Modern Day Meets Ancient Myths in Visually Underwhelming Yet Oddly Compelling Jeff Goldblum-led Series

When it comes to ancient myths, the ones from ancient Greece might be the most well-known on the planet. Thor and his Asgardian kin might currently be having their day in the sun, though I doubt there are many souls out there who haven’t heard the names Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades. Most of us in the West will have heard one story from Greek mythology or another. Whether it’s some parable teaching lessons about life or the universe or philosophies or some mythical story which tells of a Greek hero’s journey, these are the stories many of us grew up with.

I can say for certain I grew up hearing the story of the fall of Troy, admittedly mostly told by Brad Pitt on the big screen. It’s been a while since Hellenistic myth has been actualised onto the small screen in a way that feels good – and yes, that is a dig at Percy Jackson and Disney.

See, what most people get wrong about the Hellenists and their gods is that… well, they weren’t ‘good’. These aren’t the happy and kindly individuals portrayed in the animated film Hercules or the great heroes portrayed in Percy Jackson. These were petty, vindictive, lustful, and downright cruel creatures – these are the Olympian gods as they are in myth: sycophantic, egotistical, vengeful, and horny… VERY horny. This is what Kaos gets right.

The story of Kaos takes place in a modern setting (much like Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet), where the Greek world has expanded to the entire globe in modern times, and ancient heroes have taken on a more contemporary form. Orpheus, the famed poet and singer of myth, is now a stage performer more like a Michael Bublé type than a Homer. Theseus is a bodyguard of the rulers of Crete. Cassandra of Troy is a refugee of Troy, looking more like a crack-addicted homeless woman than a defiled princess (and Billie Piper plays her fantastically).

It’s the little changes done quite effectively that create a narrative which I thoroughly enjoyed, though I felt it could’ve used a bit more visual spectacle. Jeff Goldblum, along with other stars such as Janet McTeer (Ozark) and Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones), lead with, as expected, phenomenal performances that win you over within the space of minutes.

The story of Kaos is the story of the downfall of Zeus and the loss of power in Olympus. Narrated by the still-imprisoned Prometheus, who tells the tale of the downfall of Zeus’ power when he discovers a wrinkle in his forehead and believes he is soon to lose his power and be destroyed. This is something Prometheus assures him is not going to happen, though while the former Titan might not be unbound, he is not unbroken.

Fate has set the dominoes to fall, and soon a few meagre humans will be the pebbles that lead to the avalanche, and the king of the gods may soon find himself falling victim to the prophecy which hangs like a Sword of Damocles over his head. And Prometheus is the one leading the cause against his former friend.

Taking inspiration from myth, the story follows humans Orpheus (Killian Scott), Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau), Ariadne (Leila Farzad), and Caeneus (Misia Butler) as each of them works to fulfil a prophecy that will bring down Zeus and, along with him, the seemingly unchallengeable power of Olympus.

Created by Charlie Covell, writer for The End Of The F**ing World*, this is a dark comedy that is thoroughly enjoyable as its cast embraces every aspect of their ancient Greek counterparts, and Covell masterfully weaves in some modern narratives to add some relevant flavour to this done-over and toasted tale.

There are some refreshing twists and turns for those of us who are familiar with the myths, and even those of us who are fairly well-versed in ancient Hellenistic myth will find plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep us entertained. It is also refreshing to see a story about Greek myth include strong LGBTQIA+ representation within the narrative.

Many of the characters are gay, bisexual, or otherwise, and the representation is done thoughtfully and carefully. It doesn’t feel like it’s forced into the narrative to demonstrate how, as a production, it showcases the inclusivity of Netflix’s culture (as so many queer additions feel these days).

The cast is phenomenal, and Jeff Goldblum really shines as the God of Lightning, who quickly and effectively demonstrates his ability to navigate the many different sides of Zeus from wise and powerful to petty and vengeful. Janet McTeer is also wonderful as his sister-wife Hera, who is, quite frankly, sick and tired of the petty theatrics of her violently hedonistic breeder of a husband.

I was also greatly entertained by the narrative voice of Prometheus, done so brilliantly by Stephen Dillane, who had previously been typecast into roles more reflective of his interpretation of Stannis Baratheon from Game of Thrones. Dillane demonstrates a strong ability to add humour, nuance, and depth to this heavily comedic story.

Ultimately, I did feel that Kaos could’ve used a larger budget, and I do understand that getting names like Jeff Goldblum to star must take a lot of what you have available to spend on special effects. Whilst it would certainly be believable to imagine an infinitely powerful and wealthy individual like Zeus being more relaxed about using his powers and instead spending his days acting like a playboy, this is a story about gods. Quite often it felt like the show was navigating itself between a budget of a daytime TV sci-fi show and the big budget of a Netflix original series that’s going to last at least four or five seasons. Of course, how those seasons will perform, and if they will receive the necessary budget to provide a truly visual and theatrical spectacle, is yet to be seen (though season 4 of The Umbrella Academy, one of Netflix’s most popular shows, makes me incredibly nervous for any series under the streaming platform’s name).

Funny but also dark, classic but also original, Kaos is the sort of drama that doesn’t come along very often, but when it does – and when it’s done right (which in this case it is) – it’s enjoyable for all eight episodes and leaves you with just enough want for more that a renewal is almost guaranteed. It definitely helps when Jeff Goldblum is on your side as well!

An 8.6 out of 10.