Netflix has produced some fantastic original shows and has
always had a good track record of unique stories and a fantastic ensemble of
intellectual writing and flawless performances from well-known names to new
faces in acting. This brings us to the newly released Netflix original series
Between which has thus far released its first episode with 5 more to be
released weekly. Between, however has not caught the attention of this review
in the best possible way and sadly lacks much basis to impress.
The plotline of the Netflix original is as such, a small
unsuspecting town named Pretty Lake (presumably for the lake we, the audience, get
to notice in the background of a shot of the sign diagnosing the town as having
a lake. One that is presumably pretty when it is in focus) beset by a mystery
disease that kills all adults aged 22 and older suddenly and without a sliver
of warning. With the government putting up a quick and surprisingly prompt quarantine,
leaving a town beset with a community of nothing but 21 year old and under kids
to hold the peace in a world without adults, the law or any of the usual rules
that should apply to children. Whilst the Lord of the Flies-esque setting has
worked in many other works, such as James Dashner’s Maze Runner series and Stephen King’s Under the Dome, Between leaves this setting feeling bored with
characters seemingly just going through the motions. Although there is so far
only a single episode to explore the setting feels rushed and poorly delivered,
something a first episode should be dedicated to putting into place above all
else.
The various characters feel cheaply written, with all but 3
characters, pregnant teen and professional bitchface Wiley (Jeanette McCurdy),
young genius and emotional void Adam (Jesse Carere) and Gord (Ryan Allen) who
lives on a farm and that’s about as exciting as he gets, being intentionally
written as unlikable characters lacking redeeming qualities and even less
backstory. Among these characters the acting feels particularly poor and
downright lifeless with the young men and women seeming downright apathetic
when their parents die in front of them! Jesse Carere’s performance is, sad to
say, the worst of all. The character of Adam is downright emotionless at every
juncture he faces and never once really shows any motivation behind his
actions. A small credit to Carere however is that neither himself, Jeanette
McCurdy, nor any of the performers in this series can be expected to deliver
any of their dialogue with feeling with the awful nonsense the writers has
given to them all.
In conclusion I personally would not recommend this new show
to anyone for entertainment purposes, not even for an old favourite of watching
bad shows for the sake of laughs. I would say: Between is, however, a great
example of how not to write a television series and therefore at least has its
purpose among the archives of media. The future episodes of this won’t be
reviewed by this blog as, although I hope future episodes somehow manage to repair
the cracks riddled through the first impressions, I have been suitably put off
by episode 1 of this show and that, is the PopBang opinion.
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