Netflix has embraced the idea of binge-watching shows by releasing their own original series in entire-season chunks, allowing viewers to plow through them in a single sitting. But now that most people have already seen the recently released installments of "Stranger Things" and "Black Mirror," what is the next Netflix original worth binging on? Enter "The End of the F***ing World."
This British romantic comedy is all about growing up and falling in love. Angsty teens James (Alex Lawther) and Alyssa (Jessica Barden) find themselves awkwardly falling in love as they run away from their parents and the police. In typical British fashion, this series is deadpan to a fault. James thinks he is a psychopath and Alyssa is disdainful of the world at large, leading to a series of silent interactions and nondescript facial expressions, even in the face of immediate danger.
Where this show really separates itself from others is its unpredictability. The two characters are played to a tee by Lawther and Barden, never letting on what they are actually feeling or thinking. Spontaneous and almost herky-jerky movements make it impossible to guess what is going to happen from episode to episode, and the situation just spirals further and further out of control. Some Netflix originals became hard to watch because it was easy to guess the ending (everyone totally knew that thing Dustin found in the trash was a demogorgon), but "The End of the F***ing World" will keep you on your toes from beginning to end.
Another interesting component of the series is its character development. Most TV shows, movies, and books choose to give characters a backstory up front, allowing the viewer to define with whoever they so choose and to understand the decisions they make along the way. Alyssa and James are total unknowns in episode one, and the things they do are so strange and random that you want to know why they are doing them. By the end of the final episode, everything makes sense, but the way the writers make you wait on the explanation is compelling and gripping.
There are two big elements that might turn prospective viewers away from "The End of the F***ing World:" graphic violence and unidentifiable characters. As a wannabe psychopath, James slaughters small animals and commits other crimes, all of which are shown during the series. Cutaways to murders in his head, bloody knives, and other disturbing imagery might make the show a little tough on the squeamish. Alyssa also lacks morals, stealing left and right without any regard for her family or friends, which could be equally off putting for some viewers.
This brings me to my second holdup with the show. Neither of the main characters are people you can identify with, unless you too think you might be a heartless serial murderer. Shows about romance and about teenagers usually take the road more traveled, allowing younger fans to get into arguments about, "I'm more Alyssa," or "I'm more James!" Not so with this series. At times the main characters are annoying, selfish, and hard to root for. To really understand what it is getting at, you need to set aside your gut reactions and look at their intentions and the hardships in their past that have driven them to this point.
"The End of the F***ing World" gets serious, fast. Issues like domestic violence, animal abuse, and divorce are skated over like the surface of a frozen pond, glanced at without really going any deeper. The dark and sometimes sadistic nature of the series might make it hard for some to binge on, simply because each episode must be properly digested before moving on to the next. This might be more of a once-a-night-over-the-course-of-a-week kind of endeavor, just so that it does not become too sad or overwhelming.
I took every minute with a grain of salt. Alyssa and James are crazy TV people, I said, not to be taken seriously. The things they are doing are fake, almost a caricature of the craziness of modern society. If you have the right mindset, "The End of the F***ing World" is a weekend well spent, taking up only eight installments of twenty minutes apiece. I wish I could say it had a happy ending, but I cannot. Do not get too invested, keep your wits about you, and this Netflix original series can be a funny, quirky, deadpan romcom.
2/4 Stars