Forever

After watching the first half of the first episode, I thought I must stop as it did not really speak to me. But I kept watching and after finishing the third episode I was very intrigued, in a good way, and couldn't stop anymore. Forever is a (beautifully shot) meditation on life and relationships, in a not very conventional way. Especially one certain scene (no spoilers here, but it's in one of the last episodes) is so beautiful, I could watch it on repeat for the rest of my life.

I went into this show without knowing anything about it, and thats the way to do this. The series was haunting and beautiful also soul crushing in all the best ways. If you came to this show expecting comedy or more of the same sitcom crap then you will find nothing of value in it. But if you value character development and a deep meaningful story this should be right up your alley. You may notice that the negative reviews are typically posted by people who mix up then and than so disregard them. Take a peek for yourself.

This is definitely not everyone's cup of tea. In order to understand this fully you have to be an appreciative existentialist. I read a few critic reviews remark that the theme is centered around relationships and marriage but I think you can read much more into it than that. It's about the big essential choices we have in life and perhaps after. Do we choose to accept what is around us for the sake of comfort and security? Or do we sacrifice security in search for deeper meaning... for more? How far are we willing to go to see what's beyond the horizon? Would you take from another? Would you leave behind something or someone you treasure? One moral I could concisely derive from this series is that every time you make a choice to be brave your life will change and even if it seems like the result might be for the worse at first it will always move you forward. It seems like it could take many turns if the series moves forward. Will it become about good v evil like Dante's inferno? We are talking about the after life here and I love the ominous appearance of "the traveler" (Peter Weller.) Or will it veer more to the full circle type journey like that of The Odyssey or The Alchemist. It might go over many peoples heads but I loved this series. I could go on and on discussing the thought provoking themes throughout the series and I thought it was beautiful executed by Maya Rudolf as well as Fred Armisen. I also love that while the story is cohesive, each episode has its own moral and thematic questions and everything is tied together so nicely that, while I would love to see where they might take it, the season altogether stands on its own.

Its not the riot of laughs you would expect from the cast list but its still good. More of cerebral type comedy that makes you question your life/happiness while still having bits of lightheartedness . Episode 6 was really something : melancholic and touching. Im not done with the whole season yet but i wanted to leave a review while it was still fresh.

This series started out, as the previous reviewer highlighted, as quite slow-moving, and yes, I can see how that could turn off viewers, and even myself, who are used to much more fast-paced shows and series. But I think that reviewer did this show a disservice in dismissing it out of hand due to the slower pace.

The premise is all sorts of fun and each episode builds on the last (with the exception of that seemingly non-sequitur but still compelling episode 3/4ths of the way in, which I am assuming will be tied in at some point). I am only halfway through episode 7, with only one more to go, and I honestly could not imagine abandoning the series at this point. The plot keeps thickening and I find myself intrigued and entertained. What more could one want?

I think this show is a bit of a gem and worth getting stuck into.