Last year, my child had an assignment to reimagine a classic fairy tale by altering one major plot point. It seems Charlie Covell, the creator of Netflix’s new series Kaos, applied the same creative exercise to Greek mythology.
In Kaos, Zeus is portrayed as a tasteless, egotistical, paranoid, and excessively controlling deity. His confidant and long-time prisoner, Prometheus, secretly plots against him.
The series seamlessly blends humor with drama, carving out a unique angle on classical mythology. Kaos stands out as the most inventive adaptation I’ve encountered (and I’ve read a plethora of Hades and Persephone retellings).
From the opening scene, Prometheus (played by Stephen Dillane), who serves as Kaos’s narrator, tells the audience it’s irrelevant if they’re unfamiliar with his myth, setting the tone for the entire series. Whether you’re a Greek mythology novice or buff, Kaos offers a gripping tale of gods and mortals clashing for cosmic dominance.
For viewers well-versed in Greek mythology, the series merits two viewings: one to relish in its tangled narratives of divine and mortal drama, love, and power struggles; and another to delve into the intricate Easter eggs scattered throughout its storyline and setting.
The Celestial Cast
In the initial scenes, we meet Zeus, king of the gods (Jeff Goldblum), and a mortal named Riddy (Aurora Perrineau), or Eurydice. They inhabit contrasting worlds: Zeus in a kitschy celestial mansion with his wife and Riddy in a chic modern villa in Crete with her husband, rock star Orpheus (Killian Scott), and their black kitten, Dennis.
Riddy feels a void in her life, punctuated by her face adorning posters and billboards of Orpheus’s album, Muse. However, a fortuitous encounter at a supermarket with a prophetic woman sets her on a transformative journey.
Around the same time, we meet Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan) – the god of pleasure and chaos – who experiences a sense of dissatisfaction in his endlessly indulgent existence. As the wayward youngest child, he’s on a quest for meaning, responsibility, and, notably, his father Zeus’s respect.
Against this backdrop, Zeus, the inviolable and divine, discovers a wrinkle. He perceives it as the beginning of the end, heralding a prophecy that could eventually lead to the demise of the gods.
In various ways, his concern isn’t entirely misplaced, but as the season concludes, it becomes apparent that the events unfolded precisely as predetermined by the Fates.
Beyond its rich storytelling, Kaos is visually captivating, showcasing fantastic set designs. Olympus bursts with color, the mortal realm is gritty and profound, and the Underworld is presented in stark black and white.
While Goldblum excels as Zeus, it’s the performances of the mortal characters – Riddy, Ari (Leila Farzad), and Caneus (Misia Butler) – that propel the narrative. Their dynamic interplay, especially between Perrineau and Butler, imbues this “dark comedy” with a distinctly human touch.
Top image: Jeff Goldblum stars as Zeus in Kaos. Source: Justin Downing/Netflix
