The colorful and noisy ‘Kaos’ within us all
“A line appears, the order wanes, the Family falls and Kaos reigns.” This prophecy runs through all eight episodes of Netflix’s “Kaos,” a British dark comedy that has been topping viewers’ preferences for the past three weeks and prompting to end of commentary.
At the heart of the story lies a smorgasbord of Olympian gods and tales from Greek mythology; the era could easily be contemporary or even some time in the future.
Zeus (Jeff Goldblum’s portrayal of the top god has received rave reviews) resides on Olympus in an opulent mansion – with the personal style to match – alongside his spiteful yet elegant wife Hera (Janet McTeer). Hera is the stepmother of Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), having turned his mother, Zeus’ lover, into a bee. Dionysus is a wealthy fashionista with a heart of gold and a genuine concern for humanity.
Poseidon (Cliff Curtis) lives on a yacht and is having an affair with Hera behind Zeus’ back. Prometheus (Stephen Dillane), having killed his lover to appease the gods, is punished in the traditional manner, eternally suffering from his ravaged liver, while Zeus continuously calls him for advice. Meanwhile, in Iraklio, Crete (in fact, filming took place in Spain), there is another kingdom ruled by the dictator Minos (Stanley Townsend), whose daughter Ari (Ariadne, played by Leila Farzad) is deeply troubled by the accidental killing of her twin brother, Glaucus, during childbirth.
The Furies are portrayed as bikers, the Fates are trans and Hades and Persephone, rulers of the Underworld are a well-bred middle-class couple in. successful marriage.
The series features superhero antics with clever modern adaptations but also cliched jokes and a lot of cynicism, sometimes resembling a finely tuned farce and at others a mere barrage of stereotypes. Created and also written by non-binary screenwriter Charlie Covell, the series explores the Olympians as a dysfunctional family leading to chaos, mirroring or subverting the prophecy.
We won’t take sides or declare a preference. Sometimes the rapid fire of overlapping storylines and characters diminishes the initial impact.
Instead of discussing likes and dislikes, let us, instead, ponder what remains after around eight hours, whether one enjoys, admires, or criticizes the show? Is there a trace of something memorable that endures through mental, emotional or other processes?
Series, seasons and episodes feed the platforms, but do they also enrich our lives or merely quiet them? Do they alleviate anxiety, provide temporary solutions and guide us to the next “discovery”? Does the triumph of platforms during the Covid-19 lockdowns (and their largely therapeutic role) remain a habit born of necessity or inertia? Is answering this question important? Perhaps only minimally. Because colorful and noisy “kaos” is everywhere, and we are its fragments – whether observing it from the safety of the couch or actively participating in it.
