October 31, 2020
Tales about the Olympian gods, their adventures and conflicts were among my favorite stories to read since childhood. I was very excited to see a new animated series about them on Netflix. There were only 8 episodes at about only 30 minutes each on average, so this should an easy binge. The series was rated 18+, cautioning about violence. This came as no surprise knowing how bloody these mythic battles can get.
A young man named Heron (Derek Phillips) was always fighting to keep his mother Electra (Mamie Gummer) safe from their neighbors who considered them outcasts. However, his protective instincts went into overdrive when band of demons led by Seraphim (Elias Toufexis) was wreaking havoc on the countryside killing everyone in sight. The deities of Mt. Olympus also get involved in the action as a major marital dispute erupted between the ever-philandering Zeus (Jason O'Mara) and the dangerously jealous Hera (Claudia Christian).
The first episode was not too easy to get into right away. Aside from the unfamiliar style of the artwork, the initial characters seen were all unfamiliar names. Aside from being introduced to the lead character Heron, we also meet the blond-haired female Grand Archon Alexia (Jessica Henwick) leading her men to fight the demons terrorizing the towns. There was a wise old man Elias who was always there to help Heron and his poor weak mother. It was only at the final sequence of Ep. 1 that Olympian gods entered the scene.
So from the Ep. 2 onwards, mythology junkies will already be hooked as the connection between Heron and Zeus will be revealed in flashbacks. Succeeding episodes would recount how Hera got wind of the scandal and entered the fray. Much later, the origin of the head demon Seraphim will also get connected to everything else. Among the other gods, prominently featured were Hermes (Matthew Mercer) and Apollo (Adam Croasdell).
Meanwhile, Heron will have his own rigorous ordeals to go through on his own. Aside from Alexia, he would also meet good friends like fellow slaves, the smart wisecracking Evios (Chris Diamantopoulos) and strongman fighter Kofi (Adetokumboh M'Cormack) to help him in his quest. Other familiar mythological characters like the wise centaur Chiron (David Shaughnessy), as well as Clotho (Jennifer Hale) and her fellow Fates, also had roles to play.
Those who know Greek mythology will be familiar with the volcanic anger of Hera when she learns about the illicit extramarital affairs of her husband Zeus, so what transpired in this story will not really be a big surprise. Frankly, the svelte Hera here was not how I had been imagined her as a child, but this glamorous design worked for the purpose of this series. The gore factor was certainly in-your-face, but not too extreme, even with all the vicious stabbings, dismemberment and decapitations. Save for some slow exposition in certain scenes, this series was generally well-paced and engaging, especially for mythology buffs. 7/10.
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