Kaos tells a modernized story about Greek gods — in English.
Stories about gods are always interesting because they will entertain you if they don’t remind you why the idea is ludicrous.
However, Netflix’s foray into these gods leaves a lot to be desired.
This is not the first time a series or movie has been created about various gods, but it is the first time it has been poorly done.
From gods of Christian mythologies in Good Omens to fictitious contemporary ones in American Gods, there has always been something about them.
We Don’t Know These Gods
People are pretty aware of the existence of Greek gods, with one like Zeus being namedropped years after people moved on from him.
He leads Kaos, and Jeff Goldblum brings him to life.
But what becomes clear is that, like what happened millennia ago, no one cares about these gods.
They exist in a weird place of being remotely known but not understood.
It is the first thing that fails to work for the series. Intended viewers neither know nor care about these gods.
We don’t know the scope of their powers and how they operate.
So when we’re sold Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Dionysus, and the rest of them, it doesn’t feel interesting.
Okay, Zeus has lightning. What now?
What should have been an epic tale of war between gods and humans fizzles out and becomes a schoolyard squabble between a big bully and smaller bullies.
The Unimarginativeness of It All
There really is no limit to what one can do with omnipotent gods.
You can have them living on a cloud, in a castle of gold, or behind a waterfall. But a villa somewhere in the skies?
Kaos exists in a realm of its own with how unimaginative it is.
If I had a Netflix budget for a show about Greek gods, the underworld would not look like an abandoned construction site. Is a black-and-white filter really supposed to make the place interesting?
Why do gods in the underworld look like secretaries who are not paid enough to deal with that bullshit?
Apart from Medusa, no god is scary since they’re just like people. And maybe she, too, isn’t, but my fear of snakes would not allow me to see past anything.
But Where Is the Kaos, I Ask?
“A line appears, the order wanes, the family falls and kaos reigns.”
From the promotional materials to the prophecy repeated in the show, it teases chaos that never materializes.
Everything seems to hurtle toward that end, even with a narrator who keeps the viewer abreast with one thing or another.
However, the story stumbles along for eight episodes, and the characters seem to have nothing else to do in the world.
Take Dionysus, for example. What did he do?
He rolls from one place to another without a clear goal in mind. This is bad for a TV show. It leads to an overcrowding problem and with very uninteresting characters to boot.
Ironically, Nabhaan Rizwan‘s portrayal of the character is the most entertaining thing about the show.
It took me somewhere between three and six episodes to realize there is some humor in Kaos. Sadly, even the realization does not make it funny.
The series ends after eight episodes, which is barely enough for most shows, but it feels like forever.
All without direction, humor, and chaos.
Okay, But How Gay Is ‘Kaos’?
It’s unsurprising that with how underbaked most of it feels, Kaos‘ gayness is meh!
Despite featuring various queer and achillean characters, it focuses on being uninteresting that the characters are too.
It would seem that most of the gods, if not all, are queer.
Some humans are, too, and occasionally, a ship comes along.
The show features a transmasc lead, and his arc is the most interesting in the show.
Misia Butler plays Caeneus, an Amazonian who transitions but later dies and is stuck in the underworld.
When Riddy arrives, an attraction develops, and they begin a relationship.
Caeneus feels vital to the whole thing, and Butler’s portrayal makes him fascinating to watch.
Verdict
Kaos is not well thought out. From the story to the characters and the hook, it epitomizes what not to do with stories about gods.