‘The Innocents’ is a Creepy, Sci-Fi, Love Story that Sucks You Into the World

The Innocents Cover

*In my best Gordon Ramsey voice* Let’s get one thing right, The Innocents is a love story from start to finish, but it is a love story unlike anything you’ve seen. This highly anticipated British Netflix show about (I consider any Netflix show that gets multiple NYC subway ads, anticipated) a sheltered girl who falls for her classmate. Yes, this tale is set up like all the other stories of young life, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised how drastic their lives change once June stops taking her meds and the decades old truth is revealed.

The Innocents' Cover

The series plays out like a Nordic Tomb Raider meets Save The Last Dance with a sprinkle of Sense 8. Wild description, I know. Our star-crossed lovers are Harry and June who, on the eve of June’s 16th birthday, ditch the super strict life of a Euro teen to go on wild adventures through London looking for a way to find June’s long-lost mother. They encounter Wet Bandit looking creeps who claim to be allies but have an agenda you have to see for yourself to believe.

They stay at a flat filled with junkies and addicts who could be your best friend one day and a scavenger of your personal belongings the next. Then, there’s an occasional dope individual who just wants to help their romance blossom as they embark on a life of their own. They reluctantly embrace the help of a barge of carefree 20 something’s who kick back and smoke joints all day. After some publicly noticed mishaps, Harry and bae eventually encounter a young woman who knows more about June’s predicament than she comes close to imagining, and she winds up being a wildly intricate part of their journey.

All the while, June’s dad and brother are looking for the reckless couple all over the United Kingdom. One thing leads to the next and Harry is left questioning how far he will go after June becomes wrapped up in a mysterious location – a haven if you will – which looms and reminds you that Gina Rodriguez, Bast bless her heart, is the new Carmen San Diego. Guy Pierce portrays a questionable doctor who’s experimental motives are beautifully masked until the shows climactic ending. During all of this commotion, we’re blessed with the harrowing backstory of June’s mother, and the reason she left her family in the first place.

The Innocents properly paces this story and trusts it’s viewers to pick up on context clues to figure out how a certain “ability” is used..or avoided. And that’s as far as we’ll go before I get into spoiler territory. The show also does a great job of allowing you to appreciate these tragic lovers before casting them down into the muck where every day is the battle for love and life. The muck is also what makes this a Netflix original you want to get sucked into until the credits roll on the 8th and final episode. “Out of everyone I’ve ever met, I choose you, June McDaniel,” Harry says, and I bet you’ll be choosing The Innocents once you get done reading.

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  • Ja-Quan is a NYC teacher and artist holding a B.A. in Sociology and History from SUNY New Paltz. On his journey to become Hokage, the Lord of The Speed Force and Protector of the Recaps can be found North of The Wall, chopping it up on Twitter @OGquankinobi

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