The Purge has become a massively popular (if dividing) movie series, with sequels, prequels, and now a TV series. The show premiered on September 4th, with Episode 1: “What Is America?”
It hasn’t been hugely well-received by critics, with a score on Rotten Tomatoes of 4.9/10, and a critical consensus: “Bloated and boring, The Purge kills its own fleetingly fun premise and proves that not all stories work better on the small screen.” I can’t say I agree with that AT ALL, and this recap/review will explain why – with *minimum* spoilers.
So, for starters, this was the first episode. It wasn’t ‘boring’, it was setting the series up as first episodes tend to do. Admittedly it’s not an unfamiliar premise, but as with any series, the characters and plot need to be established. We meet:
- Miguel (Gabriel Chavarria), returning from the army to find his sister, Penelope (Jessica Garcia), has disappeared from the rehabilitation centre she was at.
- Jane (Amanda Warren), a work hungry boss-lady, who is evidently hiding something, and has a sick mother in the hospital.
- Jenna (Hannah Emily Anderson) and Rick (Colin Woodell), a married couple who are attending a Purge party, in the hope of receiving funding to build homes for the poor.
- A cult, fronted by Good Leader Tavis (Fiona Dourif), who have a very unusual view of the Purge.
The episode gives the impression that the Purge has been happening for a while. Instead of the divide we see in the movies – stay in and protect yourself and your home, or go out and Purge – people seem more relaxed, referring to the night as a holiday and celebrating it. Jane and her associates are even working on Purge night.
The movies have become very political, particularly The Purge: Election Year (2016) and The First Purge (2018), but it seems like it’s going to be religion over politics in the series. The previously mentioned cult have their view on the Purge, and the party hosts worship and commemorate famous serial killers, naming them as the ones who ‘paved the way’ for the Purge.
While the episode may be quite slow going, it’s not without the trademark shocking, gory horror fans of the franchise adore, as we see a cult member reach a very brutal demise. It happens late into the episode, but that just fills me with the hope that from here on out we’ll see the kind of gruesome bloodshed we’re used to from the movies. My biggest concern here is just how much violence and gore the show will get away with, after other horror shows (i.e The Walking Dead) have faced backlashes for being too gory.
As far as the rest of the season goes, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing these characters’ stories develop. I reckon this ‘story’ will work just as well on the small screen as it does on the big one, and we’ll see the usual Blumhouse horror we’re used to over the next nine weeks.
Come back in November for a full season review, and to see who was right: Rotten Tomatoes or little ol’ me. In the meantime, comment below to let me know your thoughts on the episode!
