Ok, I get it! Disenchantment is hard to watch!

Yes, that’s right the long-awaited Matt Groening series is not an easy watch. From the moment the camera first rotates around the strobing 2D rendered 3D castle we know we are in for something a little odd. However, I had an uneasy feeling that it was not in a good way.
Now, this is a hard thing for me to say because I know members of the crew and they are amazingly talented. Before you start with the torches and pitchforks, let me try and explain where I am going with this. Trust me I am not throwing stones here.
The characters feel thin and their relationships built on throwaway gags. I mean my heavily formatted brain finds it hard to accept the practical use of a devil tempting someone who is already corrupted and loving it. Alternatively, a bad boy Elf that is pretty middle of the road in the big bad world. It’s hard to generate conflict when everyone is lost.
“Great I have to wear this crazy veil and pretend I am a virgin” — Bean
Then there is the Dad who lacks any redeeming features; even Homer was likeable despite trying to strangle his son regularly. The Mother and Step-Mother are complicated but ultimately offer no guidance for Bean in her search for self.
In fact of the mechanical breadcrumbs that are typically there to help us, the viewer, are nowhere to be found. Maybe that’s the point. Perhaps it’s not meant to be easy to watch? Perhaps the creative team were trying something new with this one. Something that deliberately plays out over the full season. After watching all the episodes, the show stuck with me and I still feel a connection to Bean and her pals. I wonder what will happen next and if she will ever find her place in this crazy world. Unlike something like BoJack where I can dip in and out, but I tend to stop caring about anyone after a few episodes.
Maybe Matt Groening and his team had a vision that aimed to break the traditional storytelling codes. Like creating the main character without clearly defining her goals. Bean is still figuring out who she is which makes her pretty darn relatable for most of us. That combined with the fact that it feels like one story building throughout the first season creates a different viewing experience. The standard cliffhanger every episode is just not part of this show. It was this format change that got me thinking about the show in the context of its environment. In my experience with NETFLIX, on F is for Family, they give the creative teams free rein to develop an artistic vision, and that can go as far as episode length and format. You couldn’t do this on traditional broadcasting platforms, well for now at least.
Are we seeing a format change that is driven by the way viewers use the platform? What if we considered these types of shows as growth experiments for the platform. Short runs where you get to test format, tone and structure on a DTC platform. That is a pretty tantalising prospect for the creative class and promises more exciting content coming from Netflix and Co.
So yes it’s hard to watch but I for one enjoyed the fresh take on this type of show. If you can stop your brain from pulling you back into unhealthy comparison, which is hard to do with Matt Groening’s distinctive style, it’s worth a binge watch. It is exciting to see creatives trying new blends of character and storytelling structure even if it means we have to think a little more.
Finally, before you start judging remember the first season of any show is like a teenager, trying to find its voice, learning from mistakes and not yet fully formed.
Give it a chance, and it might grow into something special.
