New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
‘The Irregulars’ makes for eerie teen drama
The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes has appeared time and time again in various mediums, but typically when he’s featured in a tale, his skills of deduction take up the spotlight. That isn’t the case in Netflix’s new series “The Irregulars.”
The teen drama is a blend of Sherlock Holmes, the supernatural and a generous heap of teen angst. If anything, it could be argued that a Sherlock Holmes novel, occult objects and a “Runaways” comic book were tossed into the narrative blender to create this series.
Set in Victorian London, “The Irregulars” follows a group of teens living together and trying to survive the mean city streets. As poor orphans, people pay the teens little mind, until John Watson takes notice of the kids and reaches out to their leader Bea to help him investigate a case about stolen infants. Bea and her ragtag team of misfits initially take the job, thinking it will be easy money to help Watson track down a girl — until they begin to notice some strange and supernatural forces are afoot.
While Bea and her friends try to figure out what they’ve become involved with, Bea unknowingly befriends England’s prince. The two strike up an easy flirtation, as he joins her friends in solving the strange mysteries around London.
While Bea grows to distrust Watson, she continues to work for him because she thinks he knows more than he’s letting on about the weird occurrences in the city, and she believes he knows something about the strange dreams that plague her sister Jessie.
As London is increasingly struck by paranormal events, Bea and her friends might be the only ones who can save the city from total destruction.
“The Irregulars” is a tad gruesome at times, as the teens track down strange crimes and murders that involve the removal of teeth, organs and even faces. The series also touches on the abuse the children suffered while living in a workhouse and drug addiction.
The series depicts Holmes in a less traditional light, as the series gives more screen time to his associate Watson then audiences are accustomed to. However, the plot primarily focuses around Bea and her close knit group of pals.
“The Irregulars” is rated TV-14 and has one season available on Netflix. Viewers interested in more eerie or occult tales might also be interested in “Penny Dreadful.” The series is available for streaming on Netflix and blends the tales of Frankenstein and Dorian Gray together to create