I’m an Ancient Greece expert – Netflix’s Kaos is the smartest reinterpretation of Greek mythology I’ve ever seen
Last year, one of my child’s English assignments was to rewrite a traditional fairy tale with a major plot twist, to see how the story might play out differently. The new Netflix series Kaos makes it seem as if its creator, Charlie Covell, received the same instruction for Greek mythology.
He decided to see what would happen if Zeus were a distasteful, selfish, paranoid, and overly controlling deity whose best friend (and long-time prisoner), Prometheus, was secretly plotting his downfall.
The series’ mix of humor and drama effectively explores the consequences of such a scenario, while also offering a fresh take on classical mythology. Kaos may be the most intelligent story I’ve ever read (and I’m not bragging, but I’ve read an impressive number of Hades and Persephone stories).
Within the first 30 seconds of the first episode, Kaos’ narrator Prometheus (Stephen Dillane) assures the audience that it doesn’t matter if they’ve never heard of him—and that directive holds true throughout the series. If you don’t know anything about Greek mythology, this should still be an enjoyable, thrilling adventure about gods and mortals competing for power and influence over the cosmos.
Read more: Explanation: The story of Demeter and Persephone
But if you know anything about Greek mythology, you might want to set aside time for two separate viewings. One to enjoy the sensory feast of intrigue, intra-family drama (divine and mortal), love and desire, mortals taking on the gods who control their world, and the gods and goddesses who meddle in their affairs—and the other to appreciate the depth and nuance of the Easter eggs that pepper the story and setting.
In the first ten minutes, we are introduced to Zeus, the king of the gods (Jeff Goldblum), and a mortal named Riddy (Aurora Perrineau), aka Eurydice. One lives with his wife in a kitsch mansion in the sky; the other with her husband, rock star Orpheus (Killian Scott) and Dennis, the black kitten, in a luxurious modernist villa in Heraklion, Crete.
Riddy feels a void in her life and her relationship, perhaps reinforced by the presence of her face on posters and billboards for Orpheus’ latest album, Muse. But she is pulled out of her monotonous world by a chance encounter at the supermarket with a woman who predicts she will leave him that very day.
Then enters Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), the god of pleasure, madness and wild frenzy, whose sense of emptiness in his party lifestyle is evident. He is, like many rebellious young children, searching for more. More meaning, more responsibility, more respect – especially from his father, Zeus.
Read more: Claims that Olympics opening ceremony ‘mocked Christianity’ ignore long-standing connection between Jesus and Dionysus
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It is in this context that Zeus – inviolable, perfect, celestial Zeus – discovers a wrinkle on his forehead and decides that this is the beginning of the end, the first step in the fulfillment of a prophecy that will lead to the destruction of the gods themselves.
In some ways he’s right, in others he’s not, and by the end of the season one gets the distinct impression that it all went exactly as the Fates had planned.
Beyond the richness and depth of the storytelling and character development, Kaos is also a joy to watch, with some excellent setting choices. Olympus is bright and vibrant with color, the mortal world is deep and gritty, and the Underworld is flat and black and white.
Goldblum is a brilliant Zeus, but the most remarkable performances come from the three mortal characters who push, pull, drag and cajole the story: Riddy, Ari (Leila Farzad) and Caneus (Misia Butler). It’s the interplay between these performances – particularly those of Perrineau and Butler – that makes this “black comedy” particularly human.
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