Small town secession : representations of micro-statehood in the US TV series Republic of Sarah (2021)

Abstract

The 13-part US TV series Republic of Sarah (2021) represents the emergence of Greylock, a microstate on the US/Canada border. The establishment of the microstate is initially represented as a tactical ploy by opponents of a mining enterprise that capitalises on a (fictional) error made when the international boundary between the US and Canada was drawn up in the 1840s. This premise allows the series to explore the practical difficulties in establishing a microstate in the early 21st Century. But the radical autonomist aspect of this theme is undercut by the new state’s close adherence to ideals of US participatory democracy and the manner in which Greylock is presented as a more humane and participatory alternative to contemporary America. Following an overview of secessionist movements in the US and the legal structures that have prevented them gaining traction, the article provides an overview of the issues presented in Republic of Sarah, the impulses behind its production and aspects of its critical reception.