THE ORDER
★★★½
The Order follows in the tradition of the cult classic TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Netflix.com.au
Fun new series following in the fine tradition of Buffy, The Magicians et al blending college high jinks and teen romance with the classic hero's journey (including a touch of the supernatural) and lashings of cheeky pop culture. (It took me a second to get the Pam and Jim reference …) Jack is a smart kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Scary Lady A wants him to attend Belgrave University. Scary Lady B does not. For the moment, A has the upper hand and in due course (thanks to a minor magical intervention) Jack turns up on campus ready to thwart bullies, win fair maidens, fulfil his destiny, and revenge his mother's death (in which his estranged father appears to be implicated). All this quite complex exposition is taken care of in a sprightly and often bracingly sardonic manner. The show's Canadian heritage, and the distinctive sense of humour that implies, are very much in evidence. There are a couple of bum notes and the occasional descent into cliche, but the young cast deliver uniformly lively, natural performances (the oldies aren't bad either, particularly Matt Frewer as Jack's grandpa) and the whole thing maintains an engaging, knowing vibe spiked with sudden moments of real jump-in-your-seat shock.
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