THE NEVERS Season One
Victorians’ Secrets
UK Sky Atlantic, streaming now Director Joss Whedon
Cast Laura Donnelly, Ann Skelly,
Ben Chaplin, Olivia Williams
The Nevers was created by Joss Whedon, who also wrote and/or directed several episodes. Before a single one aired, he handed the second half of the Covid-interrupted season over to new showrunner Philippa Goslett, citing exhaustion.
His timing was… interesting. Whedon has been accused of bullying (on Justice League) and misogyny (a pregnant Charisma Carpenter’s treatment on Angel). Consequently, it’s hard to watch these first six episodes without thinking of their controversial creator, despite HBO doing its best to erase him from publicity.
But this is Whedon’s world – and by god, can you tell. The Nevers follows a group of Victorian women (and a few men) who develop mutant abilities: X-men in corsets, if you will. Whedon once wrote X-men, so this is familiar ground for both him and us. But the Whedon work this mimics most is Firefly, because every main character has a counterpart on the Serenity. Ann Skelly’s adorable Penance is Kaylee; Tom Riley’s bumbling Augustus is Simon; Amy Manson’s insane Maladie is River.
Even the dialogue is similarly quirky (“Fuck a drumstick, he’s ugly!”). This means there’s also an undercurrent of sexism thanks to a “whore” character – didn’t anybody learn anything from the furore surrounding Inara? But that’s not all on the sexism front: there’s also some cynical queerbaiting between the female leads and way too many boobs, often so in-your-face you could put an eye out on a nipple. Whedon’s gone nudity-mad, tearing clothes off his female stars while showing us only cursory amounts of male flesh to balance things out. Apparently HBO also learnt nothing from the Game Of
Thrones “too many tits” backlash. But this is a review of two halves – because despite all of the above, The Nevers is still a show worth watching. There’s a reason, after all, that Firefly is so beloved: the casting was terrific, and it’s terrific here, too. Within just one episode you’re already in love with the ragtag group of “touched” girls led by the formidable Amalia True (Laura Donnelly). You’re invested in the hunt for killer maniac Maladie; you’re intrigued by Ben Chaplin’s complicated copper; you’re repulsed by Pip Torrens as a toff baddie. Every actor is perfect.
As for the plot, it’s full of steampunk flourishes, daring detours and twists that smack you in the mouth, all too spoilery to even hint at here. And finally, there’s the action: fights are scrappy, gritty and – in the case of one bust-up in a lake – eyepoppingly original.
The Nevers is, to quote another Victorian, the best of times and the worst of times. Its very existence is forever tainted by its creator, and it may lose viewers thanks to that association. But it’s also a blast and more bonkers than River Tam on a bad day. Jayne Nelson
Locations used included the historic dockyard (now a museum) in Chatham, and Fort Amherst in Medway.
Whedon’s gone nudity-mad, tearing clothes off his female stars