If a friend were to ask you for the gist of the new Netflix series “The Boroughs,” you’d likely offer what sounds like a pitch a movie producer would present to a studio executive in the hopes of convincing the latter to green-light the proposed project.
“It’s ‘Stranger Things’-meets-’Cocoon.’”
It’s the conclusion many who watch “The Boroughs” will reach, as the show’s more-enjoyable-than-not eight-episode debut season — on the streaming platform this week — certainly shares DNA with the recently concluded hit Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Not only does the new show involve a group of friends facing a supernatural threat, but it also counts the older series’ creators, the Duffer Brothers, among its producers.
And because this group of pals resides within a retirement community, director Ron Howard’s well-regarded 1985 science fiction comedy drama also certainly comes to mind. Although the stories the two entities tell are quite different, both effectively explore how older adults can feel invisible in society, as well as increasingly running short on time.
“The Boroughs” takes its name from its fictional setting, a large retirement community in the New Mexico desert, with everything from independent living to memory care.
Alfred Molina stars as Sam Cooper, who is reluctantly moving into a house on a cul-de-sac in The Boroughs, as that was the dream of his late wife, Lily (Jane Kaczmarek, “Malcolm in the Middle”). He’s been staying with his loving daughter, Claire (Jena Malone, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”), and her well-meaning husband, Neil (Rafael Casal, “Blindspotting”), but it’s been a tight fit with them and their kids.
At The Boroughs, Sam wants to be left alone, but that doesn’t mesh with how one of his neighbors, the gregarious Jack Williard (a charmingly over-the-top Bill Pullman, “Spaceballs”), rolls. Jack eventually gets Sam to agree to attend a barbecue to meet other neighbors: the cynical Renee (Geena Davis, “A League of Their Own”), a former rock music manager; the sharp-witted Judy (Alfre Woodard, “Luke Cage”), a former journalist; Art (Clarke Peters, “The Wire”), Judy’s husband, a soulful spiritual seeker who enjoys weed and golf; and Wally (Denis O’Hare), a brilliant former doctor living with cancer.
Related Articles
- An SNL ‘All Drug Olympics?’ Not quite. But these Enhanced Games are no joke
- ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War’ review: Small win for Krasinski, crew
- A round of a-paws for ‘La Perra,’ winner of the Palm Dog award at Cannes
- WWE star Ludwig Kaiser charged in battery of neighbor over PDA
- ‘What just happened?’ Jeff Probst spoils ‘Survivor 50’ finale during live broadcast
Early on, Sam also makes the not-so-pleasant acquaintance of another Boroughs resident, Edward (Ed Begley Jr.), who regularly and passionately offers a warning to anyone who will listen: “The owl is in the walls!” Sam ignores this at first, but, after the eventful conclusion of the series’ first episode, its strongest, he has reason to want to hear more from Edward.
Unfortunately, that goal doesn’t exactly mesh with the agenda of The Boroughs’ young, charismatic CEO, Blaine Shaw (Seth Numrich), who pretty clearly is hiding something. If Sam isn’t careful, if he keeps spouting the kinds of things Edward says, he could find himself in the aforementioned, quite colorful memory care facility, The Meadow.
Nevertheless, Sam, Wally, Renee, Judy and Art eventually are unified in an endeavor to learn the truth about what exactly is going on at The Boroughs — secrets that the viewer will uncover along with them.
They get help from a young security guard, Paz (Carlos Miranda, “Station 19”), who takes a liking to Renne, as she does to him. And they’ll need his help to deal with his boss, the highly unpleasant Hank (Eric Edelstein, “Twin Peaks: The Return”), who all but goes out of his way to not help people.
Created by the tandem of Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”), who serve as the showrunners and who penned the premiere and finale, “The Boroughs” begins to lose steam around the season’s midpoint, but a game-changing development gives it a second wind. Relatedly, that’s about the time we learn more about Blaine and the beautiful and mysterious Anneliese (Alice Kremelberg, “The Sinner”), who’s taken an interest in Art.
Molina (“Spider-Man 2,” “Frida”) is enjoyable in the lead role, deftly blending curmudgeonliness with a friendly streak, but O’Hare (“True Blood,” “American Horror Story”) is the stand-out player. “The Boroughs” has a bit more pep in its step whenever he’s within the frame.
Overall, the cast is solid, even if these characters aren’t quite as fun to hang with as their much younger “Stranger Things” counterparts. And while this new show’s storytelling makes a bit more sense than its unofficial predecessor, it lacks the other’s propulsive pacing. (That said, we acknowledge that a leisurely narrative feels appropriate given the overall aesthetic of “The Boroughs.”)
We appreciate that “The Boroughs” has a few fun references — to everything from “Lost” to “The Shawshank Redemption” and, although it may be a stretch, “Thelma and Louise,” which starred Davis.
More importantly, “The Boroughs” tells what can be seen as a complete story in what could be the first of multiple seasons while leaving some meat on the bone. Sure, there’s a little tease as to what could lie ahead, but, really, we’d welcome spending more time with Sam and Claire together. The former, a retired aeronautical engineer, likes to noodle with old television sets, and his daughter is a chip off the ol’ block.
The series is at its most emotionally resonant when it steps away — at least largely — from the supernatural, with Claire at first feeling as if her father won’t make time to talk to her and Sam later frustrated by his daughter’s unwillingness to believe what he’s saying. The appealing daddy-daughter dynamic is boosted with Molina and Malone working well together.
So, despite some flaws, we believe “The Boroughs” deserves better than an early retirement.
‘The Boroughs’
What: Eight-episode debut season of hourlong science-fiction drama series.
Where: Netflix.
When: All episodes available May 21.
Rated: TV-14.
Stars (of four): 2.5.
Original article
Comments