Netflix’s Elves season 1 episode 1 recap: Aarmand Island

The series/season premiere of the Dutch Netflix series Elves begins in a gated compound of some kind. An armed man, Møller (Rasmus Hammerich), shows up in his truck, then takes a cow through a field into the forest where the livestock gets attacked by something unknown, but with an appetite. This scene, a bit reminiscent of Jurassic Park‘s opening, lets us know what it’s in store for the rest of Elves season 1. The question is, for whom?

Well, we meet some likely candidates soon enough, with young Josefine (Sonja Steen) and her family preparing for a little holiday trip. Things don’t seem perfect between them, as Josefine is admonished by her mom Charlotte (Lila Nobel) for playing with a dog she doesn’t know. The family travels on a ferry to a remote location, then asks strangers for directions to Skovvangen. They are warned to stay on the coastal road along the way, but will they listen? Of course not!

Elves season 1 episode 1 recap: Elves and auto accidents

With kids fighting in the backseat, the distracted-driving father Mads (Peder Thomas Pedersen) accidentally hits something, and it appears to have left a tar stain on the fender. Of course, any savvy viewer will know already that elves are likely in store, but Josefine isn’t as well-informed, so she tracks down the tar trail into the nearby grass. That is when Møller shows up urging them to leave, saying it’s a private road, being noticeably agitated, though he does calm down.

Charlotte asks for directions, receives some, and is advised to take the coastal road next time. Josefine asks him what’s behind the fence, but he does not answer. They dismiss him as a grouchy country bumpkin-type and leave. Predictably, the son of the bunch, Kasper (Milo Campanale), is annoyed that there is no Wi-Fi when they arrive at the cabin. As Kasper is sort of an annoying character, it seems he’s at a disadvantage as far as potential horror survival is concerned (Elves is ostensibly a fantasy tale with horror elements).

Elves season 1 episode 1 recap: The cabin and beyond.

Elves doesn’t turn the heat up too much right away, as their cabin does have electricity, suggesting they’re not 100% off the grid. However, Josefine sets out exploring around outside, where she finds a barn and fulfills the duty of the truth-seeker who unveils trouble. Still, we might understand Josefine’s motivation; she’s upset that they’re ignoring whatever animal they must have hit. Also, as a curious mind, she wants to explore the private road they were shooed away from so hastily.

A bit later, Kasper sees a girl he likes, Liv (Vivelill Søgaard Holm), and decides to go shopping to meet her. Meanwhile, Charlotte introduces herself to a local named Karen (Ann Eleonora Jørgensen). That conversation quickly and curtly shifts to Karen warning her to stay on the coastal road. However, things really take off later that night after Josefine refuses to join her family in the dining room of their touristy cabin.

Elves season 1 episode 1 recap: She just has to disobey, doesn’t she?

Curious like a cat, Josefine has to disobey her parents and go out exploring with her bike, even at night (or perhaps especially at night). Though she takes a flashlight, she is still obviously going to get in some trouble one way or another. She reaches the metal fence she was warned against approaching earlier, and outside in the grass, she finds a wounded little creature. It appears to be what her family vehicle hit earlier. Josefine caringly wraps it in her blanket and scoops it up but hears noises and stirring sounds that scare her away.

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