Summary
Combining fantasy, horror, ancient legend, and cutting humor seems to be a trend in the entertainment industry lately. A new dark comedy that’s takingNetflixby lightning storm,Kaosis a modern re-telling of Greek and Roman myth and legend with some fantastic twists.
The plot includes several reincarnations of ancient gods, the power of prophecy, and the drama of love and family beneath it all. So far, only the first season is available, but the popularity and star power of those first eight episodes bode well for a second season. In the meantime, there are a few other shows with a similar aesthetic.
6Ragnarok
A Modern Retelling Of The Viking Apocolypse
Norse mythology gets as much love as its Greek and Roman counterparts, so if a fan ofKaosis more in the moodfor snow, ice, and giants,Ragnarokis a nice variation on the same theme. There’s less comedy inRagnarok, but the modern retelling of ancient myth makes it feel the same.
The title of the show,Ragnarok, is taken from the term used for the mythology of the Apocolypse, so we’ve also got a dark prophecy looming over our heads. It takes place in the fictional Norse city of Edda, which the wealthy Jutul family rules from their industrial perch as their factories pollute the water and air. However, the Jutuls are not what they seem. They’re actually giants, typically the villains of mythology, and various gods, including Thor, have been reincarnated to stop them.
5The Sandman
Based On The Neil Gaiman Graphic Novels
The first season ofThe Sandmanmade such an impactthat it was one of the few shows that Netflix guaranteed would have a second season almost immediately. Season 2 is currently in production, delayed by a writer’s strike and COVID, but at this point a 2025 release date is the most likely.
The main characters are also known as The Endless because they’re the immortal embodiment of a variety of gods, spirits, and other ethereal entities. The main character is Dream, who also occasionally goes by his Greek name Morpheus, and he’s joined by his siblings, who include Death, Desire, and several others making seven in total. Other mythical characters that appear include Lucifer and Calliope.
4Blood Of Zeus
Retelling The Ancient Myths
Blood of Zeus uses the ancient mythology of Greece specifically, but the backstory is onlybased loosely on the actual mythsand legends. The main character is a demigod named Heron, and although he was created for the show as a “lost tale” that humanity failed to preserve, his conception, birth, and childhood are based on such myths as Leto and the Swan.
The fight between the gods and giants as to who would control Earth is a part of the old stories, but in this version, the giants are also demons and the climax of season one is when Zeus falls in battle. His son Heron is the one who has to take on the mantle of leadership amid an Olympic civil war, and he has to contend with his evil twin, a demi-demon named Seraphim.
3The Decameron
A Deeply Subversive Medieval Dark Comedy
In medieval Italy, Boccaccio wasn’t just a writer. The Church and the ruling monarchs they allied with considered him to be public enemy number one because of his work, which they had determined was lewd, blasphemous, and even pornographic. The general population, most of which couldn’t even read what he wrote and saw it depicted in street plays and puppet shows, considered enjoying his creations an act of rebellion.
This series is an adaptation of his most infamous work, a collection of short stories also calledThe Decameron,and it’s interesting to see how little life has changed from that dark period in history. No actual gods are involved in these stories unless we count the saints and other Catholic figures which are often based on old pagan deities anyway, but the level of dark humor is very similar.
2Percy Jackson & The Olympians
A Fantasy Series Based On The Books
Percy Jackson is the son of the god Poseidon, which makes this a story of the gods that also stars a “half-blood,” a phenomenon so common in this setting that our hero attends a god-training school called Camp Half-Blood. Other attendees include the demigod children of Ares, Athena, and Hermes, and the counselors and trainers includefamous names like Alecto and Dionysus.
There are plenty of authentic myths included in the script, but they often have a modern Season one told the tale of Percy recovering Zeus thunderbolt and restoring Mount Olympus, and the show got enough love to ensure a second season that includes Kronos as a villain and the quest to find the Golden Fleece.
1Twilight of the Gods
Zack Snyder Meets Norse Mythology
It’s only a few days away from release, and the hype for this animated Norse drama is real. It’s got all of the wide shots and epic takes that are typical of Zack Snyder, plusall of the gore and actionthat’s also a part of his signature style. Snyder is directing the first episode and last episode of the initial season, with directors like Jay Oliva and Andrew Tamandl stepping in for the others.
This is a love story as much as a mortal struggle against the gods. Sigfried saves King Lief from death on the battlefield, but the real drama begins on their wedding night when an interaction with Thor sends them on a quest for vengeance. Loki and Odin also make appearances as the main characters journey to the Underworld and beyond.
