The End Of The F***ing World

The End Of The F***ing World

Rating: TV-MA

Network: Netflix

Language: English

Episodes:  8

Cast: Jessica Barden, Alex Lawther

Synopsis: A budding teen psychopath and a rebel hungry for adventure embark on a star-crossed road trip in this darkly comic series based on a graphic novel by  Charles S. Forman.

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I have never reviewed a television show before. I have done recaps and have talked about some of my favourite shows plenty of times on the blog, but there is a first time for everything. The End Of The F***ing World made me want to yell at everyone to watch it. It made me want to immediately rewatch it, and it, mostly, made me want to debate why it really shouldn't have a second season.

The tagline of 'Some love stories begin at the end' is rather brilliant and fits this darkly humourous story perfect. It is a love story, but a darkly messed up one. Much of this show rests in the kind of dark places you might not expect it to at first glance, but those moments are matched by the dry British humour that works incredibly well in this story format. The show especially shines in the moments that embrace that humour and the darkness together and allows them to work their magic.

Alyssa and James are two characters that work their way into your heart. How fiercely you come to care about these two teens will surprise you. It sneaks up on you and it is too late by the time you realize how much you care. The actual, and emotional, journey that these characters take is immensely satisfying. The cast is so mesmerizing, with Jessica Barden and Alex Lawther giving amazing performances in particular. They are biting, brilliant, and gut wrenching. The acting and plot combine perfectly to make these characters feel so vivid and that is part of what makes this show so wonderful. 

This is the type of show that is best experienced as cold as possible. The less you know going in the better. It is meant to be experienced along with the characters, shocks and all. It makes for a pretty unforgettable watching experience that you'll want to immediately get others to watch simply so you can dissect it with someone. It demands to be talked about and debated and that, for me, is the mark of a great television show.

These eight, incredibly crafted, episodes tell a complete story. It feels like the proper ending to Alyssa and James' story.  The story is left in such a way that it can really only go in one of two directions, and I am not all that interested in exploring either of them. It would taint the ending this season gave us, and lose a little bit of the magic that made this such a memorable show. The End Of The F***ing World may be the type of show you want to have a follow up season, but it is not one that needs it. I would watch these actors is pretty much anything they did next, but I firecely hope that they leave Alyssa and James behind to exist in the near perfect bubble that is this season.

My favourite thing about The End Of The F***ing World is that it is entirely not what you think it is going to be when you first start it. Episode three is where I started to realize what this show was really doing and saying and I fell completely in love. I have some spoilerly thoughts on what the show ends up being really about and if you're interested (and have watched the show) they are under the Show/Hide tag below:

There is an almost unintentional Bonnie and Clyde vibe to James and Alyssa's story and that instantly appealed to me. Their being on the run is both unexpected and brilliant, especially as it explores so much of their characters. It makes James examine who he thinks he is, and it makes Alyssa discover what she's really made of. Each of these characters has a journey that is shared and an individual one which, for me, added so much to the story.

 

If you enjoy dark comedies that have a surprising amount of heart I recommend spending an evening with this hidden gem of a show. I'll be available for you to unload your feelings to after you've finished.