This isn't so much a review, as a bit of advice to all those who've given up on Hemlock Grove: patience!
Whatever you're expecting from Hemlock Grove, you're probably wrong. This is a show that dares to go its own way. A show that delights in blowing away your expectations. It's not about what you think it's about - even after you think you KNOW what it's about.
As I write this, I'm about halfway through the second season. And I still haven't entirely made up my mind about Hemlock Grove. I'm less sure than ever that I know what it's 'really' about. But I no longer care. It's a devious, twisted, brain-scrambling ride, and I'm on board right to the end.
Here's the right way to watch this show. Enjoy the weird atmosphere. The spooky, expressionist visual style. The kinky, off-beat characters. The bizarre plot twists. Don't try to pigeonhole any of it - even when (especially toward the end of the first season), you may be tempted to do so.
And above all, don't give up. This really is a very good show. Good in ways that other shows don't even attempt. Hemlock Grove is the Netflix paradigm truly paying off - a show that doesn't expect you to wait a week between episodes, that doesn't need to sell breakfast cereal or feminine hygiene products, that doesn't have to satisfy either censors or audience preconceptions.
Hemlock Grove is definitely not a show for everyone. But you'll never know if it's a show for YOU unless you stick with it, much longer than you would with most shows you're 'just not quite sure about.' If you still feel no spark after finishing the first season, okay, go watch something else. But you may be surprised to find you've fallen under its demented spell.
Whatever you're expecting from Hemlock Grove, you're probably wrong. This is a show that dares to go its own way. A show that delights in blowing away your expectations. It's not about what you think it's about - even after you think you KNOW what it's about.
As I write this, I'm about halfway through the second season. And I still haven't entirely made up my mind about Hemlock Grove. I'm less sure than ever that I know what it's 'really' about. But I no longer care. It's a devious, twisted, brain-scrambling ride, and I'm on board right to the end.
Here's the right way to watch this show. Enjoy the weird atmosphere. The spooky, expressionist visual style. The kinky, off-beat characters. The bizarre plot twists. Don't try to pigeonhole any of it - even when (especially toward the end of the first season), you may be tempted to do so.
And above all, don't give up. This really is a very good show. Good in ways that other shows don't even attempt. Hemlock Grove is the Netflix paradigm truly paying off - a show that doesn't expect you to wait a week between episodes, that doesn't need to sell breakfast cereal or feminine hygiene products, that doesn't have to satisfy either censors or audience preconceptions.
Hemlock Grove is definitely not a show for everyone. But you'll never know if it's a show for YOU unless you stick with it, much longer than you would with most shows you're 'just not quite sure about.' If you still feel no spark after finishing the first season, okay, go watch something else. But you may be surprised to find you've fallen under its demented spell.