During quarantine I’ve come to realize that I resonate with a lot of different TV shows and movies. I found myself binge watching anything I could find, but I became so invested in some shows that I felt especially connected to the characters. One of those shows is the Netflix original series, “The Society.”
“The Society” is loosely based on the novel, “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, but if you haven’t read the book, do not stress. Basically, a group of high school students are sent off by their school and parents on a field trip via school bus. When the bus “arrives” at their so-called destination — they are right back at school where they started. However, this time around there is nobody to greet them. There are no teachers or parents.
After a lot of stress and unanswered phone calls to their parents, the teenagers realize they need to step it up and get past the point of crying and worrying. Of course, people react to these types of situations in entirely different ways. For example, some people take it as a mini vacation — partying, drinking, and taking as much junk food from the grocery store as possible. Others are worried that life may never be the same, so they stay inside and hide from the world. However, there are a few students who are willing to step up to the plate and form a — sort of —democracy. Without rules and regulations set into place, how could anything be completed or changed here?
There are certainly mysterious aspects to the show, such as the fact that everything is the same as before just with no adult figures. Electricity? Check. Water? Check. Cell service? Yep, but only with the other stranded students.
This show is an interesting and important piece of work, as it draws attention to so many modern societal problems. It’s a good example of how we still need to overcome our differences if we want to succeed as a democracy. Throughout the show, the main characters clash because their personalities are all so different. Since there are technically “no rules” made yet, some of the characters believe there will be no punishment for their actions, but it’s later revealed that this is not the case. There are also romantic relationships that form as a result of their isolation from others, and the show dives into the hard truth about toxicity in those relationships, especially at such a young age. It’s easy to see aspects of yourself in each character, which is why I enjoyed watching this show so much.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 is to blame for the cancellation of the next season. This is heartbreaking, considering season one ended on a huge cliffhanger. As I watched this show throughout quarantine, I realized that the best time for there to be a second season would be soon because of its potential relevance to the pandemic. We are in a time of struggle and many of us have to fend for our own health and safety right now. “The Society” reflects all of those struggles in one way or another.
Victoria Tustin is a Collegian Correspondent and can be reached at [email protected].
