“East of Eden” is a show made for those who enjoy watching a villainous Florence Pugh surrounded by sad men.
Netflix’s new seven-episode miniseries — based on the classic 1952 John Steinbeck novel — isn’t flawless, but it’s an emotional, sweeping story that does justice to the widely beloved book.
Set in the early 1900s, “East of Eden” follows brothers Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Charles Trask (Mike Faist) as their lives are turned upside down by Cathy Ames (Pugh).
The decades-spanning story also dips into Cathy’s youth, her life in a brothel, and her sons Aron (Joe Anders) and Cal (Joseph Zada), as they grapple with their parents’ legacy.
The story focuses on the relationships between both sets of brothers, as jealousy, secrets, and lies get in the way – mixed with the damage that Cathy inflicts on multiple generations.
For anyone unfamiliar with the source material, don’t let the word “classic” intimidate you as there’s plenty of betrayal, sex and murder.
In between the drama, “East of Eden” also has quiet stretches where men are depressed, and discuss morals and the Bible. It’s not boring content, but it does require the viewers’ patience and full attention.
Brimming with rolling hills and ornate parlors, the show looks great, even though it’s been criticized for filming in New Zealand (as a stand-in for California). You can practically feel the “California” dust, in the scenes at Adam’s ranch.
It’s also a family saga in front of the camera and behind the scenes: co-showrunner Zoe Kazan’s grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the 1955 movie starring James Dean as Cal.
Pugh shines in the complex role, and carries the show on her shoulders. Like many antiheroes from TV’s golden era – Walter White and Tony Soprano – Cathy is an awful person, and yet so captivating to watch.
Similar to “Game of Thrones” character Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), Cathy is a woman in a man’s world who navigates it through cynicism and cruelty. She’s not exactly sympathetic, but she’s the most compelling character.
If she’s the devil on everyone’s shoulders, Adam’s servant, Lee (Hoon Lee), is the angel. He carries much of the emotional weight.
When Cathy and Lee aren’t onscreen, the show sometimes falters in other areas.
Unwisely, the show — which begins with Adam and Charles’ childhoods — cycles through not two but three sets of actors, to depict the boys as they grow up. This makes it unnecessarily convoluted to keep track of who’s who.
In the second half of the story, once Cal and Aron take center stage, they pale in comparison to Cathy and Lee. They’re fine enough, but they’re less interesting, and feel more like “angsty boy” stock characters.
However, it’s a daunting challenge to adapt an iconic story that spans generations.
Especially when you compare “East of Eden” to other sprawling classic novels like “Wuthering Heights” and “Dracula” – which both keep getting butchered onscreen – this is a triumph.
This miniseries proves that when people proclaim it’s “impossible” to faithfully adapt such books, they’re simply not trying hard enough.
Netflix recently announced that co-creators Kazan and Jeb Stuart will also tackle another American epic, “Lonesome Dove,” next.
It looks like Taylor Sheridan can move over, as the reigning king of Americana on TV. The Kazan and Stuart duo have the chops.
“East of Eden” is now streaming on Netflix.
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