Created by Haley Z. Boston (and, flaws aside, a big improvement on her broad Netflix horror noir Brand New Cherry Flavor), Something is notable for being executive producers the Duffer brothers’ first new series in the decade since Stranger Things debuted. But don’t be fooled by their involvement; this is not a family show. It is, rather, a show about family—and specifically marriage. What makes two people soulmates, if such a phenomenon even exists? How do parents or siblings or household lore about love influence our romantic relationships? How can you really know, by the time you exchange vows, that you’ve found your person? These could have been rich ideas to explore through horror, if only the show didn’t take so long to raise the questions and then hide its lack of insightful answers behind a dozen mostly predictable twists.
An eerie wedding opens the premiere. As a beautiful, palpably anxious bride, Camila Morrone’s Rachel, walks down the aisle to her adoring groom, Nicky (Adam DiMarco), the sound of labored breathing nearly drowns out the music. There are point-of-view shots filtered through the gauze of Rachel’s veil. A montage of the couple’s past flashes by. We note the slightest hint of hesitation. Ominous vibes aside, it’s all pretty typical wedding stuff. Cut to a wolflike creature stalking darkened hallways, empty except for a wide stream of blood, to a chorus of screams.
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