John Bluebeard

Just a fun movie. The remainder of this review is blank. The remainder of this review is blank. The remainder of this review is blank.

What makes this fun is the symbolism of the first episode. Spoiler alert for the first episode. Atheists send a group of 6 babies and 2 robots to an alien planet. 5 babies die, leaving 1 child and 2 robots. The male robot suggests to the female robot that they join forces with the religious group that has arrived on the planet. The female robot, being a typically tolerant athiest, immediately kills him.

This series is an unusual take on the post-apocolyptic meanderings of a group of actors who come together and form a theatrical troupe that tours the shores of Lake Michigan. The focus is on interpersonal relationships, and characters are developed through generous, even copious flashbacks. The way it drags on is impressive. It doesn't get into the daily details of how the group survives or into the private areas of any relationships, including sex, although it does make clear that a large proportion of the actors have alternative interests. However, there's none of the pedantical or hostile "We're homosexual and anyone who doesn't properly like that will be portrayed as a Hitler." It delivers its negative opinion on capitalism in unobtrusive ways, like having a child suggest that a webpage on capitalism should be deleted. Nonbinary socialists should like this series for an ego stroke, but it doesn't deliver much of anything else. Those reviews that characterize our troupe as a bunch of navel gazers with no skills or direction/purpose are spot on. I think it accurately portrays the conditions under which socialism can flourish-- an impoverished society with no skills to reward or incentivize. I've only watched 6 episodes , so perhaps my sample size is too small, but I suspect most will find it simple minded and dull.