Regrets and Finding Youth in Sci-Fi (Netflix's The Boroughs review)

 

Despite being produced by the Duffer Brothers and looking like a retirement home version of Stranger Things, The Boroughs are so much more than that. Personally, I was not a big fan of their latest outing, Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen, so I didn't bother finishing it. I was having high hopes for this, as it seemed to be leaning into a weird but Spielbergian style of sci-fi thriller with a couple involved in 'saving the world'. 

I was right, that was exactly what The Boroughs were. It centers on Alfred Molina's Sam Cooper, who is recently widowed, and is thrust into this retirement/old folks home neighborhood, and he meets a bunch of his neighbors that he is abrasive with at first, until they all part of a conspiracy that specifically happened in Sam's house with the previous owners that sparks a thrilling mystery that everyone is playing off as dementia spells. 

This leans into the wonder and fantasy of it all in the sci-fi genre. So, consider all the inspirations that Stranger Things had that made it the nostalgia fest it was, driving this storyline, but more so in Spielberg's fashion. And something I think we are so used to seeing is kids having to handle this while their parents dismiss what their children are facing outside their white picket fences. It is refreshing to see that flipped, especially given the dynamic it creates between Sam and his daughter, Claire, played by Jena Malone. There is also this theme of regret and finding youth, and I didn't want to call what these characters were doing a mid-life (or more accurately, late-life) crisis, but it was nice to give these old-timers reasons they pursue their choices in nuanced ways

That couldn't be pulled off better than by this all-star cast. Other than Molina, there are the likes of Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, Bill Pullman, and Geena freaking Davis who carry a lot of these scenes, and they do not let up. There are times when they do the best with weak dialogue, and there are times, without a doubt, when the show does become predictable in certain aspects, but that is easily overlooked by how good the writing is in several other scenes, and by the topics they intended to portray. 

With Sam, there is an exploration of losing his wife, which makes a significant case for the elements that shape his character and his relationship with his daughter. Despite not exploring the cast member's relationships with their children, especially with Judy and Art exploring a marriage running dry, and then Davis' Renee pursuit towards a younger man, Paz, an officer of the Boroughs (who plays a significant role, might I add), and finally O'Hare's Wally portrays shades of the doctor complex where he wished he had saved everyone. Creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews fleshed out these characters rather than making them cranky and moody, or even wise old people, as we are so used to seeing on TV and in movies today. 

Another thing that I loved is that it all lines up, and everything is tied up by the end of the episode. Other than one tidbit that could be explored in a future season, if Netflix ever decides to cancel yet another good show they aren't aware of, I am okay with how the show leaves us. With that note, I do recommend The Boroughs. It may not be as revolutionary in its sci-fi exploration, but it leaves a lasting effect by providing what they needed to craft a well-rounded story and characters who relate to the main struggles of their lives, and it offers a fantastical solution for them to debate morally. If that is your sort of thing.