Review of the Netflix Original Series: The Society
The Society is a mystery, teen drama series that premiered on Netflix May 10th, 2019. The series is a modern day spin-off of the iconic novel Lord of the Flies, which all AST students are bound to read in English class at some point. In this novel, high school students from a small town head off on a school camping trip. Not long after they leave town on buses, an extreme storm appears out of nowhere, forcing them to head back home. As they return home, they notice something is off: the town is completely deserted. The students, not thinking much of it, decide to take full advantage of the newfound freedom. With no adults to monitor them, they throw huge parties to celebrate. After the excitement wears off and reality kicks in, they begin to panic as they realize that although this place looks like home, it is anything but. They must work together to figure out what exactly happened, where they really are (another dimension or reality perhaps), and how they will get back to their real home. They encounter power struggles and contrasting alliances, as they must establish themselves as a functioning society in order to survive.
When The Society premiered, although its first season only consisted of 10 episodes, it quickly became very popular. I actually began watching this series because it was recommended to me by many of my friends and also because it was being raved about all over social media. Additionally, I was very enticed to watch it due to the fact that it is a modern day spin off of one of my favorite novels of all time, Lord of the Flies.
I really enjoyed watching the series as it plays on a fantasy that many all teens have had at some point: living in a world without adults.
I, myself, have thought about that more times than I can count: what it would be like to live in a world without parents. At first glance, it would be great, as I would be able to do whatever I want, without any restrictions on what I choose I do in my life. However, at a second glance, it would be dangerous to live without such boundaries. This concept is demonstrated as the series progresses. The students start off being regular teens who just want to have fun and go to crazy parties, yet later are forced to take on the responsibilities of adults. These include doing labor work, rationing food and encountering power struggles. I enjoyed watching the series so much that I was extremely excited for the second season, especially since the first season ended on an intense cliffhanger. This cliffhanger was interpreted differently by audiences, in regards to the question of what exactly happened to the students and where they really were.
Although Netflix announced the show's renewal shortly after the first season, they decided to cancel The Society due to increased budgetary concerns because of safety protocols and guidelines regarding COVID-19. This cancellation caused an uproar among fans, which led to several viral memes, tweets and TikToks spreading across social media platforms. Fans of the series discussed why Netlifx would cancel a fascinating, out-of-the-box series such as The Society, but still keep producing a third Kissing Booth movie and a fourth season of 13 Reasons Why: works that have received a lot of backlash from critics and audiences alike. Petitions were even created that in an attempt to save the series, with thousands of signatures on it. This demonstrated how good the series was, because so many people were bothered by its cancellation. I could not agree with this uproar more, as I believe that The Society is one of the few Netflix originals that is not a repetitive, cringy teen rom-com.
In conclusion, although The Society will not be having a second season (meaning we will never know what exactly happened to the students and where they really were), the first season is still definitely worth the watch. I would give it 4.5/5 stars, as I guarantee that once you start watching it, you will not be able to stop.