	Malcolm, knowing his death is likely imminent, works hard to care for his family, reconcile with his siblings, and speak truth to power about the Nation and the best way forward, up until his final moments. In the aftermath of Malcom’s death, Martin, feeling his own mortality, decides that he can no longer remain silent on the Vietnam War. A horrifying day in Memphis shocks the world.
7	2/22/2024	The Sword and the Shield	After his break from the NOI, the pain of betrayal from Elijah takes a toll on Malcolm mentally, physically and emotionally. When further betrayals within the Nation come to both him and Betty, he decides to speak out. The FBI targets Martin and Coretta, causing stress and paranoia, but the passage of the Civil Rights Act gives both Martin and Malcolm hope – and the opportunity to meet each other.
6	2/15/2024	The American Promise	In an effort to force the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Martin and his allies attempt their biggest undertaking yet – the March on Washington. As it draws near, Martin finds himself struggling to find the right words to unite the country. When Malcolm finds himself nearly suspended from the Nation, he evaluates his relationship with Elijah, especially in light of a dramatic revelation.
5	2/15/2024	Matriarchs	With Martin unjustly jailed, Coretta must call upon all her strength to keep pushing forward. When an opportunity to help Martin comes up, she takes it, despite pushback from Daddy King. With Malcolm refusing to listen to her needs, Betty takes drastic action to try to save her marriage. A reminder of her past, and a vision for her future, show her the way through.
4	2/8/2024	Watch the Throne	After an attack leaves Martin grappling with his mortality, he must confront whether his fear is affecting his ability to lead. Malcolm sees an opportunity to grow the profile of the Nation in the form of a documentary about the NOI. However the consequences of his actions begin to bubble to the surface. All the while, Malcolm juggles a growing family as Betty finds herself feeling isolated.
3	2/8/2024	Protect Us	Malcolm builds space for Muslims in the Harlem community, meeting new member Betty Saunders. As romance builds between the two, a confrontation with the police puts Malcolm in the spotlight. As the Montgomery bus boycott intensifies, Martin and his new family are faced with concerns about their safety. In the end, both find themselves ascending to heights they could have never imagined.
2	2/1/2024	Who We Are	Malcolm is introduced to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who takes him under his wing after recognizing his potential with the NOI, but temptations from an old flame and the bonds of family test his strength. Martin introduces and brings Coretta into the King family. Martin finds his voice within the church and is faced with a career decision that will alter his relationship with Daddy King.
1	2/1/2024	Graduation	An intense focus on the formative years of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X and their experiences and relationships as young children and teens that shape and influence the iconic figures they would become. Malcolm’s release from prison and King’s graduation from Boston University begin their respective journeys that will one day change the nation, but also begin a budding rivalry.

Episode	Date	Title	Description
8	3/24/2021	No One Sleeps	Despite significant emotional losses, including a second divorce and the death of her father in 1984, Aretha pushes herself artistically and triumphs.
7	3/24/2021	Chain of Fools	As the Queen of Soul enters the age of disco, Aretha will do anything to remain relevant—including stealing an opportunity from her sister Carolyn. She receives a GRAMMY nomination but is ultimately snubbed from winning the award.
6	3/23/2021	Amazing Grace	Aretha records her best-selling live Gospel album “Amazing Grace” in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, ignoring her sibling’s pleas to record instead at New Bethel with their father, C.L. Franklin.
5	3/23/2021	Young, Gifted and Black	Aretha, inspired by Angela Davis and the Soledad Brothers, records her protest album “Young, Gifted and Black” in 1970. Despite Jerry Wexler’s uncertainty, the album is a success. Barbara Franklin makes a decision that has a devastating effect on Little Re in 1951.
4	3/22/2021	Unforgettable	Aretha is featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1968, but she’s devastated when the article focuses on the scandalous details of her personal life. Barbara Franklin and Young C.L. Franklin struggle to establish themselves in Memphis in 1941, before Little Re is born.
3	3/22/2021	Do Right Woman	Aretha juggles her music career and her commitment to the civil rights movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr., in 1967 and 1968. Meanwhile, Little Re leaves behind her newborn child to return to the Gospel Circuit in 1955, meeting with music legends James Cleveland and Little Sammie Bryant.
2	3/21/2021	Until the Real Thing Comes Along	Struggling to find her sound, Aretha catches the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1966. Meanwhile, Little Re has her first touring experience on the Gospel Circuit in 1954 with C.L. Franklin and meets her idol, Clara Ward.
1	3/21/2021	Respect	Desperate for a hit, Aretha travels to Muscle Shoals in 1967 to record her first album with Atlantic Records. After suffering the loss of her surrogate mother, Little Re braves her first solo in 1953, in her father’s, C.L. Franklin, church.

Episode	Date	Title	Description
10	6/19/2018	Chapter Ten	After Françoise Gilot leaves him, Pablo finds companionship with a new woman. In near seclusion, Pablo obsesses over creating the perfect painting. Meanwhile, Françoise struggles to escape Picasso’s shadow even after remarrying and moving to the US.
9	6/12/2018	Chapter Nine	Younger Picasso finds respite from his strained marriage with Olga in the arms of his newest muse: Marie-Thérèse Walter. However, their romance is short-lived, cause soon he crosses paths with Dora Maar. Meanwhile, Françoise Gilot defies Older Picasso and pursues her artistic goals.
8	6/5/2018	Chapter Eight	Pablo meets his first wife, a ballerina, while designing a ballet. Older Picasso struggles to manage his complex family.
7	5/29/2018	Chapter Seven	After WWII, Picasso joins the Communist Party but struggles to align his artwork with his own political beliefs. Affected by a tragic love affair from his past, Picasso falters in his responsibilities to Françoise.
6	5/22/2018	Chapter Six	Picasso takes Françoise Gilot on vacation. Young Pablo starts cubism with Georges Braque, but is accused of stealing the Mona Lisa.
5	5/15/2018	Chapter Five	Picasso tries to convince Françoise to move in with him, while Young Pablo is challenged by the radical genius of Matisse.
4	5/8/2018	Chapter Four	As older Picasso juggles two love affairs, Young Pablo strives to create a masterpiece that will signal his arrival as a great artist.
3	5/1/2018	Chapter Three	Picasso meets his great love Franoise Gilot. Young Pablo begins his Blue Period after the suicide of his friend.
2	4/24/2018	Chapter Two	Picasso’s relationship with Dora Maar is strained by war. Young Pablo succeeds by imitating the masters, but struggles to be original.
1	4/24/2018	Chapter One	Pablo Picasso confronts the threat of fascism in Spain, and Young Pablo rejects traditional painting to search for his own voice.

Episode	Date	Title	Description
10	6/27/2017	Chapter Ten	After the atomic bomb is dropped and World War II draws to a close, Einstein assumes the role of world citizen in his twilight years.
9	6/20/2017	Chapter Nine	Albert Einstein settles into life in America, but dangers abroad continue to be a threat to both him and his former colleagues.
8	6/13/2017	Chapter Eight	Einstein and his wife Elsa attempt to flee Germany after the rise of the Nazis, but they face unexpected roadblocks.
7	6/6/2017	Chapter Seven	In the wake of the war, patriotism corrupts one of Albert Einstein’s closest friends, Fritz Haber, pitting them against each other.
6	5/30/2017	Chapter Six	Einstein moves his family for work, and to be closer to his new love, Elsa. He sets out to prove his theory as his marriage reaches a breaking point.
5	5/23/2017	Chapter Five	Einstein begins to experience the academic life he coveted, but he falters in his familial responsibilities. He is reintroduced to his cousin Elsa.
4	5/16/2017	Chapter Four	Albert Einstein and Mileva juggle raising a kids with his attempts to catch the eye of the scientific establishment.
3	5/9/2017	Chapter Three	Einstein struggles to support his pregnant wife and land an academic post in a rigid world of tradition and protocol.
2	5/2/2017	Chapter Two	After butting heads in class, Einstein falls in love with the determined Mileva Maric. Their affair raises eyebrows.
1	4/25/2017	Chapter One	The story of Albert Einstein, seen through glimpses of his twilight years and flashbacks to his time as a student in Munich and Zürich in the 1890s.