There are some works of fiction that simply feel as though they were personally constructed in a lab for one’s own enjoyment, possessing all of the genre trappings necessary to ensure that the brain’s pleasure center is firing at its utmost potential. Before entering into my first watch-through of Apple TV+’s upcoming series The Essex Serpent, my instincts were that its premise was perfectly suited to my personal interests. Not only am I always somewhat drawn to the period drama as a general rule, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued based on the names that were attached. Given that I’m not personally familiar with the book by Sarah Perry on which the series is based, I can only judge the final small-screen product, adapted by Anna Symon and directed by Clio Barnard, on its own merits — and fortunately, The Essex Serpent delivers in just about every facet. From performances by Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes that are infused with a delicious note of inward yearning that slowly displays itself on the outside to the fog-blanketed marshes of the Essex village in which the bulk of the story is set, the resulting product is an atmospheric, Gothic romance that doesn’t retreat from indulging in its overall foreboding while it ultimately looks toward the possibility of an optimistic ending.
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Author: Carly Lane