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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Following a successful run of their Netflix black comedy-drama television program, The End of the F***ing World, screenwriter Charlie Covell returns to the streaming platform with a new dark comedy-drama project, Kaos. Adapted from centuries-long Greek mythology, Covell’s show proves a larger and more ambitious challenge in televised storytelling. As a writer, they accomplish juggling a much vaster cast roster across three different location settings based on a pre-existing body of literature. Ultimately, bringing these stories to life does some righteousness in an eight-episode premiere season centered on relevant yet godly family drama.
Kaos is written by series creator and executive producer, Charlie Covell. The sixth episode is co-written with Georgia Christou.
Executive producer Georgi Banks-Davies directs the pilot, second, third, fifth, and final episodes of Series 1. Runyararo Mapfuno directs the fourth, sixth, and seventh episodes.
In this review, I will discuss Kaos Series 1. As the article’s title suggests, no spoilers will be present.
Kaos Synopsis
According to Netflix Media Center, here is the synopsis for Kaos Series 1.
Zeus has long enjoyed his status as King of The Gods. That is until he wakes up one morning and discovers a wrinkle on his forehead. Neurosis sets in, setting him off on a dangerous, paranoid path. Zeus becomes convinced his fall is coming – and starts to see signs of it everywhere.
Zeus’ once reliable brother, Hades, God of the Underworld, is secretly losing his grip on his dark dominion. There is a backlog of dead waiting to be processed and they are growing restless. Hera (Janet McTeer), Queen of the Gods, exercises dominion on Earth — and over Zeus — in her own unique way. But her power and freedom become threatened by Zeus’ growing paranoia, and she is forced to act, while Zeus’ rebellious son, Dionysus, (Nabhaan Rizwan), is out of control and on course for a cosmic collision with his father.
On Earth people are aching for change, however Poseidon (Cliff Curtis), God of Sea, Storms and Earthquakes (and Horses) is more concerned with the size of his super-yacht and where the next party is at. The wellbeing of mere mortals is of little interest to him. Unfortunately for the Gods some of those mortals are beginning to realise this…
These mortals – Riddy (Aurora Perrineau), Orpheus (Killian Scott), Caneus (Misia Butler) and Ari (Leila Farzad) – come from different walks of life and are all cosmically connected in the battle against Zeus. Each one has a very different role to play, any one of them may be destined to bring down the Gods.
Netflix Media Center
Discussion
Love can overpower all reasons sometimes… […] Love is the point of everything…but it’s often the problem too.
Prometheus (Stephen Dillane)
Covell’s narrative structure for Kaos‘s premiere season is commendable. The initial three episodes serve as an introduction to the gods and the mortals, especially those key to taking down Zeus (Jeff Goldblum). However, viewers should not expect him to immediately be conquered in this first season. The remainder of Covell’s five episodes, then, properly flesh out the stories of their various characters, and all the intrigue truly begins midway through the overarching narrative. For a show that looks upon mythological figures, I admire Covell and Netflix’s refusal to depict graphic imagery and nature. There is a lot of incest, cannibalism, and other harsh acts that occur in the folklore, so for Kaos to veer from putting them on screen is a good step in a new direction.
The depiction of the Fates and the Furies is wonderful on its own. I was not expecting much of the latter, so for them to play a part that doesn’t solely focus on hunting sinners sounds neat. By comparison, the Fates have a larger role in the season. They do what their descriptions tell of them—i.e. being agents of time—and I believe Covell accomplishes demonstrating their side of the story fantastically. Altogether, what is laudable about the Fates is the LGBTQIA+ representation that portrays them. The layer of queerness does Kaos justice, undoubtedly.
Similarly, the depiction of Troy as a home of people colonized, discriminated against, incarcerated, and decimated by their oppressors is eerily a reflection of events transpiring around the world today. The political commentary on this ancient city is a strong highlight of the series. It builds a world around Covell’s primary characters and allows that to tie into the narrative.
Formatting Kaos
Every component works in favor of Kaos and how that is gradually defined within the story. The musical scoring and the soundtrack comprise a mixture of hits that complement the mood of certain scenes and situations. The emotional piano tune that plays as Eurydice “Riddy” (Aurora Perrineau) rushes through a crowd is melancholic. Music supervisors Danny Layton and Ross Sellwood’s selections for the tracks are beyond splendid. ABBA introduces Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan) as a demi-god who has sexual tension and orgies with different people of all sexes. Minnie Riperton is an excellent singer to use as a needle drop. Zombies’s “Time of the Season” is just a cool song to play in a bar.
Production designer Dick Lunn et al’s set pieces of Olympus, Krete, and Underworld is a creative endeavor that helps implore viewers to look at what we know about Greek mythology from a different angle or lens. The luxurious, heightened stature of Olympus comes across as riveting, yet it might be the most perilous place on Earth. The austere aesthetic of Underworld offers a theatric impression, while Krete is a grounded bridge between “heaven” and “hell”.
Costume designers Rebecca Hale and Rosemarie Fernández Day do lovely work on presenting the gods on screen. The color coding of Olympus juxtaposed with the black-and-white temperament of the Underworld lends truth about the gods, their separation, and what is nearly considered sibling rivalry. The editing team does fine with scene transitions, such as the match cut of a mannequin to the framing of a human body.
Adapting Greek Mythology to the Screen
Covell does an intelligent job of taking what’s known by many and imagining what that would look like in a motion picture format. Their comprehension of mythology is as clever as watching the Shrek animated film series for the first time. These characters already exist and people know who they are. Yet, to see how their different ecospheres collide shows so much promise. The tales of Dionysus, Ariadne (Leila Farzad), Polyphemus (Joe McGann) and The Cave, Orpheus (Killian Scott) and Eurydice, and Daedalus (Mat Fraser) are translated brilliantly.
This is the beginning for Dionysus, a demi-god who must frequently surround himself with human beings and their personal milieus as a reminder of his own roots in humanity. He is on a quest for love, which is what everyone else encounters towards the end of this first season. However, what that leads to for him specifically is not currently available. The screenwriter’s perspective of Ariadne is not what Greek mythology fans might anticipate, but it opens a window for a natural friendship with Daedalus. Translating her story from page to screen is as faithful as it gets. Covell leaves the door open for Ariadne and the possible future that awaits her; I cannot wait to see what happens next.
The adaptation of Polyphemus and The Cave is silly in and of itself, and somehow, it’s feasible. Without giving away the entire story, it would be hard to explain any further. The most creative adaptation in this series, though, is the depiction of Orpheus and Eurydice. Covell cleverly writes in a moment during the finale that I did not think would translate well, but they manage to surprise.
Opportunity for More Characters in a Potential Second Season
The reduced appearance of Theseus (Daniel Lawrence Taylor) in this season, along with the absence of Icarus and the demi-gods seem to be saved for future episodes of the Netflix series. Having read Theseus’s life story, it seems challenging to adapt given the narrative from birth to death. For one very brief second within nearly eight hours of footage, Kaos establishes the existence of the Aegean Sea—a body of water where his father, Aegeus, took his life. This means that Theseus either is in the middle of his journey albeit behind the scenes of the show or his story just won’t be told at all. Likewise, there does not appear to be any space to tell Icarus’s story here. However, the insinuation of where he is at this point makes a nice case for his role in the show.
Zeus’s contact with his children is an interesting inclusion to have in the series. It’s almost as if Covell is stating: “These are the characters we had in mind but could not use for the first eight episodes or scrapped them altogether.” Hercules seems to play a role in the show, but he is nowhere to be found. It would be amusing to see how the showrunner/ executive producer expands on bringing these stories to life.
The Crew Behind Kaos
Katie Carpenter served as the series producer. Caroline Buckley serves as the story producer.
Kit Fraser serves as the director of photography for the pilot through the third, fifth, and final episodes. Pau Esteve Birba serves as the director of photography for the first, fourth, sixth, and seventh episodes.
Tim Sidell serves as the additional director of photography for the pilot, second, fourth, fifth, and final episodes. Birba is the additional director of photography for the second, third, fifth, and final episodes.
Korsshan Schlauer and Noël Schoolderman are the 2nd unit directors of photography for all eight episodes of the series’ first season. Stuart Graham is the 2nd unit director of photography for the second episode.
Justin Downing is the stills photographer for all eight episodes of the first season. Daniel Escalé is the stills photographer for the third episode onward.
Paul Dingwall serves as the editor for the first, third, fourth, sixth, and final episodes. Fin Oates serves as the editor for the second, fifth, and final two episodes. Izabella Curry serves as the editor for the second and fifth episodes. Elen Pierce Lewis serves as the editor for the third and final episodes.
Neil Riley serves as the visual effects supervisor/producer.
Lukasz Bukowiecki is the VFX editor. Hollie Hogger is the VFX assistant editor.
Malcolm Wilkie is the storyboard artist for the fourth episode. Jenny Turner storyboards the rest of the season’s episodes.
Kelly Valentine Hendry serves as the casting director.
Jessica Mescall and Cole Edwards are the casting associates. Max Murphy is the casting assistant.
Cuco Usín serves as the stunt supervisor. William Monrabal Cook serves as the stunt coordinator.
David Thackeray serves as the intimacy coordinator for all eight episodes of the first season.
Music and Aesthetics
Isabella Summers (Little Fires Everywhere, Lisa Frankenstein) composes the music for the series.
Danny Layton and Ross Sellwood serve as the music supervisors. Ed Hamilton (Peaky Blinders, The Baby, Marvel Studios’ Loki) serves as the music editor. Casimir Bowyer is the assistant music editor for the finale.
Darren Banks serves as the sound designer for the pilot, third, and fourth episodes. Alex Gibson is the sound designer for the second, fifth, and final episodes. George Riley (Rupert Sanders’s The Crow) is the sound designer for the sixth and seventh episodes.
Riley serves as the sound effects editor for the pilot through the fifth and final episodes. Gibson is the sound effects editor for the first, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh episodes. Banks is the sound effects editor for the second and the fifth episode onward.
Dick Lunn serves as the production designer for the series.
Antonio Calvo Domínguez serves as the supervising art director. Fernando Contreras Díaz and Alejandro Cymerman serve as the art directors.
Erin Shien Smith and Martín Pochettino serve as the assistant art directors. Valeriano García and Víctor L. De Frutos are the set designers.
Rebecca Hale serves as the costume designer. Andrew Vottero is the costume consultant for Jeff Goldblum.
Rosemarie Fernández Day serves as the assistant costume designer for Spain.
Vickie Lang serves as the hair, makeup & prosthetic designer.
Sally Watterston is the key hair & makeup artist. Danielle Hawkes is the hair & makeup artist.
Additional Crew
In the Italian unit, Franco Salamon serves as the stunts coordinator.
Giulia Busnengo is credited as the first season’s supervising art director. Jennifer Harty serves as the hair & makeup supervisor.
Sara Jmili is the assistant hair & makeup designer for the third episode onwards. Lorna Stimson is the hair & makeup artist for all eight episodes of the first season. Francesca Tampieri is the hair & makeup artist for the third episode onwards.
Charlie Rogers serves as the hair & makeup artist to Jeff Goldblum.
For the additional photography in Spain, Martin Fourcade serves as the assistant stunt coordinator. Carlos Iribarne is the art director. Kiri Mellalieu is the hair & makeup artist.
The Cast of Kaos
Jeff Goldblum (The Fly, the Jurassic Park film franchise, Independence Day, Thor: Ragnarak, Isle of Dogs) portrays Zeus, the God of the Gods.
Stephen Dillane portrays Prometheus—the narrator of the series. He is imprisoned by Zeus.
Janet McTeer (Jessica Jones, Ozark, The Menu) portrays Hera, the Queen of the Gods and Zeus’s wife and sister.
Nabhaan Rizwan portrays Dionysus, the “God of Pleasure, Madness, and Wild Frenzy”. Dionysus is Zeus’s son and the only child of the god to star in the premiere season.
David Thewlis (The Big Lebowski, the Harry Potter film franchise, The Omen remake, Wonder Woman, FX’s Fargo, I’m Thinking of Ending Things) portrays Hades, the God of Death. Rakie Ayola portrays Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and Hades’s wife.
Cliff Curtis (Training Day, Fear the Walking Dead, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, James Cameron’s Avatar film franchise) portrays Poseidon, the God of the Sea and Zeus’s younger brother.
Aurora Perrineau (Truth or Dare, Into the Dark Season 1, Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, HBO’s Westworld Season 4) portrays Eurydice “Riddy”. Killian Scott portrays Orpheus, a musician and Riddy’s husband.
Misia Butler portrays Caeneus, a former Amazon. Leila Farzad portrays Ariadne “Ari”, the daughter of President Minos and the heir to Krete in her 30s.
Supporting Characters
Stanley Townsend (The Regime) portrays President Minos of Krete. Shila Ommi plays Pas, Minos’ wife and Ari’s mother.
Debi Mazar portrays Medusa. Ramon Tikaram portrays Charon, Prometheus’s former lover now employed in the Underworld.
Sam Buttery, Ché, and Suzy Eddie Izzard portray The Fates—Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis “Lachy”, respectively.
Rosie Cavaliero and Kurt Egyiawan (Skyfall, Fox’s The Exorcist, House of the Dragon) play Prue and Adrian, colleagues in the Underworld, respectively.
Cathy Tyson, Natalie Klamar, and Donna Banya portray The Furies—Alecto, Meg, and Tisi, respectively.
Susan Wooldridge plays Pious Agatha, a willing human sacrifice to the gods.
Selina Jones (HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves) portrays Hippolyta II, an Amazon.
Billie Piper appears as Cassandra, a prophet. Michelle Greenidge plays Riddy’s mother and The Tacita.
Mat Fraser portrays Daedalus, a man employed under Minos. Daniel Lawrence Taylor plays Theseus, Ariadne’s bodyguard.
Daniel Monks plays Astyanax “Nax”, a Trojan.
Gilian Cally plays Hecuba, the former Queen of Troy. Amanda Douge plays Andromache, Hecuba’s daughter-in-law.
Joe Coen plays Deacon, a man under Minos’s employment.
Gabby Wong and Robert Emms play Klara and Anatole, a mother and father grieving their late son, respectively. Joe McGann portrays Polyphemus, a tall character in The Cave with one eye.
Fady Elsayed portrays the Minotaur in the Labyrinth.
Olga Mouak appears as Calli, Orpheus’s assistant.
Erica Ruby Moss portrays young Caeneus pre-transition. John Carter portrays Leos, a friend of Caeneus’s at a young age.
Ama Addison portrays Sofie, an Amazon mother.
Minor Characters
Series casting associate Cole Edwards portrays Gus, a Tyndareus Gasoline gas station clerk. Richard Sutton plays Tereus “Terry”, the Furies’ first on-screen victim.
Slavko Sobin plays Carl Crixus of Sparta in the third and fourth episodes.
Matthew Koon plays Zeus’s ball boy #4. Elander Moore plays Zeus’s ball boy #3. Bob Langley plays Zeus’s ball boy #2. Paul Aragao plays Zeus’s ball boy #1.
Yaz Zadeh plays a clerk at Hera’s temple. Julie Stevens plays a news anchor.
Rui Martín plays a Trojan. Lily Mae Sullivan appears as a young Riddy.
Gwynne Mary McElveen plays Tacita #2. Rich Keeble plays a man in a booth.
In the pilot episode, Paul Kissaun portrays a priest during a funeral.
Natalia Espadas plays a Poseidon servant in the third episode.
In the fourth episode, Jenny Howe plays a “laundry mistress”, while Tomi Egbowon-Ogunjobi plays a watch shopkeeper.
Matthew Trevannion plays Basil, a guard in Minos’s labyrinth.
Luis Berto plays the stunt double for ball boy #1, while Chemi Hitos plays the stunt double for ball boy #2.
Performances and Character Developments
Caeneus and Riddy are two humans who bond over nothing. That is, not necessarily nihilism but rather the concept of death and being dead. Their dynamic with one another is interesting, with both coming to terms with loss and what to gain from that. In contrast with Riddy’s backstory in the pilot, Caeneus’s backstory is touching, which, again, ties back to queer representation. His development is the best of the mortals, and I am curious to see how he would fare in a follow-up season.
Next to that, I enjoy the juxtaposition between Orpheus and Riddy in the pilot—one willing to express love with the world and the other feeling lonesome and numb. The best aspect of Orpheus is his desperation and determination to win back love. As a musician, he sure has a way with instruments. That can also point to his ability to endure obstacle after obstacle, trial after trial that heads in his path. Conversely, the funniest part about the character is the predicaments he finds himself in.
Ariadne “Ari” is perhaps the most well-written mortal character of the series. She loves her home, and at the same time, she cares a lot about her family relationships. At her age, I admire her grasp on faith and love, even if her parents act out of pain. It’s fascinating to see her subplot as a stand-alone, barely engaging with the other characters. Acting as a mortal, Farzad exhibits pain on the same level as Butler’s Caeneus. The difference is the outcome and what doors are opened for them for the future.
Oh, Gods…
Dionysus is the pinnacle of the show’s dark comedy. Many enjoyable moments exist because he is present and also because Rizwan portrays him perfectly. The actor is the soul of the Netflix series, even down to the one tragic performance he has towards the end.
Poseidon (Cliff Curtis) is flat-out hilarious, sometimes acting as if a satire of Aquaman. Curtis has some wild line deliveries. I am grateful that he portrays such an individual. Having seen a few of his prior works, it is evident that he is having fun balancing gravity with levity. Curtis places himself in weird positions, e.g. his big toe shoved into a man’s mouth. Although, what matters is intimacy coordinator David Thackeray is credited for the entirety of the show.
Unlike the other god characters, Janet McTeer’s Hera has little development if it isn’t alongside family. The actress makes up for that with one great stern monologue, which is only necessary for a narrative based on archaic literature. The goddess knows not to tremble and instead stand her ground, which renders her one of the greats.
Prometheus is a wholly reliable narrator, and I love how he is his own person apart from the other gods and—reasonably—the mortals. Dillane gets to be homoerotic for a bit, and yet every detail of his backstory contributes to his dramatic ethos. As much as possible, this god is most dedicated to saving the world from the powers that be, and this involves the constant risk of sacrifice. When Dillane expresses emotions, he does so in a deeply affectionate manner. I appreciate Prometheus’s commitment and faith in every focal character, which add a layer of meaning to Kaos.
A Revolting Villain
Zeus is self-indulgent and ignorant, which is a bad combination of traits to have for any person. His objective to rule over the world is not dissimilar from that of other iconic antagonists. Still, Jeff Goldblum’s performance is so “out of pocket” that it is almost as if he were born for the role. On the one hand, Zeus is not a good person to be around, and on the other hand, he is illustrated as completely repugnant. Goldblum might have an awards-worthy performance in this first season of the Netflix series if it weren’t for competition with Curtis.
Final Thoughts on Kaos Series 1
Despite how overwhelming of a close 8-hour marathon this show can be, Covell’s Kaos is flawless for open-minded viewers. For the streaming model, it’s difficult to power through, although that should not be a detriment to the viewing experience. Dark comedy truly works for a narrative like this, a show wherein severe affairs take place yet still permits laughs to be had. Its theme of empathy versus enmity is merit-worthy, emphasizing the importance of humanity and urging humankind to either speak for themselves or be spoken for. With trauma as a major product, Covell’s role in the direction is going to be exciting.
I will say that my one issue with the series earlier on is the fact that the stench of fecal matter should probably be strong enough to be detected sooner rather than later. Then again, this is a show about fantasy, so anything goes when one’s mind deceives them. Overall, this is one series you do not want to miss.
5/5 stars
All eight episodes of Kaos Series 1 are now streaming via Netflix!
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
