Bodem - Season 1

I don't dare say what exactly 'having your life in order' means, but this certainly isn't it. Bodem (rock bottom) is about (not) continuing with your life after a major loss. In this new series by Eva Crutzen (Klikbeet) we get a glimpse into the life of Cat, a woman in her thirties who is having a hard time. It soon becomes clear that she suffered a serious loss a few years ago, although it is not yet entirely clear what. However, as the season progresses, some more details will emerge. In any case, what is immediately clear is that Cat is not dealing with this loss well. Not at all. She tries to suppress her sadness with parties, alcohol, drugs and sex. She struggles to hold down her job and her relationship with her family is nothing to write home about. She does have a good friend, Jana (Meral Polat), who helps her a bit. But it soon turns out that she is pregnant and will therefore have to stop the partying lifestyle that the two led. But Cat continues.

This season is actually mainly about how Cat slowly descends into madness. This makes it difficult to watch the series at times: you suffer from second-hand embarrassment and Cat's series of stupid decisions doesn't seem to end. However, the series remains entertaining due to its absurdist humor. From Cat's special daydreams, to her insane family, to influencer Bliksem (Nils Verkooijen, Zwarte Tulp), to the increasingly ridiculous situations in which Cat finds herself. There is humour in it. In terms of atmosphere, the series is to a certain extent comparable to Fleabag.



These light-hearted and absurd moments are always imbued with Cat's pain and sadness, which Crutzen knows how to convey fantastically. It is not surprising that she won a Gouden Kalf (Golden Calf - Dutch version of TV Awards) for best leading role in a drama series for her work in this series. She is clearly the star of the series.

Crutzen delivers a fantastic Cat

All in all, as an actress and producer, Crutzen knows how to create a strong story in less than six hours of viewing time. Bodem is definitely recommended. The biggest criticism? Sometimes it's just too painful to watch and sometimes just a little too absurd. But it's still easy to overlook that.

In the meantime, it has been announced that there will be a second season. I'm curious to see if they can maintain the level of the first season. In itself, this season finale would also have been a nice ending. I am looking forward to it. Will Cat learn to deal with her pain better in the next season?