Some decades ago, in this alternate version of our world, hauntings began to plague England en masse. Encounters with these manifestations are dangerous: The touch of ghosts is deadly.
The living had a tough time adapting to this situation at first. As it turns out, adults are unable to see, hear or feel ghosts directly. Some kids and teenagers can though. In consequence agencies were founded, where young people are trained and send forth to fight and contain apparations. Some of these agencies turned into big, prestigious businesses and anti ghost protection has grown into an industry of its own.
"Lockwood & Co" follows the adventures of a small, newly found Agency, consiting only of the three teenagers Anthony Lockwood, George Karim and Lucy. Carlyle and no grown up oversight.
As a fan of the book series this show is based on, I really hoped it would be done right and feared it wouldn't be. My fears were mostly unfounded so far.
The Story
The first season covers about the story of the first two books and -in comparison to other film versions- stays pretty close to the original material. As it is a captivating mystery story with great inter-character-dynmics that's a great decision.
There were some changes though, which -in the greater scheme of things- are probably not important, but felt off. Why had the ghostly monks to be turned into "devil worshippers"? It took away a lot of believeability from that tidbid of background story.
Another aspect I noticed, is how early the overarching mystery -what's really behind all those hauntings- was hinted at and pushed forward, where the books were more reluctant to go there in the beginning, which I found preferable. The "there is a conspircacy" is a bit too on the nose right in the first episode,
The Acting
All around good choices were made here. The young actors are capable of carrying their roles, The supporting cast also seems pretty much spot on.
The Sets
This is probably where the biggest problems are. The haunted locations from the books were basically characters of their own. The way certain places, ie. The interiors where chosen, build, styled, lighted and filmed is a bit of a let down. There is a lack of sense for the layout of these places, Which gives away, that the the "same place" was filmed in several different locations. It doesn't help with the immersion or building tension.
The Stunts & Action
Another weak point of the production: Fencing is a central martial art in the books and proper fencing has a certain look to it, which you won't find here. There's often a lack of grit and intent to the combat scenes, instead there's lots of fancy spins and worn out fighting tropes.
The Music
The producers have opted for a modern score, which is again a suboptimal choice imho., as it does not help with the immersion either.
Summary
With a strong story, likeable characters and a good cast this show is off to a good start. I feel a bit more money could have been spent on sets and cinematography as well as effort on fight coreography.
It would help the atmosphere and immersion immensely.
The living had a tough time adapting to this situation at first. As it turns out, adults are unable to see, hear or feel ghosts directly. Some kids and teenagers can though. In consequence agencies were founded, where young people are trained and send forth to fight and contain apparations. Some of these agencies turned into big, prestigious businesses and anti ghost protection has grown into an industry of its own.
"Lockwood & Co" follows the adventures of a small, newly found Agency, consiting only of the three teenagers Anthony Lockwood, George Karim and Lucy. Carlyle and no grown up oversight.
As a fan of the book series this show is based on, I really hoped it would be done right and feared it wouldn't be. My fears were mostly unfounded so far.
The Story
The first season covers about the story of the first two books and -in comparison to other film versions- stays pretty close to the original material. As it is a captivating mystery story with great inter-character-dynmics that's a great decision.
There were some changes though, which -in the greater scheme of things- are probably not important, but felt off. Why had the ghostly monks to be turned into "devil worshippers"? It took away a lot of believeability from that tidbid of background story.
Another aspect I noticed, is how early the overarching mystery -what's really behind all those hauntings- was hinted at and pushed forward, where the books were more reluctant to go there in the beginning, which I found preferable. The "there is a conspircacy" is a bit too on the nose right in the first episode,
The Acting
All around good choices were made here. The young actors are capable of carrying their roles, The supporting cast also seems pretty much spot on.
The Sets
This is probably where the biggest problems are. The haunted locations from the books were basically characters of their own. The way certain places, ie. The interiors where chosen, build, styled, lighted and filmed is a bit of a let down. There is a lack of sense for the layout of these places, Which gives away, that the the "same place" was filmed in several different locations. It doesn't help with the immersion or building tension.
The Stunts & Action
Another weak point of the production: Fencing is a central martial art in the books and proper fencing has a certain look to it, which you won't find here. There's often a lack of grit and intent to the combat scenes, instead there's lots of fancy spins and worn out fighting tropes.
The Music
The producers have opted for a modern score, which is again a suboptimal choice imho., as it does not help with the immersion either.
Summary
With a strong story, likeable characters and a good cast this show is off to a good start. I feel a bit more money could have been spent on sets and cinematography as well as effort on fight coreography.
It would help the atmosphere and immersion immensely.
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