If you're a fan of Scooby-Doo or Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers' new Netflix series The Boroughs features an all-star cast mixing mystery and adventure. In a seemingly perfect retirement community, a grieving newcomer's strange encounter inspires him to join a misfit crew of unlikely heroes. Together, they uncover a dark secret that proves their golden years are more dangerous than expected.
The storyline is straightforward and quite predictable, but that doesn't remove the intrigue or adventure. When the cast comes together, the production shines, and the positives greatly outweigh the negatives.
The plot follows retired friends living in a cul-de-sac. Jack (Bill Pullman), Renee (Geena Davis), Judy (Alfre Woodard), Art (Clark Peters) and Wally (Denis O'Hare) work to befriend the community's stubborn, widowed newcomer, Sam (Alfred Molina). Sam is wonderfully grumpy and standoffish.
Despite their intrusive friendliness, he slowly warms to them. When he happens upon something strange and dangerous, it urges him to launch an investigation that draws the others in. Because this cast is mainly made up of the older acting generation, it is really awesome to see them in top form and hired for something more than just a quick cameo.
I love the setting of this community. While it is picturesque and pristine, it is out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by desert, looking as if it were a long-abandoned nuclear test site where developers bulldozed away the debris and built a town on top. There is a loneliness to this isolation, but also a sort of menace. If something really is happening within this community, there are no outside resources to assist them.
Furthermore, if there is something nefarious going on, what better victims than the ageing? Many would be easily dismissed as senile if they ever told a loved one what they suspected. I appreciate the dark and twisted bent of this story element, because it creates another layer of hopelessness that some of the residents already face. This is especially true for those like Sam, who just didn't want to be there in the first place, separated from his family.
Now, this sounds like a depressing setup, but thanks to the charisma of the cast, their timing and the subtle but earned comedy, there is just the right amount of risk to create excitement while maintaining a story you want to keep watching. I appreciate how the show defines and exploits the eccentricities of each neighbour, turning them from single-dimension nobodies to characters we can become invested in, and root for or against.
Each member has unique qualities that create a robust presence, but the writing never allows them to overshadow Sam. This is really his story and his journey. Without the others to create havoc, laughs, and intrigue, the show wouldn't be nearly as engaging. We need this group dynamic, much like Stranger Things. The collective assembly of off-kilter personalities is the glue that binds the whole thing together.
I also appreciate the theme of belonging and appreciation for life that the story explores. The characters start out feeling discarded and forgotten, reinforced by key clock devices, but by the end, a camaraderie and belonging are built, demonstrating massive growth that makes them more endearing.
Of course, a mystery needs antagonists, and the show provides villains. However, these are obvious and predictable, even if their motives are not. I think this is the weakest portion of the show -- not so much in the antagonists themselves, but in the overall development and depth of their intent.
Their pursuits make sense on a basic level, but the background lore is weak for being a core element of the overall arc. It is a little disappointing to have such a lacklustre mythology presented to us. We can get the gist and make assumptions, but I think had the story built upon this lore more than it did, the narrative could have delved much deeper into its mythos. It could have created a threat that feels as though it reaches beyond what happens inside the retirement community.
On a technical note, the show utilises a lot of CGI, and I was pretty impressed at how realistic the graphics were. They showcase textures and movements that are believable and mildly creepy. The lighting on the graphics is also great to watch, which is a relief since subpar CGI often has a flatness or a thin halo around it, like it's been photoshopped poorly into a scene. Here, the visuals appear organic and part of the surroundings, so they don't distract from the storytelling, but instead create more immersion.
Despite the episodes each being close to an hour, the pacing is steady with a build in urgency. Outside the lack of development of the antagonists, the writing doesn't rush us through progressions in ways that feel as though we're missing chunks of information. Instead, it maintains an efficient presentation while holding onto the adventure at the story's core.
Overall, I had fun with The Boroughs. It's comedic, stacked with a seasoned cast, contains both core journeys and engaging side quests, and draws on the honed strength of the actors to build out endearing and mischievous characters who long for adventure, but also don't want to miss out on cocktail hour. The villain arc is underdeveloped, but the pacing, imagery and themes work to fill in the gaps.
It is excellent for a weekend binge. It's quick, despite taking about eight hours to get through, and is just the right balance of curious adventure and humorous antics.
- The Boroughs
- Starring Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare
- Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews
- Now streaming on Netflix
