Netflix's assortment of young adult dramas are successful to varying degrees -- from the creatively superior Sex Education and American Vandal to the passable Insatiable and 13 Reasons Why. The streaming platform's latest offering, The Society, lands somewhere on the higher side.
It's a fairly simple story but it still emerges as somewhat victorious in its quest to tell the law vs. anarchy trope through the optics of the high school graduates left alone in a town that resembles their own.
The teenagers of West Ham, a town plagued by a mysterious smell, return home from a school trip cut drastically short. When they return, they have their lavish homes and cars, but what’s missing are their parents, pets, and basically any other human beings. Even that pesky smell is gone.
These kids have no idea if they're in the same town they grew up in or if it's an exact replica of it somewhere else. They're in a weird solitary confinement because there's no way of getting out, and worse, no internet.
The Society clearly borrows elements from established pop culture pillars like Lost. But while that spent a good amount of time trying to solve the mystery at its core, The Society only glosses over it sporadically at least until the end, leaning instead into a modern version of Lord of the Flies.
Cassandra Pressman (Rachel Keller) steps up as a leader when everyone goes into chaotic descent upon realizing they're stuck here by themselves. She aims to form a temporary socialist society and is supported by her sister Allie (Kathryn Newton), who has always lived under Cassandra's shadow.
The first few episodes are laden with twists, some so crucial they change the entire nature of the story you thought you were seeing. A major unexpected curveball in episode 3 elevates The Society and most of its characters heavily, especially Allie. As she finds her footing in these uncertain times, so does Newton, who melds more into her role with every passing episode.
Allie and Cassandra become the rational focal point of the town as they try to figure out how tough of a leader to be. It taps into Ralph's story from Lord of the Flies because his motivation is also to rebuild civilization after being stranded on that island by maintaining order. They're all too moral for their own good.
In the case of The Society, this makes Allie and Cassandra overbearing at times even though they're on the right side.
What drags out the most is the story of villainous Campbell and his abusive attitude towards girlfriend Elle. While we don't ever see the abuse happen, we know it is happening. Their story takes some unnecessary turns, especially towards the end, but it makes for a great slow-build thrilling scene in episode 8, "Poison."
Luckily, the show does an excellent job of transforming supporting characters who seemed unimportant into series MVP's. It helps balance out the story when the protagonists and antagonists (especially Campbell, ugh) bog the show down with their extremes.
They provide this hardened coming-of-age tale some heart, mostly in the form of characters like Grizz, a closeted jock in charge of leading a hunting party to find more land. His vulnerabilities come into play as he interacts with his deaf classmate Sam. Kelly (Sierra Burgess is a Loser breakout Kristine Froseth, equally excellent here) is fit to lead but spends her time learning medicine because, uh, these folks have no doctors and one of them is pregnant. She will for sure turn into one your favorites on the show.
What works most in the favor of The Society is the frustration it builds in a viewer. This is not a complaint, it's a compliment. Constructing narratives that keep you hooked when they're not supposed to is not an easy feat. There is so much simmering tension that boils over in startling ways, like in episode 5 when Allie has to make a shocking life-or-death decision.
The Society also doubles as a metaphor for the current world in multiple ways. This country is debating the importance of a socialism vs. capitalism, which mirrors how the rich kids here led by Campbell and Harry don't want to give up their perks to those in need of them to survive. The show also dives deep into the dangers of mob mentality and what it means to trick the crowd with lies -- a concept that comes into play majorly in the show's final twists.
It sends subdued but strong messages with these themes, going against expectations of what you think will happen. There isn't enough outlandish trouble from the kids, who could essentially spend their time partying like the Riverdale teens (who actually have adult supervision!). The Society makes you believe these young adults are mature enough to handle the massive stress of their situation. Well, most of them anyway.
It's a straight-shooter of a show with a clear angle for where it wants to go. It's addictive to a degree, making it the perfect binge. What more could you want from a campy YA drama, anyway? It ends with several cliffhangers, both good and bad, which makes me positive that a second season is on the cards.
The Society Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
Topics Netflix
