- Directed by Mike Flanagan
- Written by Jamie Flanagan, Mike Flanagan, Joyce Sherri, Teresa Sutherland
- Stars Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford, Kristin Lehman, Samantha Sloyan
- Run Time: Around 60 Minutes per episode
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20zH_R-qD7c
This week, we look at a seven-part miniseries that is currently airing on Netflix. It’s been out a little while now, so we will include full spoilers in the synopsis below. We will be working through one or more chapters each day this week, so stay tune for the complete story.
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone for Entire Series
It’s pretty terrific with a nice slow build. There are some moments that seem maybe a little too talky, but the writing is very good. There isn’t a weak link in a pretty large cast of featured characters. The special effects are top notch.
Book 1: Genesis
We open on a traffic accident. Riley Flynn sits in handcuffs as the paramedics decide they can’t save the dead girl across from him. He was drunk and caused the accident. He gets a rather lengthy prison term.
Four years later, on the sparsely-populated Crocket island, Riley is being released. Only his mother seems to want to see him. Riley’s brother Warren imports pot from some guy on the ferry.
Elsewhere, a man drags a big trunk off the boat and takes it home. It’s got heavy padlocks on it and something inside knocks to get out.
Warren and his friends row out to a tiny island full of stray cats. There’s also a cemetery on the island full of bodies that are hundreds of years old. They come out there to get high. They imagine they see a huge bird in the sky.
Riley’s ferry arrives and his mother, Annie, picks him up. Monsignor Pruitt was supposed to be on the boat as well, but he didn’t come back from vacation.
Erin goes to the gynecologist, Dr. Gunning, as she’s five months pregnant. The doctor’s elderly mother has dementia. Joe, the town drunk, claims to Sheriff Hassan that he saw a giant albatross chasing him last night.
There’s a big storm coming in tomorrow night, so the sheriff and the town leaders make plans. The marina shuts down and they switch off the power to the docks for safety.
Bev, the church lady, sees a light on at the Monsignor’s house and lets herself in. She doesn’t expect who she finds.
Sunday comes, and there’s a new preacher in town that no one expected. Father Paul Hill says that he is filling in for a few weeks while the old priest recovers on the mainland. Afterward, Riley and Erin catch up on their sad and pathetic lives since they last talked four years ago.
The storm arrives. The power goes out. Riley sees Monsignor Pruitt out walking in the storm on the beach. When he goes out to chase the man, he’s gone. The next morning, the whole island is a mess, with lots of storm damage. There are hundreds of dead cats laying on the beach…
Comment: Lots of character introductions and we meet the town, but there are only hints of something ominous coming. We immediately noticed several young-to-middle-age actors made up to look much older than they are. Will they be doing flashbacks, or are the characters going to get younger? We’ll see…