The Rain Season 3 Review: A Great Premise But Fizzled In The End

I was definitely hooked when the Danish series "The Rain" premiered on NetFlix in 2018. What mysterious event caused the extinction of most of earth's population? Given the title, it has something to do with "rain". Brother Rasmus (Lucas Lynggaard Tonnesen) and sister Simone (Alba August) Andersen spend six years alone in a bunker. They then go in search of their father (a scientist whose company Apollon may be tied to this catastrophe). Along the way they encounter other survivors in the desolated landscape. They eventually team up with Martin, Beatrice, Jean, Patrick and Lea. As with most post apocalyptic stories, the people are often more dangerous than whatever else is going on..

In season 2 we learn that Rasmus is the key to a possible vaccine. His suffered from encephalitis as a child (which made him immune to the rain's effects). The news turns bad after their locate their father. Rasmus must die so they can develop a vaccine from his brain and bone marrow. And if that wasn't bad enough, the virus has mutated. Rasmus is now a carrier. When Rasmus gets angry, the virus is expelled from his body as a cloud of black smoke killing everyone in the vicinity.

In the first episode of season 3, Simone throws herself off a bridge to get away from the Apollonians. Martin is obviously very distraught. Is she really dead? Nope, she's one of the main characters. Simone is found by a family living off the grid. They eventually reveal a flower that can fight off he virus.

Erasmus wants to infect all the existing humans with the virus (and works with Sten to test the idea on severly ill patients). Sarah (who was previously dead) is resurrected by his powers. He eventually goes cray cray and assembles an army of infected people to help him go after and kill his sister.

Martin becomes infected. Unable to control the virus, he drinks the last of the flower extract to avoid killing Simone and dies. There's a big show down between Simone's group and Erasmus' followers. In the end Rasmus, Sarah, and his cult die. Left to survive in the new world are Simone, Fie, Patrick, their new baby, Jean and the family that helped Simone.

"The Rain" is the story of two siblings, their devotion to each other and different paths sometimes taken in life. We see a montage of the brother and sister and a voic eover from Simone:

"You’re not here anymore. But you’re everywhere. The rain created you. It saved your life while it killed everyone else. It was evil. You only wished to do good. You never meant to cause trouble. All you wanted was a purpose in life. You never found it. But you found it in death.

I wish I could show you the world of tomorrow. You gave us hope. We’re here thanks to you. And we’re rebuilding the world in your honor. You are in everything that I do, in my every thought. You are forever my sweetheart. I love you.”

Grade: 3 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). "The Rain" aired on Netflix in 2018. It's a fast watch with 6-8 episodes per season. Despite an excellent first season, the show lost it's steam in subsequent episodes. Too much effort was put on the human drama and not enough on the overarching mystery. A good amount of time is spent on people running off only to be recaptured (or return on their own). There seems to be a lot of filler. The original theme of the rain (even one drop) killing people is completely abandoned in season 3. The conflict between Simone and Rasmus takes center stage and is grating the longer it goes on. I needed more from the story to keep me invested. But at least "The Rain" was able come to a conclusion. That's more than can be said for the many shows NetFlix unceremoniously drops.