Hulu's Wu-Tang: An American Saga, a fictionalized account of the lives and careers of Staten Island's game-changing Hip-Hop group, the Wu-Tang Clan, received critical acclaim during its three-year run.

The show, which began airing in 2019, was executive produced by The RZA, Mario Van Peebles Alex Tse, and Method Man, was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2020 and won a Golden Reel Award in 2020.

Below are our 5 favorite episodes of Wu-Tang: An American Saga.

"Can It All Be So Simple"

Season 1, Episode 1

The series introduction focuses on Ghostface Killah's home life as he is a caretaker of two disabled brothers and a drug-addicted mother. A drive-by shooting (performed by Raekwon on the show) sets Ghost on a course of revenge, as The RZA works on tracks for what will eventually be the Clan's debut album. The viewer is also given a glimpse into the illegal life that the crew uses as a means of survival and a way to fund what becomes the Wu empire.

"Labels"

Season 1, Episode 8

RZA has secured a deal with Tommy Boy Records and released his first single as Prince Rakeem. He embarks on a tour with Ol' Dirty Bastard and GZA and quickly learns the perils of the music business. This episode also features an interaction between Just-Ice and The RZA, where Just checks Prince Rakeem for not knowing the mathematics of the 5%. Just-Ice has denied ever meeting anyone from the Wu-Tang Clan. In this episode, GZA has also secured a deal with Cold Chillin and released the single "Come Do Me." RZA and GZA are both becoming frustrated with the music business.

"Protect Ya Neck"

Season 2, Episode 6

The RZA searches for the perfect sound for the Wu-Tang Clan by digging through crates of old soul and funk records. In one of the series' most creative episodes, the RZA has a conversation with a deceased family member about music, and as he alters the speed of different pieces of music and manipulates it as he sees fit, the viewer gets a visual of the band corresponding to his alterations. The episode is a visual representation of RZA's musical thought process. Check it out below.

"Liquid Swords "

Season 3, Episode 8

Episode 8, Liquid Swords, is the third "allegorical movie" of the season, and it's the most entertaining and creative by far. The RZA-written and directed episode chronicles GZA, who takes on the persona of "The Genius" as he journeys through an alternate reality NYC to unite Hip-Hop fans who have been poisoned by dangerous music distributed by culture vultures. GZA frees the people using music from his "Liquid Swords" album. The episode contains many elements from various kung fu movies, with Mad Max-type scenarios. RZA and Divine's sister Shurrie played by Zolee Griggs broadcast coded rhymes over private radio waves to awaken any people who may be listening and to summon a hero to free the people.

"Triumph"

Season 3, Episode 10

The episode focuses largely on RZA's frustration coming to a head, as he has had to deal with nine different personalities as the Abbot of the Clan. A missed album completion and concert dates combined with negative attitudes are proving to be stressful for Bobby Digital as he searches for the sound that will take the Wu to the next level and broaden their fanbase. In "After The Smoke Is Clear," the show's previous episode, RZA discovered that live instrumentation instead of samples was the key to elevating the sound of the Wu. In this final episode, he hires an orchestra in an attempt to provide a level of musicianship that he cannot deliver himself. The Clan, especially Raekwon, is extremely vocal about their disappointment with RZA's new musical direction. The episode ends with The Clan playing one of their shows opening for Rage Against The Machine, a tour that they've been threatened to be kicked off of due to tardiness and absenteeism, primarily from the Ol' Dirty Bastard, who has been missing for most of the tour.