The Boroughs Review: Stranger Things’ Older Cousin

The Duffer-produced The Boroughs shares DNA with Stranger Things, and while you won’t have “the time of your life” with it, its talented cast makes it worthwhile.

Soon, we learn that his wife was the one who wanted them both to move there together, but she died right after signing the contract – which makes Sam not only on his own, but also traumatized, grieving, and in desperate need of some closure. Still, he could have had it worse, as The Boroughs doesn’t exactly look like the worst place he could have ended up. As long as he steers clear of the Manor – the somewhat disquieting special care unit where the eldest, most dementia-ridden residents are housed – he might even have a good life there. Soon, we meet Sam’s friendly neighbor Jack (Bill Pullman), who further reassures him. “The Boroughs is a good place,” he tells him, “We take care of each other.” But we know better, and soon, so does Sam.

What the opening scene of Netflix’s new series revealed to us, before we even get to know our protagonists, is that another woman was living in the house where Sam has just moved to, and died mysteriously after coming face to face with a supernatural entity. “The owl is in the walls,” her husband Edward (Ed Begley Jr., of Strange Darling) had told her, frantically, right before her death, on a video call from the Manor – a sentence he would soon repeat to a similarly oblivious Sam. But our former engineer is stubborn and resourceful, and those two qualities might even help him uncover the mysteries of this seemingly tranquil fictional town.

If the premise sounds intriguing, it’s because it is. With this setup alone, writers-creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim) and the team behind the show had the ingredients for a thought-provoking, compelling series – one that could have developed this concept in original, unexpected ways while also exploring aging, mortality, our attitude toward the elderly, and even the purpose of life itself. Sadly, while The Boroughs delivers suspense and thrills very well in its first half, and is overall an enjoyable series that you’ll want to watch till the end, the show also fails to really delve into its fascinating subject matter.

In fact, if you’ve seen Stranger Things, you’ll probably be able to anticipate a lot of what takes place in the Matt and Ross Duffer-executive produced The Boroughs, as its narrative beats are similar to the point of being nearly identical. Just like in the Duffers’ 2016 series, The Boroughs brings us a potentially deadly otherworldly entity that can make people mysteriously disappear in ways we don’t understand. Someone is always watching, but it isn’t Doctor Martin ‘Papa’ Brenner: it’s the Boroughs’ disquietingly welcoming creator Blaine Shaw (Seth Numrich), who likes to repeat to Sam that “nobody’s ever alone” in his community. Which is not a real town, but there is a sheriff named Hank (Eric Edelstein, of Green Room) who’ll definitely remind you of David Harbour’s Hopper at first glance.

Just like in Stranger Things, the electricity might have a connection to the unexplainable things happening there, and might be even able to convey messages from the ‘other side’. You won’t find any magnets falling off fridges, but there is a thief on the loose who likes shiny things, and literal pieces of a puzzle that may or may not be real occasionally appearing to Sam. And then there are nonsensical words being uttered that suddenly make sense when the actual mystery is solved, groups heading off on quests independently and eventually uniting with others by chance with a common goal, and a main antagonist, and the threat they pose, that won’t be spoiled here but that won’t exactly come as a surprise when everything is revealed.

Don’t get me wrong: Stranger Things was a fantastic show, and even a series set in a different universe but with very similar elements and themes could have made for a fantastic watch. Unfortunately, The Boroughs is also a little thin in terms of storytelling. While the characters all have distinctive traits and personalities that will make you want to follow their journeys, their backstories and motivations aren’t always well-developed. It often feels like their actions serve the story instead of growing naturally out of them, which deprives them of the kind of depth and authenticity that would have made them truly memorable. The story itself is also quite predictable, with heavily foreshadowed events, clichéd dialogue and exposition that hurt immersion, a central theme that’s only explored surface-level, and a final twist that you’ll probably see coming – and that you might not be very interested in further exploring.

Despite all of this, The Boroughs is still worth the watch because it handles certain aspects very well. The first is its approach to tone and production design, which the series establishes brilliantly from the first episode. The atmosphere in the series is always compelling, drawing you into its world and keeping your eyes glued to the screen, with fantastic costumes (Cristina Spiridakis, of The King of Staten Island), set and production design that successfully transport you to the 1970s-80s, making the show wonderfully nostalgic.

The second is a truly exceptional cast giving it their all, who really help make us invested in their characters despite their inconsistent depth. Alfred Molina excels as Sam, sensitively peeling off our protagonist’s many layers until he’s ready to confront his grief, and when he does, Molina gives us one of the most affecting scenes of the series. With Molina, the show’s standouts are Denis O’Hare and Alfre Woodard as Borough residents Wally and Judy. O’Hare is finally given more room to showcase his range as an actor, and his multilayered performance makes Wally one of the most likable, heroic characters in the series. And the always excellent Woodard is flawless here, demanding your attention in every scene with a subtly layered performance that will make you root for her at all times.

The rest of the cast impresses too. Clarke Peters (The Wire) will make you laugh and cry as Art, the resident with the most unpredictable storyline, while Geena Davis (Blink Twice), who clearly had a lot of fun making the show, brings the larger than life Renee to life in compelling ways. Though given less screen time in the show, both Jena Malone and Carlos Miranda get their moment to shine as Sam’s daughter Claire and security guard Paz, and Nancy Daly excels in a role that’s best left undisclosed. As Boroughs creators Blaine and Annelise Shaw, Seth Numrich and Alice Kremelberg do what they can with the material, and even though their characters’ lines and actions are so cliché-ridden and over the top that it’s really hard to take them seriously, they still stand out thanks to their commitment and impressive body acting.

The Boroughs may share DNA with Stranger Things, but it never quite reaches the same level of storytelling and emotional heights. Still, the Netflix show wears its 80s sci-fi influences on its sleeve and remains a compelling watch that will hook you in with a good premise, superb performances, likable characters, impressive tone and technical execution, and a good dose of nostalgia. It may take you on a familiar ride, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it.

The Boroughs is now available to stream globally on Netflix.