This series started of slow and awkward in a way that I may not have gotten past episode 2 if I hadn't heard so much about it from people like Christopher Nolan and if it wasn't co-made by Nathan Fielder whose "The Relationship" series was amazing.
As I pushed through I was drawn into the underlying emotional tone of the show with its bent psychological undercurrent. It was only near the end that I started to realise that instead of a traditional storyline there was something less tangible that the show was hooking us to subconsciously. The three main characters were flawed to say the least but they were likeable and relatable/recognisable enough to make us like them, at least a little. Then towards the end they each snap at certain points and their true selves are revealed for brief moments. Those scenes were insidious and somehow too real even while seemingly so heightened, this is the person you liked! Then just like real life, such explosions are so hard to process that they are soon forgotten and people move on, even though that memory is always there and forever changes their relationships.
The performances were fantastic and although many actors weren't professional, they were used in a natural way which was probably a result of Fielder's history of pseudo-reality half-and-half type shows. Emma Stone had a complex role in 'Whitney' that was the obvious actorly role that everyone appreciates when they watch it. For all that was required of her with so many complex reactions and changes in her focus mid scene, she managed to avoid overacting - except when that was the part she was playing as tv presenter or obsequious friend. Nathan Fielder's 'Asher' was meant to be wooden and unable to relate to the world as most people seem to - this was nevel labeled in the show. When not on camera and especially when he was with Whitney and Dougie who he's close to, he was capable of giving a very nuanced and measured performance but I think he will be seen by many as a wooden actor (something Nathan joked about with Stephen Colbert). Benny Safdie plays Dougie and he equals Nathan in this regard even though his character is very different.
The end of the show was of course truly bizarre and unpredictable. Many commenters seem to think it was a cop out, trolling or whatever and that's to be expected. This is where the story not being about all the superficial sub plots that were starting to make more sense by episode 9 after seemingly going nowhere for the first few episodes. The last episode seemed to address the underlying tension that was masterfully crafted throughout the series. Dougies reaction is probably complex, (with his part in releasing Nathan and the backstory of having maybe caused his wife's death) but the fact that he and Whitney were the only people who took the curses seriously, means there's a good chance he feels guilty for having cursed Nathan at the end of episode 6. I think that seeing Whitney's last expression suggests that she may have also cursed him and she isn't so conflicted about it, even though she did seem genuinely distressed for nathan earlier. I don't know what it all means but in spite of how insane it all was the show built the intensity consistently the whole way through and that continued through the last episode, which could have been titled "The McGuffin" rather than "Green Queen". That's perhaps one of the most effective McGuffins I have ever seen.
Review by Jacob PaintBlockedParent2024-02-09T14:10:21Z
This series started of slow and awkward in a way that I may not have gotten past episode 2 if I hadn't heard so much about it from people like Christopher Nolan and if it wasn't co-made by Nathan Fielder whose "The Relationship" series was amazing.
As I pushed through I was drawn into the underlying emotional tone of the show with its bent psychological undercurrent. It was only near the end that I started to realise that instead of a traditional storyline there was something less tangible that the show was hooking us to subconsciously. The three main characters were flawed to say the least but they were likeable and relatable/recognisable enough to make us like them, at least a little. Then towards the end they each snap at certain points and their true selves are revealed for brief moments. Those scenes were insidious and somehow too real even while seemingly so heightened, this is the person you liked! Then just like real life, such explosions are so hard to process that they are soon forgotten and people move on, even though that memory is always there and forever changes their relationships.
The performances were fantastic and although many actors weren't professional, they were used in a natural way which was probably a result of Fielder's history of pseudo-reality half-and-half type shows. Emma Stone had a complex role in 'Whitney' that was the obvious actorly role that everyone appreciates when they watch it. For all that was required of her with so many complex reactions and changes in her focus mid scene, she managed to avoid overacting - except when that was the part she was playing as tv presenter or obsequious friend. Nathan Fielder's 'Asher' was meant to be wooden and unable to relate to the world as most people seem to - this was nevel labeled in the show. When not on camera and especially when he was with Whitney and Dougie who he's close to, he was capable of giving a very nuanced and measured performance but I think he will be seen by many as a wooden actor (something Nathan joked about with Stephen Colbert). Benny Safdie plays Dougie and he equals Nathan in this regard even though his character is very different.
The end of the show was of course truly bizarre and unpredictable. Many commenters seem to think it was a cop out, trolling or whatever and that's to be expected. This is where the story not being about all the superficial sub plots that were starting to make more sense by episode 9 after seemingly going nowhere for the first few episodes. The last episode seemed to address the underlying tension that was masterfully crafted throughout the series. Dougies reaction is probably complex, (with his part in releasing Nathan and the backstory of having maybe caused his wife's death) but the fact that he and Whitney were the only people who took the curses seriously, means there's a good chance he feels guilty for having cursed Nathan at the end of episode 6. I think that seeing Whitney's last expression suggests that she may have also cursed him and she isn't so conflicted about it, even though she did seem genuinely distressed for nathan earlier. I don't know what it all means but in spite of how insane it all was the show built the intensity consistently the whole way through and that continued through the last episode, which could have been titled "The McGuffin" rather than "Green Queen". That's perhaps one of the most effective McGuffins I have ever seen.