Daniel Brount is a senior creative writing major and writes ‘Do You Copy?’ for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Daniel at djbrount@bsu.edu.
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If streamers decide to watch Netflix’s new series “Between,” they will have to wait a week between each episode — but it’s unlikely they’ll even remember the show after a few days of waiting.
“Between” explores a small town called Pretty Lake — the only lake they show looks pretty average — hit by a strange disease that kills everyone age 22 and older.
After the disease kills most of the adult population, the government puts the town on quarantine. The lack of adults leaves the town without authority, essentially making it a breeding ground for anarchy.
Instead of releasing all six episodes at once, Netflix paired with the Canadian City TV network and will only release one episode per week after it airs on City.
This method could have worked with other Netflix series like “Daredevil” or “Orange is the New Black,” but “Between” barely held my attention through one episode. So why would I wait a full week to watch another?
One of the main problems with the first episode is the lack of time given to each character. There are 44 minutes to introduce the plot, eight main cast members and a slew of recurring characters.
By the end of the episode, there are deaths that evoke no emotion because the viewer gains no attachment to the characters. Actually, the only character I cared about at all by the end was Wiley Day (Jennette McCurdy), who leads the cast as a pregnant teenager in Pretty Lake.
Day is an aloof character who doesn’t seem to take anything seriously, besides keeping the secret of who her child’s father is. Her pregnancy and outlook on life makes her inherently more interesting than the other characters, most of whom seem entirely, or mostly, flat. The way her pregnancy plays out and how she handles her baby will hopefully add a new layer to the show. Day is the only one who is almost three-dimensional by the end of the first episode.
With a smaller cast — or at least spreading out the character introductions — this series could have drawn in viewers much more easily. It’s hard to gain interest in a show when the first episode is 44 minutes of bland character introductions and not-so-great acting.
The show also tried to introduce numerous settings in that amount time, from the school, to the homes of almost every character, to the prison and to the hospital. In most shows, that would help develop the persona of the setting, but this just emphasized how generic the setting is.
Despite the weakness of the characters and settings, the concept behind the show has a wealth of potential if future episodes dig into the plot better. The premise caught my attention as soon as I saw it. Curiosity for the origins of this disease and the future of the quarantined town of Pretty Lake might be enough to keep streamers watching.
This series fits well in the current trend of teen dystopian; it just needs to start emphasizing its plot or developing the characters.
Netflix is releasing the second episode for streaming May 28, but I’m not sure if I’m interested enough to give the show another chance.
Rating: 2.5/5
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