the end of the f***ing world as we know it...and i feel fine

I'm not sure why I started watching The End of the F***ing World on Netflix. Certainly the provocative title was part of the decision-making process. Also, I vaguely recalled seeing trailers for it a few years ago and thinking it looked like it had promise -- though I didn't actually remember what was in the trailer. And, I was kind of bored looking for something to watch.

TEotFW is not like the other serial dramas I recently bingewatched. The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and Boardwalk Empire were all "adult" shows about grownups in grownup situations. TEotFW is about teenagers being teenagers. They are extremely issue-laden -- even for teenagers, and their decision-making lacks the thoughtfulness that comes with adulthood. As with the protagonists in all my favorite shows, they're flawed. Very flawed. I wasn't sure I'd like it. Actually, I was guessing I wouldn't like it. But I was curious. And bored. And it was billed as a comedy. A good laugh is always a good thing.

In the event, the show was dark and depressing. And utterly compelling. As the first episode ended, I was wondering if it was over already? I had to find out what happened next. I'm still not sure where the comedy comes in. Though there are occasional tension-breaking comedic moments, it's not what I would call a comedy. Those comedic moments are of the type where you kind of chuckle and then say "Oh, was that one of the funny bits?" Much more British in its approach than American -- which, I guess, makes sense since it's a British show.

Few productions have such brilliantly-curated soundtracks. I kept noting how perfectly the songs complemented the story.

And, while we're at it, Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden are very well cast as James and Alyssa. Both are quite effective at portraying the teenage awkwardness that's so vital to the roles. And Lawther especially has the difficult task of portraying a dead-to-the-world blank slate at the beginning, and then slowly blooming and coming into his own. I remember seeing him in "Shut Up and Dance" which is one of the better (and more disturbing) episodes of Black Mirror. And I remember noting that he nailed that role as well.

Interestingly, the show only had two seasons of eight episodes each. The episodes are generally being between 20 and 25 minutes long, so each season is about the length of a long movie. So these are perfect for bingeing.

When I watched the trailer I learned that the show was based on a graphic novel. Since I can appreciate a good graphic novel -- my favorites are RASL, The Sculptor and Watchmen -- I was looking into buying this one. But the reviews made me think twice. If you are reading this and have read the graphic novel, please let me know what you thought of it.