WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Them, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Like most malevolent spirits in horror fiction, the entities haunting the Emorys in Amazon's Them have an origin story of their own. Each of the four members of the family are beset by a different being following their move to East Compton, California. And in its black-and-white eighth episode, the series takes time out from the Emorys' story to explain how the Black-Hat Man, the entity tormenting mother Lucky, came to be.
In the 1800s, the Black-Hat Man is known as Hiram Epps, who lives in the small town of Eidolon, in the California desert. As an elder of an all-white community who is believed to speak to God, he enjoys significant authority, even though everyone in the town is considered equal. He is a man of profound faith, but his devotion has recently been shaken by the death of his wife and son. Epps has looked for comfort in the Bible and in his community, but his grief runs too deep for either to help. What he wants is an explanation, directly form God, for the sacrifice of his family. As he prays, he hears whimpering from a nearby bush, where he finds a boy whom he adopts and names Miles. This, he believes, is the answer to his prayer.
Soon afterward, Miles spots a pair of travelers, Grafton and Martha, whose carriage has broken down outside town. Epps welcomes the strangers to the community, something he says the Bible instructs him to do. However, his neighbors are far more wary, mostly because the new arrivals are Black. Nevertheless, Epps ensures the couple's safety.
The newcomers' stay soon stretches to a week, so they offer to help the community with whatever work needs to be done as a way to repay their hospitality. Grafton is asked to settle an argument about where they should dig a new well; despite their efforts and prayers, they have yet to find water. But as soon as the question is put to their guest, he identifies a location for their well. Instead of being relieved, however, the community is suspicious. believing this could be the work of black magic.
Using a passage from the Bible as an excuse, the community enslaves the couple. Then one day, Epps, who is starting to lose his sight, believes he sees evil in Martha. Shortly afterward, he loses the cross he regularly carries. and Martha picks it up to return it to him. Instead of being grateful, however, Epps' vision of Martha is once again distorted, and he turns on her. They argue and Martha slaps Epps, so the community locks the couple in the stables. Miles secretly sets them free, and they try to escape on horseback.
They're quickly caught and blinded by the community for stealing. Afterward, Martha curses Epps, calling him a white devil, and his Bible bursts into flame. As punishment, the community hangs Grafton and Martha upside down and burns them alive. As the community watches in what appears to be joy, Epps continues to preach. Soon, the entire community is on fire. Miles then leads Epps into the basement, where he reveals the truth: When Epps believed he was talking to God, he was actually talking to Miles, a demonic presence or perhaps the Devil himself. As Miles shape-shifts, he offers Epps a deal: The man will continue to live as long as he breaks every Black person who sets foot in the area, which will eventually become East Compton. Epps' job will be to make Black residents suffer until they can endure no more. If he fails, his soul will be forfeit. Miles and Epps seal their covenant with a handshake as the burning building crashes down around them.
The episode makes it clear the supernatural threat the Emorys face is rooted in the same racism and bigotry as that perpetrated by their living neighbors. Yet, as he was instructed, the Black-Hat Man seeks to break the Emorys from the inside. Like Miles, he now has the power to shape-shift, devising the perfect form to ensure the suffering of each of the Emorys, just like Miles adopted the perfect form to ensure Epps would bend to his will.
Created by Little Marvin, Them stars Deborah Ayorinde, Ashley Thomas, Alison Pill, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Melody Hurd and Ryan Kwanten. The series is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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