‘Eric’ Miniseries Review- Cracks Under Pressure
This show streamed in 2024.
The six-part thriller miniseries Eric was streamed to Netflix. It was created by Abi Morgan and directed by Lucy Forbes.
Vincent (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a troubled television writer who works with puppets. He has a tumultuous relationship with his wife Cassie (Gabby Hoffman), and son, Edgar (Ivan Morris Howe). After a huge fight, Edgar leaves for school without his parents and vanishes off the street. New York Detective Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III) is assigned to the case, but emotions soon flare. Vincent starts to crack from the pressure, relapses into his addictions, and begins seeing a monster called Eric that his son drew. As he searches for his son, conspiracies start to be revealed.
When the show was focused on Vincent, it was a brutal and visceral story of a man who lost his son and has to find him but also begins to unravel because of the horrible circumstances he was in. This portion kept you hooked to the show especially when Eric starts to be personified. As everyone thinks he is crazy, he searches while dealing with the fallout of his personal and professional life.
The acting certainly helps. Cumberbatch, Hoffman, Howe, and Belcher are all excellent actors. They deliver on every level and truly bring their roles to life.
Unfortunately, this is where the praise ends.
The series unfortunately became sluggish with multiple subplots that had nothing to do with Edgar. They tried to tie it in a couple of times but failed. For example, a huge portion of the plot deals with Ledroit’s personal life as a closeted gay man. What this had to do with the story is anyone’s guess, but it felt like it was pandering and not solid character development.
A second subplot followed a second missing boy who vanished near the same area Edgar did. This one leads Ledroit down a conspiracy involving corrupt politicians and cops simply because the kid was black and gay. This plot was a total distraction and had no bearing on the overall plot. It just allowed one of the characters to deliver a cringeworthy “do better” speech.
What they are supposed to “do better” is never clarified, of course. You can tell this was inserted so that the cast and crew could pat themselves on the back and say, “Look at the virtue we are signaling.” Had it actually been connected to Edgar, it would have made more sense, but it did not. It was lazy writing.
Essentially, had they cut out all of the subplots and focused on Vincent trying to redeem himself after the loss of his son, it could have been a solid two-hour thriller or even a two-part miniseries. Instead, the showrunners bogged it down with subplots to lecture the audience in a way only Netflix can do.
Check out the trailer below:
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Violence, Substance abuse, Strong foul language, Sexual content
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, anime, or novel you would like me to review.