The grace of a Netflix subscriber rides a colorful horse. “The Decameron” was not the hit that could have been expected before its premiere, and it looks like “Kaos” will be no different. Trips to the past are not the favorite entertainment of Netflix audiences. The success of the Mexican “Accident,” which we wrote about here, is rather proof that big-budget telenovelas and soap operas sell better (here’s an example of “Emily in Paris”) than fancy concepts combining the past with the present.
What is he talking about? „Kaos” Netflix?
“Kaos” tells the story of the Olympian gods living in the modern world. Zeus (played by Jeff Goldblum) panics as a result of a certain event and begins to believe that a prophecy will come true, which will lead to the downfall of his family, and then chaos will take over the world. Obsessed with the belief that this particular line crosses out his plans for the future, he begins to think nervously about an “antidote”. Prometheus (while he is temporarily, as he says, not “tied”) tries to talk some sense into him, but it does little good.
What’s going on in the afterlife?
At the same time, Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), Hades (David Thewlis) and Persephone (Rakie Ayola) are going through their own, smaller and bigger, problems. The series throws us into different stories, weaving a web of plot between myths, but it doesn’t make the proposed reinterpretation of them any more interesting. “Kaos” has the same problem that plagued “The Decameron” – it tries hard to show how the past is inevitably connected to the future, and although in theory everything fits together, the script doesn’t arouse our admiration. Something is missing in this story, similar to “The Decameron”, which debuted in July. Although “Kaos” wants to deal with the privileged social class, it doesn’t say anything groundbreaking about it.
Zeus and Hera (Janet McTeer) maintain the old order. On the other side (in the black-and-white universe), Hades and his team are preoccupied with death. There are also formalities to be completed in the afterlife. Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau) tries to escape, and Orpheus, in love with her, sets off on a journey to her. Seeing how the afterlife is organized is an interesting procedure, but not particularly innovative.
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“The Good Place” or “Kaos”?
The inevitability of fates is terrifying, but so is the precision with which each mechanism and messengers of the afterlife operate. At times, it is reminiscent of the series “The Good Place,” which explored the afterlife far and wide, so that after four seasons, it had no surprises for us.
The initial idea for the script of “Kaos” seems great. The viewer is not only to be given a new chance to interpret Greek mythology, but also a kind of memento mori, looking at the fate of Eurydice. The problem is that everything in “Kaos” is quite superficial and the script slips through the topics without any idea how to dig into them.
It is worth mentioning “The Good Place” again as an example of a series that is not afraid of “discussions” about life after death. Let us recall that in it, Eleanor Shellstrop (played by Kristen Bell) wakes up dead one day and has to learn the entire politics of the afterlife regarding its further functioning. The series changes its main theme several times, but in the first phase it focuses strongly on the transformation of the heroine and her quest to correct her earthly mistakes.
There were more productions that played with similar motifs. Just think of “American Gods” and “Good Omens”. Filmmakers have been eager to exploit the subject of crossing the magical line of life and death for a long time. However, it is important to say something new on the issue that will never be decided on this side of the coin, i.e. what actually happens after we die.
“Kaos” is superbly cast, skillfully and at times funny written, but it lacks a spark that would ignite the audience in a similar way to Orpheus’ performance.
If you want to read a review of “Dekameron”, you can find it here here. This series, like “Kaos”, is available on Netflix.
