The Big Picture
Eric
takes on a range of heavy topics, from race to addiction, with a quirky twist involving a giant talking puppet.- The series showcases Benedict Cumberbatch's captivating performance as a troubled puppeteer in 1980s New York.
- Despite its ambitious storytelling,
Eric
struggles to fully delve into its multitude of themes, leading to a somewhat convoluted viewing experience.
Last month, a little series called Baby Reindeer was released on Netflix. Richard Gadd’s semi-autobiographical dark comedy delved into deep, dark topics, and it was far from a pleasant viewing experience, yet managed to be engaging and watchable all the same. The new Benedict Cumberbatch-led series Eric shares a lot of the same DNA as Baby Reindeer, having a boldness to cover ever-relevant but weighty themes, almost as if it's stacking them on top of one another.
A series centering around a missing child is nothing new; after all, that’s how Stranger Things started. But add in issues of race, police corruption, homelessness, the AIDS epidemic, and addiction, and throw in a giant talking puppet, and that’s how you get Eric. Abi Morgan’s series is a lot to take in, and its quirky selling point of a star like Cumberbatch teaming up with a giant monster puppet is likely going to turn some heads.
Eric (2024)
A compelling drama that follows Vincent, a father tormented by the disappearance of his young son, Edgar, in 1980s New York City. As Vincent delves into the chaotic urban landscape to find his boy, he becomes increasingly dependent on Eric, a puppet he created, to cope with his despair. Eric transforms from a mere puppet into a significant presence in Vincent's life, helping him navigate the complexities of his emotions and the challenges he faces.
- Cast
- Benedict Cumberbatch , Gaby Hoffman , Jeff Hephner , McKinley Belcher III , Amy Louise Pemberton , Donald Sage Mackay , Erika Soto , John Doman
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Abi Morgan
What Is ‘Eric’ About?
Set in 1980s New York, the audience is introduced to Vincent (Cumberbatch), a narcissistic, troubled, yet wildly talented puppeteer who is the co-creator of the popular kids' series Good Day Sunshine. Vincent’s marriage to Cassie (Gaby Hoffmann) is crumbling fast, and the couple’s precocious nine-year-old son Edgar (Ivan Morris Howe) constantly seeks refuge from his parents' fighting.
One particular morning, Edgar, sick of waiting on his bickering parents, decides to walk himself to school. Vincent’s lifelong struggles with mental illness reach their peak upon learning that Edgar has gone missing. While police detective Michael Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III) searches for the missing child, Vincent believes the only way to find his son is by bringing his drawings of a furry blue and white monster named Eric to life on Good Day Sunshine. As days pass, Vincent's severe alcoholism begins to cost him in both his personal and professional lives. He also begins to hallucinate Eric, and his conversations with the foul-mouthed monster baffle everyone around him.
Michael begins to theorize whether Edgar’s disappearance has anything to do with the disappearance of a young Black teen, eleven months prior, whose mother (Adepero Oduye) has been waging a one-woman war on the NYPD and their failure to find her son. The series also dives into Michael’s personal life, his closeted sexuality, and his relationship with his boyfriend (Mark Gillis), who is dying of AIDS.
‘Eric’ Has Too Many Ideas Going On At Once
Eric’s pilot, to put it simply, is excellent.The series opens with footage of Vincent being interviewed by the news, pleading for Edgar to “just come home.” The series then flashes forward 48 hours earlier, where we find Edgar happily visiting his father on the set of Good Day Sunshine. However, in the first 15 minutes of the pilot, Vincent's cracks begin to show, through complaints about the network wanting changes to the series, as well as his constant berating of his wife Cassie. The only time we see Vincent in a better light outside of performing is when he tries to bond with his son by quietly mocking other passengers on a subway train.The rest of the pilot plays out as Vincent’s sanity spirals further and further.
After that introduction, Eric's remaining five episodes introduce more and more conflicts. The series begins to feel convoluted as Vincent and Cassie’s search for their son becomes lost amid a vast array of ideas. Eric attempts to tackle several real-world issues head-on, and while it is an admirable effort, the series also plays out as a slow burn, making the viewing experience less than pleasant. The series eventually tries to connect all of these overarching storylines, but it comes to a point where Eric's efforts to cover topics of race and sexuality are rendered half-baked.
The mystery behind Edgar's disappearance is always captivating, especially how it ties into Vincent's inner psychology. We begin to learn more about Vincent's upbringing and his estranged relationship with his wealthy parents, as well as his battles with mental illness. At a certain point in the series, Vincent begins to have less screen time than everyone else, and his scenes mainly resort to him having conversations with the giant Eric puppet that he is hallucinating. The feeling of dread and misery never fully disappears, but that doesn't stop the show's tone from often feeling misguided. Is the audience supposed to be laughing at Vincent bickering with Eric? Are they supposed to be concerned? Eric never fully commits to its concept enough for us to know either way.
Benedict Cumberbatch and the Cast Elevate 'Eric'
Cumberbatch's performance, as the increasingly aloof Vincent, is never not fascinating to watch.From The Power of the Dog to Sherlock and even Doctor Strange, he's not your typical A-list performer, as he rarely ever repeats himself on screen, and each of his characters feels distinct from one another. Cumberbatch fully commits to the role, and despite Vincent's narcissistic tendencies, can invoke the viewer's sympathy for the character. Although Vincent is constantly pushing everyone else away, there's a humanity and an understanding in Cumberbatch's acting that makes the character work. It's hard to just hate him outright.
Belcher, as Detective Michael Ledroit, is another major standout in the series. The character is far more than just your typical detective role, and while it could have been easy for Michael's sexuality and personal life to fall victim to tired tropes and outdated perspectives, that's not the case here. Belcher's restrained acting is the perfect foil to Cumberbatch's more lively performance, acting as the true eyes and ears of the audience. Hoffmann's role as Cassie is also excellent, as she inhabits a character that could have run the risk of feeling more one-dimensional but instead succeeds in being fleshed out and raw.
On paper, it's easy to see why Netflix would greenlight a series like Eric. It has a mystery to keep the audience hooked, a recognizable name headlining the series, and the creative hook of being set in the world of puppetry. The series starts out feeling like a thriller set in the grimy streets of New York City. It's hard to know who to trust. That kind of dread escalates slowly throughout the series, but once Eric has reached its resolution, the story suddenly feels a bit too clean. It's spent all this time trying to set up parallel storylines of racism and police corruption, but by the end, it attempts to tie everything up with a little bow. The execution almost feels too easy, especially compared to the dire tone in the first five hours. While there are a lot of individual aspects that are easy to admire, the series is a bit of a mess as a whole, a collection of ideas crammed into six hour-long episodes that Eric tries to wrap up too neatly by the final scene.
Eric (2024)
REVIEW
Netlfix's Eric has an intriguing hook, a committed cast, and an excellent set-up, but its central mystery often becomes lost in the series' sea of ideas.
- Benedict Cumberbatch is fantastic in the lead role as a father who is losing his grip on reality.
- The pilot episode expertly sets up the stakes of the series without becoming too overwhelming.
- The series is too ambitious for its own good, and never fully explores all of its ideas.
- The slow-burn nature of the show can be too plodding.
All six episodes of Eric premiere on Netflix on Thursday, May 30.
Watch on Netflix
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