The first thing that strikes you about KAOS is its audacious tone. Writer Charlie Covell, known for their work on The End of the F**ing World*, infuses the series with a sharp wit and a modern sensibility.
The standout performances come from the gods themselves. Janet McTeer blends wit and imperiousness as the elegant and sadistic Hera while Jeff Goldblum shines as the tracksuit clad, neurotic and insecure Zeus who flits between grandiosity and vulnerability. His narcissism is boundless as he punishes mortals for their disobedience and humiliates his own son, Dionysus, for a poor choice of birthday gift.
Mount Olympus is a sterile mansion where the outward status of wealth and power conceal a spiritual void – an evident choice by the writer to satirise the shallow façade of the super-rich. His ostentatious wealth and immense power cannot protect Zeus from a deep fear that he is not the master of his own destiny. He interprets a wrinkle on his face as a sign that his reign is about to be threatened (he is right).
Yet, despite the grandeur of Olympus (and the human-all-too-human anxieties and vanity of the gods), the writer Charlie Covell claimed, during a Q&A at the end of the preview screening, that one of the key themes of the series is that “everyone wants to be on Earth”
Where Olympus is a paradigm of anaemic bling, Earth is full of energy. The Gods, bored by the opulent banality of their palaces share a voyeuristic intrigue with the world of mortals. Their fate and struggles for power, like the battle between God and Satan in Paradise Lost, takes place on Earth. At the end of the first episode, Eurydice, having been killed in an accident, makes her way to Hades on a ship. The entire scene is film in black and white providing a contrast with the vibrant energy of Earth
Though at times the show descends into caricature, credit must be given to Covell for undertaking the near impossible task of finding an original take on the Greek myths. Almost every scene has hidden Easter eggs for mythology aficionados. For instance, the aptly named ‘Spartan Surprise’ breakfast cereal box, containing a toy soldier, received the most laughs at the British Museum pre-screening.
Overall, Kaos is a compelling watch that challenges our perceptions of myth while delivering sharp commentary on the flaws and foibles of power. It’s a show that proves that even the oldest stories can be reinvented in new and unexpected ways.
Earth shines brightest in the Charlie Covell’s daring, darkly comic take on the Greek myths and, for that reason alone, it’s worth watching the entire series to its finale.
KAOS on Netflix is out now.
