Given the political turmoil and violence the world has witnessed in the past few years, it really is no surprise that there has been an increased interest in apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic shows. And Netflix’s new Original Danish show The Rain, which came out May 4th, fills that interest to a T.
The eight episode show is premised on an unknown ecological disaster that results in rain being a fatal toxin to anyone caught in it. Not only that, but you can get infected by getting your feet wet in a puddle and infect others before dying. This sets up the very interesting situation of not only having to fend for oneself in a post-apocalyptic world and scavenge for food, but also having to avoid the rain, a difficult feat in Scandinavia.
The first episode introduces protagonist Simone, at school when her father who works for a company called Apollon and seems to know the rain is coming, drags her out. He takes her, her younger brother, Rasmus, and their mother to an Apollon bunker where they are expected to wait out the rain, while the father goes to fix whatever mess caused the rain in the first place. However, when he never comes back, it leaves Simone and Rasmus in the bunker alone to survive the end of the world. It is once they leave the bunker, six years later, that the show really begins to take off.
Honestly, I am obsessed! Probably apparent from the fact that it took me a day and a half to get through all eight episodes even though I had family commitments all weekend long. For this show, I was willing to give up precious hours of sleep just to keep watching.
Throughout the show we get to see snapshots of other characters experiences before and after the first rain, elements that their companions do not know about them. It provides an increasing complexity to the characters and the show as they try to battle out who they need to become in order to survive in the new world.
The is the epitome of all my YA post-apocalyptic scenarios come true, with an incredible blend of romance, love-triangles, death, murder, betrayal, loss, bravery and mystery. There have been so many movies, shows and books that deal with the concept of the world ending, and many of them including teenagers and young adults as the focus. So, what does The Rain provide that the others do not.
Simply, a new perspective. It embraces all the tropes of the genre, but the real focus of the show is how the everyone we meet must learn how to maintain a semblance of humanity in a world where having any may cost them their lives. The notion that mercy and humanity can be a danger not worth risking in order to maintain a sense of morality.
Where morality is usually lorded as the lesson to be learnt from post-apocalyptic stories, The Rain brings forth a more nuanced and complicated approach to the question which makes for an incredible watch.
Final note and a piece of advice: Netflix offers the option to have the show dubbed in English but it is so much rewarding to watch it in the original Danish with English subtitles. It may take some getting used to, but trust me, it is definitely worth it.
~ S ~
Featured Photo by Patrick Illhardt on Unsplash
