‘Kaos’ Hilariously Reimagines Greek Gods as Modern Day Tragedies of Vanity and Vice

Alci Rengifo

What if the gods of ancient Greek myth were not only real but capable of undergoing midlife crises in our world? That is the premise of Netflix’s “Kaos,” an edgy and hilariously dry take on deities we all know. Showrunner Charlie Covell of “The End of the F**king World” is looking at the gods of Olympus with a certifiably English approach. Aside from the precise visual style, it has that British sense of humor brimming with irony and satire. It isn’t without richness, understanding with modern eyes how the ancients believed in these beings as a way to comprehend life itself. With this approach, it makes total sense that in the 21st century Zeus would be a bored billionaire.

The setting is an alternative world where pantheism still exists. There are places named Troytown and everyone is aware of the Olympic gods, who can roam among the people. Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) lives plush in Mount Olympus, working on his target practice, freaking out over some Trojans desecrating a new monument in his honor, and panicking over the appearance of a wrinkle. Is this a sign of an apocalyptic prophecy? Prometheus (Stephen Dillane) certainly hopes so. Once a friend of Zeus, he is now chained to a rock where his liver gets pecked out every day by an eagle (surely, you remember the tale). His co-conspirators are some humans down on Earth, especially among the oppressed Trojans. Meanwhile, Eurydice aka Riddy (Aurora Perrineau) is planning to break up with rock star Orpheus (Killian Scott). She is suddenly killed in a car wreck and finds herself on a boat going down the river Styx towards the underworld. Determined to get her back, Orpheus goes on a quest with the debauched god Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan).

“Kaos” avoids becoming a cheesy gimmick or a cliché fantasy series. Instead, it makes the ethos of Greek mythology relatable and even moving at times. All the lust and violence are still here. When Hera (Janet McTeer) catches Zeus trying to impregnate yet another young lover, the latter’s fate is brutal (as well as that of the baby). The Furies are also around to unleash vengeance, as a leather-clad biker gang. Cassandra (Billie Piper), the tragic prophetess of the Trojan War, wanders the streets deranged out of being ignored for so long. The underworld is imagined as a land of the dead where you’re still expected to take on chores and be under the thumb of Medusa (Debi Mazar), here imagined as the supervisor from hell. Hades (David Thewlis) is imagined like the stressed out manager of a corporation. That’s just the tip of what Riddy and her new friend, Caneus (Misia Butler) discover in this black and white afterlife. 

A bit lighter than other shows about deities, like “American Gods,” this series still has fun with its very premise. Dionysus basks in shocking Orpheus with the careless joy of being a god who can recklessly drive without any fear. Poseidon (Cliff Curtis) can appear in your bathtub to make sure Zeus’ commands are not ignored. Don’t be surprised that in Hades, you can have a three-headed dog for a pet. All these Easter eggs for classicists fuel the overall story well. Goldblum’s Zeus grows into an increasingly paranoid tyrant, demanding harsh punishments for the Trojans simply because those pesky mortals tend to misbehave. A monument in Krete is unveiled with excrement graffiti shouting, “Fuck the Gods,” which sets the Olympian off even more. Good side stories are nestled inside the bigger one, like Ariadne (Leila Farzad) learning about the corrupt ways of her father, Minos, at times appealing to his heart to have mercy on prisoners of war. Do you really need to guess what Daedalus (Mat Fraser) is apparently feeding in a vast labyrinth beneath a palace? 

Nearly every key persona of ancient Greek myth is given a contemporary new take. Like the actual stories, these gods are promiscuous (and nonbinary in their sexual pursuits), envious, cruel and tragically vain. Bringing them to our own age makes total sense. When Zeus sits down to a cigar-smoking Poseidon, plotting to crush the plebs, it doesn’t seem so fantastical when you realize it is how the powerful operate every day. The elites control the environment and countless fates in their hands. An episode ends with some pardoned Trojans hung after all in a public square and nobody being able to do anything about it. That is how things went in the ancient world and how they go now. “Kaos” has a lot of good laughs, delivered by an expert cast, yet it ultimately works because its barbarians are totally relatable.

“Kaos” season one begins streaming Aug. 29 on Netflix.