NOC Review: Peacock's 'Teacup' is a Satisfying Sci-Fi Streaming ...
I honestly did not have this on my bingo card, but Peacock’s new sci-fi series, Teacup, from executive producer James Wan and Ian McCulloch is actually quite a lovely surprise for this Halloween season!
Anchored by a strong mystery and terrific performances, this is a show that has the potential to be, not just a cult hit, but if it finds the right audience, potentially the next Stranger Things.
Based on the novel Stinger by Robert McCammon, Teacup follows a group of people in a rural town in Georgia. In the midst of private dramas occurring within their families, unforeseen unusual Apocalyptic circumstances descend on them, trapping them within a small section of their town. If they try to leave, there are gory and brutally fatal results. Together they must all team up to try and find a way to get help if they hope to survive.
TEACUP — “You Don’t Know What It Means To Win” Episode 106 — Pictured: Chaske Spencer as Ruben Shanley — (Photo by: Mark Hill/PEACOCK)The less you know about Teacup, the better. I found myself completely drawn in by the mystery. And the show is well paced enough that you never find yourself waiting for answers or restless for them to progress. Showrunner McCulloch and his team of terrific writers keep you compelled with every reveal, and nothing ever ends up underwhelming. They also manage to strike a good balance between revealing just enough and holding back some answers for future seasons. Not an easy feat. As far as the answers we do get, things end up building up in an intriguing way, with every new clue making the situation more interesting and the stakes even higher.
The characters are also written well enough to be likable and flawed. Yvonne Strahovski is, as always, amazing and badass as always. She is incredibly tough, and she never makes any decisions you wouldn’t make yourself. In fact, she ends up having to make some of the harder decisions as the season comes to a close. But given how intelligent and logical the character comes off, it’s incredibly believable. Strahovski finds the perfect balance between pragmatic and yet vulnerable.
TEACUP — “Think About the Bubbles” Episode 101 — Pictured: (l-r) Caleb Dolden as Arlo Chenoweth, Yvonne Strahovski as Maggie Chenoweth — (Photo by: Daniel McFadden/PEACOCK)The supporting cast including the multi-talented Chaske Spencer and Scott Speedman both give complex and strong performances as well. But I do wish they developed their characters a bit more. What we do get from Spencer’s character is great, and enhanced by his abilities. But mostly he just comes off angry and desperate. I wanted to see the character do more, given how good he is.
The show, however, is easily stolen by a couple of amazing performances: Caleb Dolden, Émilie Bierre, and Rob Morgan. Morgan plays the terrific McNab — a man with the paranoia of Fox Mulder, and the readiness of Ron Swanson. Bierre plays Meryl, who displays shades of Natalia Dyer’s Nancy Wheeler from Stranger Things. And most of all, Dolden, playing Arlo, is the show’s incredible breakout performer. As Arlo, Dolden has the ability to play two roles and does so with more skill than most older than him are capable of. When showcasing the “Arlo” persona, he’s innocent and caring. However, as the “Harbinger” persona, he’s emotionless and calculating. And it’s so impressive for any actor, let alone one his age.
The fun thing about Teacup, honestly, is how twisted it all gets. The direction keeps the tone of the series incredibly tense and urgent. And the decision to keep the duration of the season to a short period of time, both narratively and each episode’s runtime, also helps with removing any dependencies on filler episodes. All information is essential. All revelations progress the stories or the characters. The characters don’t stall or spin plates before improving their situations. Furthermore the central conflict of the series is just a fascinating one, especially when “Assassin” and “Harbinger” come into the picture.
At the end of the day, Peacock has a show that has the potential to smartly tap into Stranger Things audience’s desires for smart and thrilling supernatural storytelling. While it’s never quite as compelling as Stranger Things, it’s still gripping to say the least. The quick pacing coupled with the intriguing revelations, along with a strong cast led by Strahovski and Dolden, keep things so amazingly entertaining.
Definitely worth a watch!
Overall Score: B
