C/Netflix
This article contains spoilers for “KAOS” (2024).
For many years, I’ve held the position that Netflix has passed its peak in terms of high-quality original content. This wasn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion, as Netflix has largely led studios and platforms in Oscar nominations (and other awards) over the past half-decade. However, by other metrics, the streaming giant has shown more interest in the quantity of original content it produces than the quality of said content.
Netflix continues to produce almost countless new movies, TV shows, and limited series every month. While a few standout shows have been critically acclaimed (see “The Crown” (2016) which racked up 18 Emmy nominations but only 3 wins in its final season) over the past few years, most of the content released feels like… stuffing. Netflix produces series after series that seem like slight variations on some show model.
Take, for example, a thriller that follows an employee at a US government agency as he unwittingly becomes a key player in uncovering a dangerous conspiracy involving international politics and a devastating personal betrayal. Now, imagine the cast is stacked with B- and C-list actors who you’ve definitely probably seen in something before. This is The Night Agent (2023), right? Wait, maybe he’s actually “The Recruiter” (2022)… or is he “The Diplomat” (2023)? See what I mean?
This is not the only example. Whether it’s dramas about teens with more luggage than an airport (see “Outer Banks” (2020), “Ginny and Georgia” (2021), and “On My Block” (2018)) or middling adaptations of beloved book series. (“Bridgerton” (2020) or “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” (2024)), I feel like Netflix has simply run out of original stories to tell. While the platform produces more content than a single subscriber can watch in a given month, the value of its comprehensive awards list pales in value quite a bit. Instead, Netflix’s creators and executives seem to be throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.
Then, a few weeks ago, through the gloom of endless spin-off ads for “Bridgeton” and another season of “Emily in Paris” (2020) — a show I can’t escape even though everyone who watches it seems to hate it. – A glimmer of hope appeared. I stumbled upon “KAOS” (2024) one day while browsing through the endless Netflix catalogue, trying to find anything interesting to do besides my homework.
Seeing “KAOS” — pronounced like CHAOS — feels like a breath of fresh air after a year in space. “KAOS” retells the stories of Zeus, Hera, Dionysus, and other gods from Greek mythology, along with the tales of some human heroes—most importantly, those of Orpheus and Eurydice, King Minos and Ariadne, and Canaeus—set in a mythical story. But modern Greek society.
I had heard about the show on TikTok before it was released, but never thought about it again, because I’m usually not drawn to legendary edits. It’s an idea I thought had been done to death. However, on that fateful Saturday afternoon, I found myself immersed in the mythical world of the series, and was pleasantly surprised by the number of ways in which I found the series engaging.
First and foremost, KAOS’s storytelling is brilliant, largely led by director Charlie Covell, who also created The End of the F***ing World (2017). It uses general knowledge about Greco-Roman mythology to quickly establish the world of the story without relying on it to motivate the show’s plot. For example, Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) is characterized by the narcissism and promiscuity that applies to most of his portrayals.
The same is true for much of the cast — Hera (Janet McTeer) is proud and stern, Dionysus (Nabhan Rizwan) is reckless, and the Fates (Sam Patry, Susie Edie Izzard, Chi) are downright scary — but the central conflict that drives most of the characters’ decisions is… Unique to “KAOS”. For example, I found it particularly clever that the series is narrated by Prometheus. Just as he challenged the Olympians by sharing fire with humanity in ancient mythology, he directly challenges Zeus by sharing this story with humans (the audience), and in doing so helps the humans in the story overcome the gods.
Another element of the show’s storytelling that I found admirable is how it manages to give each character in the show’s relatively large cast a full-fledged story of their own (complete with related exposition and complex character arcs), while effectively tying all the storylines together by the end.
At the beginning of the series, we are told that Zeus is deeply concerned about the prophecy the Fates have given him: “A line emerges, order diminishes, the family falls, and Chaos rules.” As the plot progresses, the show gradually reveals that several characters have received the same prophecy and that each of them has settled on their own interpretation of the prediction – all of which are untrue in some way. The show keeps its viewers grounded by tying the characters together with this common element while keeping them involved in trying to figure out the mystery as the characters do.
The show’s aforementioned relationship with classical mythology really lent itself to this form of ensemble storytelling. Using a mix of more well-known tales and stories that have been retold less often in popular culture, the show successfully crafts elements of the original mythology into its own central plot.
The stories of Orpheus and Eurydice were a near-perfect example of this. While the show maintains the tradition of Orpheus bravely following Eurydice into the underworld to bring her back to life, their separate stories — each with their own adventure between the time of Eurydice’s death and the time of their reunion — become more complex. Rather than a devoted damsel in distress, Eurydice is a bored housewife before her death, trapped in a loveless marriage with the seemingly committed (but often selfish) Orpheus, who relies on her more as inspiration for his music than love. In the end, the characters have learned so much about themselves and each other in their personal journeys that they become unrecognizable.
In my opinion, collective storytelling like this is a major accomplishment for a season consisting of eight 50-minute episodes. I’ve seen other Netflix shows fail miserably at this feat, often disrupting the flow of the season to insert a story that repeats the same series of events from previous episodes, but from the perspective of an underrepresented character in a way that feels completely disconnected from the rest of the plot. This was especially infuriating in Season 2 of Stranger Things (2016), when Eleven randomly travels to Chicago to find a sister we’ve never heard of. Not cool, Dover brothers.
Another element of “KAOS” that caught my attention was the casting, which was diverse without feeling like the primary goal was diversity. Besides the fact that the cast represents a wide range of racial and ethnic identities, the success of the cast really shines through how they make each character’s identities part of their stories. In Greek mythology, Caenius (Missia Butler) was transformed from a woman into a man (and was also given impenetrable skin as a bonus gift!) by Poseidon. Rather than ignoring this aspect of the myth or centering Caenius’ story around the trauma of his gender identity, “KAOS” intentionally depicts Caenius’ trans identity as an important aspect of his backstory, focusing on his adventure in the underworld (and love affair with Eurydice). ) as his main character arc.
It’s worth repeating that for the reasons I mentioned – among countless others – I loved “KAOS” and found it to be a delightful change of pace from the recycled storylines I’d come to expect from Netflix. Unfortunately, just as my excitement built, it was dampened by the announcement that Netflix would not renew KAOS for another season.
I’m not the kind of TV watcher who thinks shows should be renewed just because I liked them. Limited series are great when they effectively tell a contained story in just one season. But, as far as I was concerned, “KAOS” had a lot of stories to tell, and Covell proved they had the writing chops to tell that story in a compelling way. I would have liked to see the characters—both divine and human—grappling with the consequences of a world they had grown accustomed to turning upside down.
As disappointed as I was, it’s hard to say I’m completely surprised. I’ve been burned before. I’m also a huge fan of David Fincher’s “Mindhunter” (2017), which was officially rejected for a third season in early 2023. The show won’t continue simply because Fincher wasn’t willing to compromise the show’s quality for Netflix’s desire to turn around. Some of its budget is directed towards shows with higher viewership.
I’m not judging you because you enjoyed the other shows I talked about. I’m not even saying they’re necessarily bad. As a matter of fact, I’m also eagerly awaiting “Ginny and Georgia” to finally return to Netflix next year.
I’m just saying that I had a really enthralling experience watching a new release for the first time in months because it was something a little different. Even with stories dating back thousands of years, “KAOS” delivered compelling messages about power, family, and love in ways I didn’t expect. What I really want from Netflix — and all platforms that offer great media for me to consume — is to see a little faith shown in the various shows. I want to watch more TV shows and movies that ask me to invest in the characters and engage in the plot rather than just the easy-to-digest episodes I’ve seen over and over again.
For anyone who reads stories (or wants to tell stories) through any means for a living, heed my humble request: stop making movies and series that you think everyone wants to see. Just say something.
Sulan Bailey can be reached at sabailey@wesleyan.edu.
