The Frankenstein Chronicles: It’s Alive! Or is it?
By Ruby LeRouge
Originally released for British television, The Frankenstein Chronicles (a two-season series), has dropped into Netflix’s new queue for U.S. binge watcher consumption
Part tale of the macabre, part police procedural, part historical drama, this show has a little bit that might appeal to many — though with no fast-paced action, gun fights or chase scenes, it certainly isn’t for everyone.
Mirroring the pages of long-dead poets and the poisoned pen of the late Mary Shelley, The Frankenstein Chronicles takes the long road to reach its climax. Though not just another regurgitation of the classic horror novel, it definitely takes the pacing of the original Frankenstein film to heart.
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Like many of the classic horror stories of that era, it starts on a dark and stormy night, a corpse and a man with a haunted past (played by Sean Bean of Game of Thrones).
Set in 19th century London, Bean plays police officer John Marlott.
Stumbling upon the morbid remains of eight children all patched together as a single corpse, Marlott heads down a rabbit hole of capital crime and church conspiracy. All the while, a turbulent clash between religion and science takes place among parliament.
Marlott’s journey into the seedy underbelly of London leads to questioning the likes of famous poet William Blake and the infamous writer herself, Mary Shelley (played by Anna Maxwell Martin of Bleak House). Shelley harbors a heavy heart and dark secrets, as a copycat killer terrorizes the city.
Netflix’s new thumbs up/thumbs down rating system fails me yet again, with The Frankenstein Chronicles being neither a triumph nor a total fail. On my own one=out-of-five scale though, I’d give the first season a solid 3.5-out-of-5 and the second and final season a shaky 4-out-of-5.
Chock full of mad science, twisted tales of sin and corruption, plenty of gore and a powerful cabal set on world domination, The Frankenstein Chronicles might just suit your fancy come a cloudy day with a nice cup of tea and a biscuit.
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The Frankenstein Chronicles is now available to stream on Netflix, with two six-episode seasons.