Netflix delivers with this new supernaturally themed teenager series. It is fast-paced, well-acted and has a good story line, which bodes well for the upcoming season two. The new series Lockwood & Co. is one of Netflix’s new shows aimed at teenagers. Even though I am no longer a teenager, I actually very much enjoyed this show. It is based on the book series of the same name by Jonathan Stroud (which I did not read) and the first season covers the first two books. The series is about a parallel world that's haunted by ghostly appearances that kill humans. The only people able to see these ghosts are certain teenagers, who are said to be gifted. However, ‘gifted’ might be overselling it, because being gifted generally means you will have to work as a ghost hunter to eradicate these ghosts so that the adults can make some money while you do the work. It turns out that this job is actually quite dangerous.
Our story starts with Lucy Carlyle (Ruby Stokes, Bridgerton), who together with Anthony Lockwood (Cameron Chapman) try to banish a ghost in an older building. Throughout the first episode, we learn how the two met and a bit about Lucy’s background. We also meet George Karim (Ali Hadji-Heshmati, Bad Education), who helps Lockwood by doing background research on the ghosts. At the end of the first episode, some problems arise and the rest of the season is about how they will solve those. So while the first episode might give you the idea of a case-of-the-week system, it is actually not that kind of show.
The show’s strength lies in the story and the acting. Stokes and Chapman work well together and have good chemistry. They deliver their lines with good timing, which adds to the light atmosphere. The show has a good mix between lighthearted jokes and the heavy reality of working in a literal life-and-death field, dealing with great losses. The story is also nice; by condensing the two books into eight episodes, the pace necessarily has to be high.
The show has a good mix between lighthearted jokes and the heavy reality of working in a literal life-and-death field
My main point of critique is that the show feels a bit overdramatic at times. I guess that fits with being a teenager, as every setback can feel like the end of the world, but at times it is a bit tiring to watch. Other than that, the story really caught my attention and I wanted to watch more.
I did not feel like I missed out on much not having read the books, but it might be the case that there are Easter eggs that I am unaware of. I can imagine that world-building is more elaborate in the books. In the show, you sometimes have to learn about the world and the characters as you watch the show. Some of the ways the ghosts work exactly are still somewhat unclear to me. Nonetheless, the show is easy to follow even if you are unfamiliar with the books, as I was.
Long story short, I can definitely recommend this show. It might be a teenage drama (and yes, they often behave like reckless teenagers), but it is not in a too annoying way. Season 2 has been announced and I am very much looking forward to it. I hope they can keep this up.
About the writer, Nienke de Boode
She started with watching NCIS, CSI and Bones, but over time her passion for TV shows has grown to what it is today, with dozens of shows that need to be watched. You can always wake her up for a good crime show, but she is also open to different things. Comedy and fantasy are on her list of favourites as well. Since October 2014, she also writes for MySeries to combine her love for TV shows and writing.
Nice review! I thought this was a surprisingly good series, although I went into it with low expectations. This is Cameron Chapman (Lockwood)'s first role, but you can't tell from it! And this series is aimed more at families and young teenagers, but as an adult woman I found the ghosts quite creepy hahaha.
I have not been a teenager for a long time, but I also really appreciate this series. Your review is quite similar to what I wrote in the comments of this series a while ago. So I can only agree :-)
