Nine Perfect Strangers - my thoughts so far

My watching experience of this show is VERY different to my regular kind. Not only am I very new to Prime original/exclusive content, but I am very rarely someone that watches a show where a new episode is released weekly - I am much more of a binge-watcher than a wait-in-suspense-for-next-week watcher. That being said, it appears so far that I am a much bigger fan of the show than the rest of the general public. There are, of course, some elements I'm not so much of a fan of, but in general I am thoroughly enjoying the series.

Let's start with what I do like about the show, and obviously I have to start with the cast, which I think has been brilliantly done. I am not a Nicole Kidman lover, often because her American accent is very much still an Australian one, but in this show I luckily avoid this cringe-inducing experience by means of her Russian accent, which, though I am sure is probably not the best, is pretty good to a layman. In fact, it probably helps that I find her quite irksome, as she plays a very irksome, seemingly unnecessarily mysterious and controlling character very well.

Then we obviously have to talk about Melissa McCarthy - what a woman!!!!! I have loved her as a comedic actress every since Gilmore Girls, but seeing her show a more serious side is so interesting, and really speaks for how talented she is as an actress. I am so intrigued by her character, but she also has this strong element of feeling relatable, which I feel the casting of McCarthy has a big part to play in. There is so much more I could say about all the talented actors in this series, and seeing Jason from The Good Place in a role of intelligence and peace is really cool to see, however I'll not go into any more specifics as I could talk about this for the whole review. Essentially, top-notch casting and also very nice to see some faces that I personally do not recognise. Also a very Australian heavy cast which I absolutely love (I used to be a big home and away fan).

Casting aside, I genuinely find the storyline and the way it is told very compelling. I think it is very clever that it is not actually 9 individuals; the family and relationship element is very eye-opening and makes the dynamic between characters very interesting. While, to be honest, I am awfully confused half the time, I am undoubtedly hooked - I want to find out all about each character's story: how did they find out about Tranquilum? How can they afford it? Who, if anybody, is waiting for them at home? What was their breaking point before entering the retreat? So many questions, and it genuinely feels like we are beginning to find the answers to most of them, which is what has gripped me to tune back in every week.

I don't know if in places like America retreats like tranquilum truly do exist, but to me the concept is so far away from me and my understanding, which gives it a sort of fantasy vibe which I really enjoy. It gives me the same sort of feel as American Horror story, one of my all time favourite shows, in that a lot of the characters feel very real but there is this overarching sense of fantasy and being such a distant reality, so watching it gives you the escapism that the show seems to be all about.

If we're talking things I don't like, it is genuinely very limited. Nicole Kidman's character is extremely annoying and there is no ounce of me that likes or sympathises with her, however I can tell that this is intentional. Often an annoying main character puts me off a show, but when it seems a purposeful trait then it sits okay with me, and this is what is occurring in nine perfect strangers. Like I said, I am much more of a binge-watcher so having to wait between episodes isn't ideal for me, and seems kind of mismatched to the nature of the show, but again, it hasn't been enough of an issue to put me off continuing to watch. I can understand people finding it slightly boring perhaps in terms of the script or the unnecessary cinematic scenes, however I feel the talent of the acting elevates this and brings a loudness and impact to it which I definitely appreciate.

So, so far, I am thoroughly enjoying Nine Perfect Strangers. Granted, I could not tell you what genre it is, what I predict is going to happen or exactly what is going on, which probably isn't the best sign, but in terms of enjoyment factor, the talent of acting and casting decisions, I really cannot complain so far.