In the series “Kindred,” we see a blend of mystery and science fiction. But it’s not limited to just those two genres; it is also fantasy in some way. The series also focuses on events that took place in the past (the 19th century) and some events that are happening in the present timeline (2016). The fantasy series is based on a book by Octavia E. Butler, which was written back in 1979. One of the most prominent characters, Master Rufus, is the child of Master Thomas Weylin and Margaret Weylin. Unlike his father, Master Rufus is empathic. Ever since the start, we saw that he enjoyed the company of Dana and that she saved his life whenever he was in danger. What is the connection between Master Rufus and Dana that pulls Dana back to the 19th century? Is Master Rufus responsible for it? Let’s find out.
Spoilers Ahead
How Does Master Rufus Call Dana Into Another Timeline?
The first time Dana saved Master Rufus’ life was when he was a baby. Master Rufus was turned on his back when he was in his crib and could not breathe. At the same time, in the present timeline (2016), Dana experienced sleepwalking. She had just shifted from New York to L.A. She was a writer who loved daily soaps and wanted to write for television. One can say she was naive, too, because she sold her grandmother’s house very impulsively. She lived with her grandmother before she passed away, and perhaps she could not cope with the grief she was experiencing. Also, when she was young, her mother and father supposedly died in a car accident. One night, she dreamed about her mother and told the nightmare to her aunt, who did not seem interested in listening to her.
Dana lived in a neighborhood that was racist toward her. Ever since she moved in, she did not feel welcomed by her neighbors. One night, the neighbor’s cat came to her backyard, and she suddenly started gasping for air. Holding the cat in her hands, she went back in time. Dana got confused because she was not from that era. Back in the 19th century, when Dana got pulled back, she experienced tremendous pain. She saw numerous slaves being treated badly. Master Rufus’ father, Thomas, was a man who was a male chauvinist. Back in the olden days, it was very common for men to disrespect women, including their wives.
When Dana got pulled back in time the second time, she was trying to explain whatever she saw to Kevin, her friend. Kevin did not believe her at first, but she disappeared in front of him. Kevin was in total disbelief, but when he went out into the hall, Dana was lying there. It seemed like time did not pass the same way in both timelines. While Dana was in the 19th century for a few hours, in her present timeline, only a few seconds had passed. Dana had no control over the things happening to her, and she could not explain them to anyone. When she tried explaining the situation to her aunt, she thought Dana was going crazy and needed medical attention, as her mother did. We do not get a lot of information about Dana’s mother’s mental condition, but she was stuck in the 19th century and had been there for decades.
Dana got pulled back in time again, but this time she took Kevin with her. Together, they saw that Master Rufus’ leg was badly hurt. Dana always found her way back to the 19th century when Master Rufus thought he was going to die or was badly injured. The same happened with Dana. Whenever she felt like she was going to die, she went back to her timeline. The connection between the two was that they were ancestors who lived on the same plantation. It all started because of Master Rufus. It was Dana’s purpose to save him. The series felt like it mixed the concepts of time travel and “The Matrix.” Maybe they go back in time through a connection rather than a portal. Something pulls the two together. Master Rufus was very adamant about staying with Dana. We saw him begging Dana to stay with him multiple times. Dana had to live like a slave to save the lives of others and Rufus. He was the master of several slaves, but their children were his only friends; he even stopped going to school. However, he did not treat the blacks like animals. Master Rufus was a bright young boy who would grow up to become a man who did not believe in slavery or racism. We saw Dana teaching him good things and reading to him. Rufus’ father was a man who stopped studying when he was 12, and he wanted the same for his child. His idea of masculinity was very problematic. We saw various scenes where he considered rape to be entertaining. He even beat his wife and secretly had intimate relationships with his slaves. But when Rufus and one of his friends grew close, he had a problem with it. His character was a hypocrite.
Rufus called his friend, Carrie, “talented,” which showed he was a young boy with his own ideals that differed from the social norms of his era. He grew up calling his slaves the n-word, but Dana stopped him. Also, Dana eventually started caring about Rufus’ life because she figured if anything happened to him, she would not exist. It became her mission to fight against all odds. The series heavily talked about religion and God; maybe God planned to send Dana back to save Rufus from his cruel father. Dana kept on asking Rufus if he knew how he called her back to the 19th century, but Rufus had no control over it either. Then Dana, with the help of her mother, figured out how to come back into their timeline (2016), but the only thing yet to be deciphered was how to go back to the 19th century. Master Rufus was taken away from Dana when his mother got sick of his father’s behavior. She left the plantation with his sister. The last time we saw Master Rufus was when he got too drunk at a very young age. His father’s mentality was something his mother was always sad about. Margaret Weylin was a troubled woman who was depressed and frustrated. She tried her best to show everyone around her that she was happy, but people could see through her.
When Dana tried to stop Rufus and Margaret from leaving the plantation, Dana told her it was she who had saved Rufus multiple times. Would anyone believe her? No. Even Margeret does not believe she is there to save her son; she believes Dana is a demon. Now, a question arises: if Master Rufus is gone, does Dana have a purpose anymore? She got pulled to her timeline when Thomas whipped her, but this time it was without Kevin. Dana had no control, and neither did Kevin; the time travel just happened on its own. The series does not go into details and can even be considered bland in that aspect of science fiction.
After Dana got pulled back to her timeline, finally, her aunt started believing in her. She suggested opening the family Bible to see when all of this started. Dana found out that Rufus married Alice, and not Carrie like everyone had assumed. But she is not able to go back to the 19th century by herself.
Will There Be A ‘Kindred’ Season 2?
Now, we have a question: would Master Rufus call for Dana again? Would she be able to go and serve her purpose? We can assume that we will be getting a few answers in season 2 because the end of season 1 was a cliffhanger. Until the new season comes out, we can only assume that Dana somehow figures a way out to go back in time along with her mother because she is also back in her timeline. In the upcoming season, we might get to see them finding out more things about their ancestors and how they treated black people. Maybe it all started because of Rufus’ father’s sins. He would starve his slaves and even hit them. He was a white man who did whatever he wanted since he was free and considered himself superior to the blacks. It was a time when slaves were sold and bought. So maybe Dana was sent back to save her ancestry and cleanse the sins of Master Rufus’ father. Also, she might have been sent back to teach Master Rufus libertarian ideals.
