Now streaming on Netflix is “Kaos,” a limited series where actor Jeff Goldblum takes on the role of Zeus, the King of the Gods. In this contemporary reimagining, both the character and the series itself have a distinctly modern twist.
The ancient tales of vengeance-fueled deities are notoriously complex. In “Kaos,” creator Charlie Covell reintroduces us to the Greek pantheon, charting their rise and fall while illuminating the wild desires, quirky obsessions, and profound insecurities that drive these mythic figures.
Spanning eight episodes, the narrative unfolds as a modern allegory, reminding us that the dangers of absolute power were insidious then, are insidious now, and, dare I say, always will be.
Evil, however, can become tedious quickly.
“Kaos” begins with Prometheus (Stephen Dillane) enduring his eternal punishment: chained to a rock while an eagle devours his liver daily. The true tragedy lies in the history between Prometheus and Zeus, once close friends.
Prometheus’s fateful decision to stand up for humanity sealed his doom, leaving him with centuries to contemplate a prophecy that foretells the downfall of these backbiting gods.
We first encounter Zeus living extravagantly, surveying the world from the opulent gardens of his vast Mount Olympus estate, resembling one of those enigmatic billionaires who secretly controls everything. As he watches humanity celebrate Olympia Day in the city of Krete, live, alongside his cunning sister-wife Hera (Janet McTeer) and his son Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), a defaced statue sends him into a thunderous rage. This incident recalls a long-forgotten prophecy: “A line appears, the order wanes, the family falls, and chaos reigns.” This ominous prediction begins to haunt him, driving him to prevent its fulfillment at all costs.
Meanwhile, on Earth, three mortals become entangled in this prophecy: Eurydice, or Riddy (Aurora Perrineau), a beauty adored by her rock-star husband Orpheus (Killian Scott), and Ari (Leila Farzad), the daughter of Krete’s president, who sees the growing cracks in their world as the populace tires of worshiping temperamental and frankly useless gods. In the Underworld, led by Zeus’s brother Hades (David Thewlis) and his wife Persephone (Rakie Ayola), the long-dead Caneus (Misia Butler) exists in limbo between the living and the dead, until fate intervenes and a mysterious figure alters the course of his afterlife.
Creatively, the series grapples with the challenge of maintaining interest in a cast of characters who, while entertaining in small doses — like Zeus’s yacht-loving younger brother Poseidon (Cliff Curtis) — ultimately form a collective force of malevolence.
Among the episodes, the sixth stands out for its resonance and thematic connections. Here, we witness humans mindlessly following rituals, enriching the wealthy while the poor suffer — a narrative all too familiar and eerily reflective of our present-day reality.
“Kaos” is now streaming on Netflix.
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