Netflix released a new show on Wednesday, Sept. 24, titled “Penelope,” — created by Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, starring Megan Stott (“Little Fires Everywhere,” “Just Beyond” and “Yes Day”) as the titular Penelope, who decides to escape the trappings of society in favor of camping out in the woods. This review pertains to the first two episodes of the eight-episode series, which are creatively titled “One” and “Two.”
“One” kicks off the start of the show with Penelope at a silent rave in the woods, colorful headphones flashing as she dances to the beat. She soon spots a coyote at the edge of the party, half-hidden behind a tree. Penelope takes off her headphones, symbolically removing herself from civilization in favor of admiring the coyote. The next day, Penelope hops onto a train headed to anywhere, leaving her family behind.
The first episode of “Penelope” concerns itself with this transition from society to nature. This does, of course, include Penelope purchasing camping gear and nearly panicking when she learns that the store doesn’t accept Apple Pay — a feeling that many people can empathize with, specifically if they’ve ever entered a Walmart. Penelope escapes into the woods where episode two begins, where she struggles with the challenges of surviving off-grid, such as starting a fire to boil water.
For fans of wilderness survival, “Penelope” could become rather appealing. Based on the first two episodes alone, the show does seem to try to follow the rules of the average woodland survivalist. Penelope navigates using the position of the sun and creates a campfire using traditional methods of fire starting, which does make her adventure much more appealing and realistic.
The character of Penelope herself is interesting and fun, but not necessarily exciting. Of course, the first two episodes of the show do not reveal every aspect of her character (including her exact reasons for abandoning society), but nonetheless, Penelope lacks some spice. Without any knowledge of who Penelope is, where she comes from, and what her goals are, it is difficult to fully connect with her. However, it is likely that this will change as the show continues.
The core of “Penelope” is the idea that humanity has an innate connection to nature, clearly displayed through Penelope’s adventures as a solo camper. When Penelope finally makes it to the park where she plans to camp, she immediately takes in the plant life around her, going so far as to hug a tree and tearfully say “Hi, friend.” Penelope isn’t the only one to have this sentiment, however — she meets a pair of campers who, despite having next to no dialogue, clearly have a similar attitude towards nature.
“One” also features a character named Sam (Austin Abrams of “Euphoria” and “Do Revenge”), a solo guitarist/singer who exemplifies what the show appears to truly be about: knowing oneself in favor of a connection with society. Sam lives a simple life, in which he sleeps in a van and plays his music (which he acknowledges the subpar quality of) at a local cafe. When Penelope asks him why he doesn’t share his music through social media instead of relying on word of mouth, Sam simply says that he prefers the human experience of playing at the cafe. “There’s like a, um … like a sharing that’s taking place, you know?” he says. “We’re actually, like, connecting with one another, you know? It’s something tangible.”
This theme of connecting with nature and therefore connecting with others is the driving force of “Penelope.” It’s also a theme of “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, a book about the real-life story of Chris McCandless. After graduating college, McCandless hitchhiked his way across North America in 1992, seeing as much of the nation as he could and meeting all sorts of people — many of whom he kept in contact with through letters and postcards. McCandless eventually made his way to Alaska, where he lived off the land for a few months before passing away. Although Penelope is still a safe distance from civilization and considerably more prepared than McCandless, her story echoes his.
The first two episodes of “Penelope” lack any real action or drama, with the show instead leaning towards a calmer, more grounded feel. Set in the modern day, it also feels very familiar. The show itself is entertaining with a highly appealing premise. Though it isn’t a mystery, it does carry the question of why Penelope decided to abandon society. Fans of high intensity, action-packed television or fans of witty comedies and dramas likely will not gravitate towards “Penelope” and its serene nature, but it still has a lot to make it an enjoyable watch. The first (and so far, only) season of “Penelope” is available to watch on Netflix.
Rating: 4/5