Image courtesy of The Sundance Channel
I have friends who, though fans of TV drama, haven't watched shows like Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy or The Walking Dead because of the violence, blood and gore. I understand but I also feel badly that they are missing out on (especially in the case of Breaking Bad) some of the better recent television.
What I like about The Walking Dead is that it asks my favorite question: what does it mean to be human? TV shows that tackle this question well tend to be favorites of mine. Good monster stories can serve as terrific vehicles for tackling the subject of humanity. After the zombie apocalypse how do we define humanity, how do we rebuild society, institutions, laws and norms for how we deal with with other humans? What are the ethics for dispatching our loved ones once they've died and come back?
The Returned deals with this question but in a far less gory manner. In this French series, set in the Alps, people begin to find their way home several years after they've died. They appear alive but haven't aged since they died. Life went on for their families and loved ones, funerals held, memorials built, grieving continued and relationships remade. But the returned don't remember anything of their deaths and don't know that time has passed. They are also ravenously hungry but not for brains.
The series is in French and subtitled so, unless you understand French, the viewer must pay attention. Beautifully filmed, the slow unfolding of the story and the ordinary nature of the undead rewards viewers with genuine chills. It's horror without the gore. The show is not without blood. One of the returned is a serial killer who resumes killing for example. But the blood so far, two episodes in, is still less than a standard episode of the average American procedural.
The Returned airs Thursday nights at 9pm on the Sundance channel. It's also available on iTunes or Vudu. If you're a fan of TV drama but blood, gore, violence and horror keep you away from many of the critically acclaimed shows of today, try The Returned. I think you'll enjoy the chills along with the big questions.
If you've already started watching please share your thoughts in the comments!
I haven't heard about this...it sounds awesome.
Posted by: Deb | November 10, 2013 at 08:20 PM
I think you would really enjoy this show, Deb!
Posted by: ConsumerPop | November 10, 2013 at 08:33 PM