Change Your Image
Tasha_Cambridge
Reviews
In the Dark (2019)
Unwatchable due to unlikable main character & absurd premise
Most viewers enjoy an antihero/ heroine, but will only become engaged in a show if the protagonist is likable and relatable. The plot also needs to be sufficiently grounded in reality. Unfortunately In the Dark lacks these two important traits of a compelling series.
Many of the comments talk about how great it is that the protagonist is an edgy alcoholic nymphomaniac. Clearly, the writers thought that was so clever that they remind us in virtually every scene. It's so overdone that it becomes grating and borderline farcical. I was disappointed at the lack of sensitivity in handling these issues, which aren't funny or cute, and have serious consequences. The protagonist behaves so rudely that it's clear the writers have not known actual alcoholic sex addicts. Women struggling with this particular set of issues almost always present as extroverted people-pleasers. They want to be liked/ loved & touched & to feel alive. They tend to charm and show a mask, lose their sense of self, and so forth. The concept of a curmudgeonly, obnoxious sex addict is interesting, but wholly unrealistic. Being a jerk undermines the addict's goal of making people like & sleep with them. So In the Dark's protagonist comes across as a flat collection of incongruent traits rattled off by a writer's room rather than a well-rounded person.
Even if we set aside the lack of realism and sensitivity towards the protagonist's traits, her life and interactions are so absurd that it made the show unwatchable for me. We are supposed to believe a moderately attractive blind woman who walks around sneering, insulting people, and being mean to her service dog, has every man in Chicago pursue her... because "p**n has made every man kinky enough to want to do it with a blind woman." That line is actually in the show. It's insulting to men, women, and differently-abled people. It fetishizes the protagonist and by the middle of the first season, I felt that the softcore aspect of the show was probably its primary appeal. The mystery wasn't covered enough to keep me engaged.
I will give the writers credit for trying to make a blind protagonist. Clearly, somebody likes this show so I gather that the audience isn't people like me who prefer mystery/ crime shows like Ozark, Breaking Bad, etc. That said, I can enjoy a C&W show now & then, like Riverdale and Reign. Sadly, this one has a protagonist that was just too unlikable and interacting in ways that were too bizarre for me. Riverdale works (for the most part) because it totally embraces its absurdity. The show Fleabag (another network, but similar bad girl anti-heroine) works because the protagonist is self-deprecating enough to be likable, vs the arrogance (in my opinion) of In the Dark.
Devil in Ohio (2022)
Entertaining suspense/ drama based on YA novel
I went in with zero expectations, and perhaps that's why I enjoyed the suspense mini-series Devil in Ohio more than others did. It's based on a YA novel about a girl who escapes a cult (not a spoiler- it's literally in the description) and a doctor who becomes over-involved and takes her in.
The story of Devil in Ohio is interesting, particularly if you have a fascination with cults. The acting is good, and while the themes aren't deep, many of the challenges faced by the characters are relatable. Who among us hasn't gotten obsessed with something or someone because of events in our past that we have yet to fully process? Haven't we all resented or suspected a sibling or friend and felt guilty for it? Doesn't everyone try to separate from aspects of our family or background that keep resurfacing in our lives or replicating in our own behavior?
Few caveats: If you are seeking a mature horror flick, heart-pounding thriller, deeply written characters or a complex mystery with unexpected plot twists- this ain't it. If you're interested in cults or looking for a series with broad appeal, give Devil in Ohio a shot. It's difficult to find much to watch that both adults & young girls can enjoy. I was glad this series was released so my cousins and our nieces could watch. Most of our family enjoyed it, but it's not for very young kids who get scared by suspenseful stories.