Like zombies in a Police Station we’ve been inundated with Resident Evil content recently. The games have found their footing again, with RE Village ranking highly. But there’s a been lot of other media too.
There was that animated series, Infinite Darkness, which was rubbish. Then there was that new film, Welcome to Raccoon City, which was rubbish.
Oh dear. Sensing a pattern here.
Now there’s another series, this time live action, and it’s not rubbish!
Some real talk first though. Most TV is fine. Just fine. There are high and low points of course, but most just serves a purpose of being entertaining in the moment without asking too much. Anyway…let’s get to New Raccoon City.
For a long-time fan of the franchise the first few episodes were confusing. There was also a hell of a lot of being chased. Zombieland’s rule #1 – Cardio – feels especially relevant.
But then it started to click. If I used the games, and in particular RE 1-5, as the backstory for this series, it’s like an alternate timeline. Mostly the same details, but there are some tweaks and it goes off in its own direction. With that in mind, I settled down and enjoyed the rest of the episodes. It probably helped that as things progressed there were more and more callbacks. Things like a typewriter or a horrendously oversized creature can bring joy to an old RE fan.
So I can’t say I disliked this version of Resident Evil. And frankly, after several takes that were slavish and failed, something a bit different is OK. But it’s not perfect.
If it weren’t for Lance Reddick the whole thing would fall apart. He has the presence to convey the harder side of Wesker, but more than enough acting chops to cover the more suburban aspects of the story. The story lurches about, with the split timeline starting off extremely shaky before settling down. There’s zero tension, so whilst I’m a sucker for wanting to know how things tie in together, the post apocalyptic setting doesn’t have Reddick in it so I’m not as fussed about it.
Everyone else is…OK? The story hinges on the Wesker and his kids being at least decent, and they manage that.
It’s hard to get particularly excited or bent out of shape over Resident Evil. The franchise has been through such up and downs already, that something being middling is like a breather. It’s not atrocious like most of the films, but it’s no PS1 classic either. It would be shame not to give the show more time to grow and establish itself in the RE world.
But who knows what Netflix will do.
You’ll see plenty of hyperbole around this series. But it’s mid, and that’s OK.
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