Between Season 1 Overview: Quarantined Kiddies

"Between" is another original offering from Netflix. It joins the prestigious ranks of "House of Cards", "Sense8", "Orange Is The New Black", "Narcos", "Marco Polo", "Hemlock Grove". "Daredevil", and "Grace and Frankie" (just to name a few). Unlike the other binge-able series, the six episodes of "Between" were released one at a time. Why the different approach? I'm not sure. "Between" is also an import from our neighbors to the north. It seems like everything I watch these days is either from the UK or Canada.

In the town of Pretty Lake (populate 8243), all the adults over the age of 21 are dying. The town in under "quarantine" (which is just a fancy way of saying the residents will be killed if they leave). Hmm, people trapped in a town. Does this sound a bit like "The Dome"?

We meet the large cast of characters. Adam, a hacker type, tries to figure out what's causing the deaths. During all the chaos, minister's daughter Wiley gives birth to a baby. No one knows who the father is. There's also a guy in prison (Mark) who is frantically trying to get out (and a mysterious guard who seems to be over 21 who's trying to keep him in). Ronnie is a local drug dealer/sleezeball.

Chuck (the captain of the hockey team) and Amanda (who has Down syndrome). are looking for sister Lana. She has apparently been murdered. Gord (a farmer's son) plans to leave and join the Army (but his plans are thwarted by the virus). Luckily he's still there for his sister Frances. Ms Symonds (a teacher) becomes increasingly worried when she's about to turn 22. Nevermind, she's dead. At some point an amish girl (Hannah) shows up out of the blue.

There's lots of discussions. The kids are instructed by the authorities to burn the dead. Then they start trying everything the adults previously did. One gets run over by a child-driven car. A few try to maintain law and order. Two kids attempt an escape by plane (one has a ruptured appendix and needs medical attention) but are shot out of the sky.

The mystery of Lana is solved. She was actually Ronnie's drug supplier and comitted suicide. Pat (Ronnie and Tracie's brother) accidentally runs over Amanda and kills her. Wiley is in the car with him. They panic and leave Amanda in the street. Melissa (Wiey's sister) finds her.

The quarantine has been in effect for some 21 days. Adam goes to the prison in search of Art Carey (who he believes has something to do with the outbreak). Ellen (the guard) confesses she was working with Art. She almost kills Adam but he is rescued by his father. Ellen is killed.

Here's where the things get a little cray cray. Adam's daddy says there's a tunnel they can escape through. The military plans to exterminate all 1000 kids left in town. There is NO CURE for the virus. And as quickly as Daddy arrives, he kicks the bucket (with the usual red blood squirting out his mouth).

Chuck wants to shoot Pat for killing Amanda. Wiley jumps in the way (with the baby). That's not very safe. She finally breaks down and say that Chuck's father is the father of Jason. Say what?

The authorities arrive to "vaccinate" (ie KILL) everyone. All the kids are taken to the prison. There Adam again encounters his father (who faked his previous death). He purposefully created the virus from his own DNA. That's why only he and Adam are immune. Everyone else in the town is a carrier and must not be allowed to live (or it could be the end of mankind). The virus was created as a way to control the population.

The guys finally overpower the guards but Pat dies in the process. The others manage to fend off the soldiers but it's too late for the kids who were already vaccinated. Gord finds Franny (who was next in line).

Adam ends up killing his father to try to save the others. Melissa, Wiley and baby Jason are transported in a van to the prison. It catches fire and Melissa dies. Wiley finds Adam sitting next to his father's body. He says others will be back to try to kill them. His plan is to escape through the tunnel. And end season.

Grade: 3 Monsters (out of 5). "Between" might appeal to the young adult (YA) crowd but it wasnt what I had hoped for. I suppose I wanted the kiddies to go all "Lord Of the Flies" on each other. Instead, the story we're left with is pretty "meh". None of the characters draw me in. I'm not invested in whether they survive or not. And am I the only person that has a hard time telling all these pretty teenagers apart? Many of them look the same to me.

After watching the show, "Between" is an apt title. The show is not excellent but it's also not completely horrible either. "Between" has been renewed for a season 2 (but I probably won't watch it). This is definitely not one of NetFlix's best offerings.