Netflix Summary:
When everyone else mysteriously vanishes from their wealthy town, the teen residents of West Ham must forge their own society to survive.
FYA Summary:
When the high school students of West Ham, Connecticut, return from an aborted field trip, they find that everyone else in their town has disappeared without a trace. With all routes out of town blocked, and no communication with the outside world, the teens must establish their own society or risk lawlessness, running out of their limited resources, and possibly never finding out what’s happened to them so they can reunite with their families.
Familiar Faces:
Kathryn Newton as Allie
Kathryn Newton is fantastic on Big Little Lies, as Reese Witherspoon’s oldest daughter. She also plays one of my favorite reoccurring characters on Supernatural, and would have been stellar in their Wayward Daughters spinoff, if that had been picked up. As Allie, she spends a lot of time in her sister’s shadow, until she’s thrust into the reluctant role of leader. That reluctance doesn’t last long.
Jacques Colimon as Will
Will is Allie’s second-in-command, and one of the few kids in town who hasn’t grown up rich and spoiled. He develops feelings for Allie, but given the precarious nature of New Ham government, Will’s loyalty to Allie may end up putting him in danger.
Sean Berdy as Sam
Berdy is probably best known for his previous role on Switched At Birth. Sam is deaf, and has a horrifying older brother, but is super supportive of his best friend Becca and develops a romance that is a huge part of the show’s appeal.
Jack Mulhern as Grizz
This is Mulhern’s first big break and I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. Grizz is the best character on the show, the best person in New Ham, and if anything bad happens to him, the internet will riot.
Toby Wallace as Campbell
Campbell is Sam’s older brother, and a manipulative psychopath and a generally menacing presence that gives me the heebie jeebies.
Alex Fitzalan as Harry
Pretty rich boy, Harry is not prepared to pull his weight in the new world order, and is very susceptible to the influence of the wrong kind of people.
Kristine Froseth as Kelly
Kelly seems kind of waifish and bland at first, and dating Harry wins her no points in my book, but when the need for medical help arises, Kelly faces the challenge head-on and shows her major badass side. Forseth will be playing Alaska Young in the Looking for Alaska series.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Live Together Or Die Alone
Creating a new society poses an insane amount of questions about ethics and humanity. I suggest watching with someone who’s comfortable with pausing the TV every 15 minutes so you can each discuss what you’d do in a similar situation. Related: I am super fun to watch TV with.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Finite Resources
If you lived in New Ham, you’d fall into one of two camps, those who believe in rationing goods, so that everyone gets their fair share, which prolongs their survival. Or, you believe what’s yours is yours and might as well smoke ‘em while you got ‘em. If you’re in the second camp, you definitely get more booze. I mean, how else would you play The Society drinking game with rules I crowdsourced from Twitter?
The Official FYA The Society Drinking Game
Take a drink whenever:
- Grizz quotes something.
- Someone explains something sciency.
- You want to slap Harry.
- Kelly is awesome.
- Someone needs to make-out.
Take a shot whenever:
- You want to murder a teenager.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Renewable
Part classic Lord of the Flies scenario, part CW teen show, The Society is an addictive thriller, and sometimes incredibly disturbing. Given the premise, this show could easily have gone the bonkers Riverdale route, but I appreciate that the characters look and mostly behave like regular teenagers. This is not always a good thing, but it’s always interesting to watch.
If you’re looking for your next binge to be full of power struggles, backstabbing and strategizing, and maybe even a little hope, join us in New Ham.
