Was it a swoon-worthy series to watch?
Since its release in May 2025, there have been many conflicting reviews about this glamorous production. Although the conflict is mostly limited to its ending rather than the content itself, there are still cynics like me who have failed to comprehend the charms of this series.
Netflix has not left any stone unturned in terms of production value, bringing to life the story of a wealthy socialite and her charmed circle. She is portrayed as a magnet who attracts all the mighty and worthy toward her to do her bidding. Like a siren, she is also beckoning from an island, and people are falling for her charm like unmoored ships in the high seas.
Unsurprisingly, there is an entire battalion of staff, servants, and assistants ready to catch her every word. But she is unpopular among the staff, which has less to do with the erstwhile Mrs. Kell and more with her unpleasant behavior. With their help, she manages to rule her island estate akin to a toxic dictator controlling a fiefdom. Still, Simone is won over by her mystical appeal and managed to carve a special place as her right-hand woman.
Like most of her ardent supporters, Simone came to the island as a washed-up nobody who had gone through so much of hardships early in her life and was looking for a safe harbour. So, Michaela gets a free rein to mould Simone as per her preferences and to follow the same authoritative template to assert overreaching authority over her life, similar to the Kell household.
That is the reason why Simone has altered her behavior dramatically to align herself with Michaela’s expectations and demands for perfection. This dramatic and unexpected transformation of Simone should give us an idea about the progress of this story as a whole and where this series is headed in general. So, it’s unsurprising that Simone decides to choose the island over her family.
She conveys this decision in a heart-to-heart conversation to her older sister, Devon. This dashes all the hopes conjured by Devon as her sole purpose of coming to the island was to convince her sister to return home and offer much-needed support to shoulder parental care.
And this sisterly chat is the most brilliant part of this otherwise mediocre series. Devon is hoping against hope that her sister will turn homeward to take care of their ailing father and will also retrace her steps in her professional life. However, Simone makes it ample clear by uttering the unpleasant truth as well as by her behavior that she is no longer the little girl who required to be cared and protected by Devon. She has moved past that time in her life and doesn’t want to be schooled by Devon about the sacrifices made.
This goose mère silk bond between sisters, Simone and Devon, which stretches to limits without losing its tenacity, becomes the highlight of the entire series. It defines the final decision taken by both sisters as they are moving apart, literally and figuratively.
And that’s the gist of this entire series. Besides the shifting narrative and changing family dynamics, both guided by sheer manipulation and money, there is hardly any substantial element to this series. Still, what makes this series worthwhile for one-time viewing is assembled cast.
Julianne Moore manages to make an impression with her portrayal of Michaela “Kiki” Kell, adding refinement to a two-dimensional character. Kevin Bacon playing Peter Kell is the one who suddenly gives a three-dimensional depth to his role of a silver-tongued and opportunistic wealthy man. Then there is Jose, played by Felix Solis, whose mask slips from time to time as he tries to save his skin by tactfully keeping his mouth close. But this limited series belongs to Milly Alcock and Meghann Fahy who bring to life the complex and intertwined DeWitt sisters with their nuanced portrayal of Simone and Devon, respectively. Although Simone transforms from the second best to the lead character in the most dramatic fashion, and Milly Alcock perfectly connects all the dots from her troubled childhood to her ultimate metamorphosis as the queen bee. But this story belongs to Meghann Fahy, depicting Devon who has a soft spot for her baby sister, which is often tinged with a guilty conscious and genuine concern for her wellbeing. For such accomplished talents, at least, you have to give this series a time in your day. Enjoy binge watching!!