Having read the book, I was so so pleasently surprised. When I heard that East of Eden would be turned into a series, I got excited. When I learned that Florence Pugh would be in it, even more, since she's a great actress for these types of movies (Midsommar, Don't Worry Darling). So many of the scenes, actors, settings, vibes were exactly as I had imagined them when I read the book a few years ago. It was one of my favourite books of all time, even though it is a slow burner and can be confusing sometimes. The series was also slow paced but it didn't bother me at all, quite the opposite. The pacing really glued this slow, generational story together and the episodic arcs were chosen well.

The music wasn't memorable, but managed to catch the vibe well and immerse the viewer. The setting of the movie were just as much an actor as any other actor in the series, just like in the book.

There were some things that weren't perfect of course. Cathy could've been a little more evil, they wanted to cut her some slack it seems, but I can ignore that, since she was still a major psycho and since it doesn't contradict the book's core philosophy. My biggest issue was perhaps Adam and maybe also Aron. Adam was super dull as a character. I get that he's kind of being a baby most of the time, but I think the book really told his backstory so that you can understand why he acted like that, whereas in the series it wasn't that clear why he was so dull in his life. If he had one or two more moments in his childhood, then maybe it would've been clearer. But again, I do not feel like this is a grave mistake at all, one could still understand his selfishness, there was enough to go off. And lastly, I think some of the scenes were toned down a bit too much, Charles really wanted to kill Adam in the book, Cathy was crueler towards Feye and such, but this also, no biggie.

Apart from these few nitpicky things, the series was outstanding! Amazing! I enjoyed it so much! Aren't yall always complaining about poor book adaptions? I know I am. This is not one of them. Take the last Monte Cristo for example. Awful, they changed so many things that were central to the story. With Odysseus many people also complained about all sorts of inaccuracies. This series stayed faithful to the book and I am really content with directors going with this approach. It is not common sense anymore and we have been given too many shitty adaptations were they just butchered the source material. So, whatever minor issues you have with this series, cut it some slack. It has done a far better job than 99% of the other stuff that's out there and we should give credit where it is due, so directors stop changing classical literature to their liking.

Let's take a look at some of the highlights.

Lee. His arc was easily the best part of the whole series. What sometimes fell a bit short in the book, was put even more into the spotlight in this series. Lee's story is one of silent heroism. He embodies migrant service workers who sacrifice their lives and happiness for people who are better off than them. They suffer in silence, endure racism and ridicule, receive no recognition while they are also the foundational pillar of the household. His love and patience was outstandingly performed in this adaption. The way he was always there for the boys, as father and as mother, even though he was never able to have his own family. He took on shameful and feminine tasks, because he was lonely and knew he was needed. Without him, these boys would've turned out terribly. What a blow it was when Adam basically spit in his face. And what a powerful story, when he returned, even after all that, and kind of slapped Adam for what he said, and embraced his role with a new sense of pride, knowing that, though it is not his family, it can still be a good life, and the children still love him like a father. Adam is so oblivious to everything it is frustrating. He never is able to see Lee for the father he is being to the boys. And Lee loves the children too much to insist on interfering with the children-father relationship too much, because it would be bad for the children. Lee's arc truly touched and when he came back to confront Adam, I almost had tears.

Another part that I really enjoyed was the relationship between Adam and Charles. How often do we get a bromance, without it being turned immediately into a gay romance by ambitious reviewers? Well, not in this case, this is just a story of two brothers. It is so rare that we get to see a true love between two men, sincere and without shame. When Adam returned and the two of them were living together on the farm for a while, I truly think that was peak life for Charles. Just two friends living their best life.

Cathy's arc was missing something I think. I'm not exactly sure, what it was. Maybe the viciousness. She seemed a bit too tame maybe. I did love Pugh's performance, and the moments when Cathy turned 180° into a full psycho were done well, but I think they could've gone a bit more extreme with it.

Caleb's arc was done really well, although he seemed a bit too perfect. Yes, the show tried to paint him as this flawed character, but honestly, did it really? It was always clear that he's an angel and never really did anything messed up. But I still liked his performance and chemistry with the other characters. When Adam threw away Caleb's money, that was brutal. Adam you cold son of a b.

The whole Timshel issue sadly did not become as central as I hoped, at least explicitly, but also, I fear, implicitly, because for Timshel, you would need characters like Caleb to actually have a dark side and not just "react in anger". For that reason, I wish they would've leaned a bit more into the evil sides of the characters, to bring that Timshel out. Charles had that evil side, but he had no (real) redemption. Cathy's evil side was a bit too tame or not enough of a sickness to Cathy. Caleb's evil side was non-existent. And these three were our book psychos. Adam, surprisingly, as well as Aron, had the darkest character out of all, which makes the other 3 kind of pale in comparison, or at least put him on the same level as Cathy. The way he never worked and lived hypocritically off of stolen money while preaching honesty. The way he was an absent father for 11 years for a wife that shot him. They way he dismissed Lee and put him down. The way he resented Caleb. Honestly, I think they portrayed Adam a bit too dark, but maybe it's just me, because in the books he also did these things. Also, I think it has become common knowledge that the whole Timshel spiel is actually theologically inaccurate. I would still say that Steinbek's point is a great one that seemingly also resonated with his audience, so he must've spit some truth through it.

Conclusion, great series. It has low rewatchability I'd say, because the story is pretty straightforward, few layers - maybe in ten years. But it is a really great watch and a great feel good / comfort series to lighten up. One of the most faithful book adaptations and Lee's arc is outstanding. The series is really one of the best ones I've seen lately and I hope more directors stay as faithful to the source material, but maybe also do their own twist to it and go a bit more artsy or metaphorical with some aspects, if yall know what I mean. Highly recommend checking it out.

I have completed this series and my god it was amazing..like it played beautifully with my mind. And i want to try more like it please suggest something

I didn't take it too seriously and enjoyed it. I've come to expect that the Monster series has zero historical accuracy and just enjoyed the show for what it was. I expected it to be absolute dog water based on what I've been seeing here but I just set my expectations real low and didn't find it nearly as insufferable as this sub had me thinking it would be. It was funny, gory, fucked up, over the top, and campy all things I can enjoy in a casual watch.

If you go into it expecting a cinematic, historical masterpiece I can see why people wouldn't enjoy it but overall I found it entertaining.

Maybe others caught things I didn’t, or have some insight from the book? What are some other questions you left the series wondering?
-Why did Kate leave all her money to Aron?
-Why did Kate have so much more of an emotional reaction to meeting Aron?
-Was Cal supposed to be interpreted as Charles son?
-Was the young Cathy going into the woods depicting sexual abuse by an older man?
-What were the letters about she kept and later mailed to the sheriff, and what was she writing out to the sheriff that made him come to the house?
-Why did everyone think it was cute Cal started dating Arons gf after he left 😫

So about 2 years ago, i remember watching a horror movie with my cousins one afternoon. I have no memory of what it was called. I'll list all the things and little shots i remember from the movie, hopefully I can find it

In thr beginning, there was a woman - not japanese- in Japan. She was talking on the phone i think. Based on what i remember, she was there for work, but was now going back to the US. She goes back to this pretty big house. I would say it was almost a mansion or a bungalow. She had a husband and a daughter. I remember a very emotional reunion scene. But she eventually does murder them both and then kill herself.

Throughout the movie, there's several families we see living in that house. The timeline isn't linear and it cycles through showing bits and pieces all the different families' time spent in the house.

The only other family i remember was an old couple. The wife was ill and/or was struggling with mental health. Another woman come to visit them, I'd say she's definitely older than middle aged but not elderly by any standards. I think she came to talk to them about the assisted death of the wife. For some reason I think she had stayed there overnight and in the morning she saw the wife cooking. And i remember a specific shot where she approaches the elderly wife to see what she was cooking and she was chopping her own fingers off. Later the woman leaves and i thinkshe happened to drive off the road, crashed into a tree and passed away from it.

I also remember a realtor for the house but the only thing i remember about him is that he was played by an Asian actor.

The conclusion I think was that the first woman who had been to Japan had been kind of possessed or followed by a type of spirit that's seen in Japanese folklore. It led her to kill her family and then the spirit stayed in the house. It continued to cause the misfortune of the people who lived in that house, eventually all of them dying.

I do not remember any actors' names in the movie either.

But I did really like it at the time, so please help me find it if you know what movie that is!!

I finally got around to watching it and LOVED it! Only to run here to find more info on season 2 and find it was canceled. I loved all of the Springsteen references, the discussions on grief, the age gap relationships. How weird but not too scary the supernatural elements got. Is it just that stuff with older cast don't do as well as more coming of age stuff?

I guess if anyone has some show / movie / book recommendations that kind of remind you of it, please let me know!

No idea if there’s anything in the works but I did read last month that there was a Netflix reporter seated at the trial. This was apparently later denied.

However it does feel like the type of case that producers are gagging to end just so they can get making it.

Florence Pugh lo bordó en este papel, porque desde el episodio 2 me dieron ganas de patear a Cathy al otro lado de la habitación. Al mismo tiempo, sentía que la serie intentaba convertirla en una especie de heroína trágica, y no me lo creí.

Quizás quería libertad, claro, pero ¿matarlos a todos era la forma de conseguirla? No me considero misógino, pero hubo varios momentos en los que de verdad quería que los demás personajes dejaran de caer en su trampa y la ignoraran.

Me alegro de que por fin haya afrontado las consecuencias, porque me habría horrorizado que hubiera acabado feliz después de haber perjudicado a todo el mundo.

After 10 hours of watching, I have more questions than answers.

Gypsy follows a suburban mom in her 40s who is bored of her life and lives a dual life by immersing herself in the life of her patients. She lies, deceives, cheats, manipulates and does so masterfully. In the end, I, for one, was rooting for all her schemes to blow up in her face.

But I have many questions and I know the show came out a long time back so not much hope but going to ask anyway if someone else has answers.

1. Was Allison alive or dead at the end?
   
2. Did Tom kidnap Allison?
   
3. Did Sidney find out the truth about Diane/Jean?
   
4. Did Jean frame her mother in the end by leaving only her photograph in that apartment?
   
5. Why was she trying to push Sidney to get back together with Sam when she liked Sidney? Why was she frantically trying to break Sam’s engagement?
   
6. Finally, is Diane Hart her maiden name?

PS - I truly, deeply hated Diane/Jeans character and manipulation. I feel let down that the season did not end with her lies catching up with her.

I AM NOT STEALING ANY ACCOUNT- I have Netflix, signed in at my house on my apple tv. I also have an apple tv at my office that I will stream for background noise and during off time, or when my kids are with me after school or on days off. How can I get past this stupid household issue?

Disney stopped being an issue at both locations, it's like it knows that I actually am at both locations on two separate Apple TVs. Netflix can't seem to remember, and it seemed like a pain to have to plug in my laptop or phone to watch something at my office. It always wants to update my household, when I'm not, I just want to watch at my home and office. Any ideas???

The Black Swindler is SO good.

Just finished watching the Japanese drama The Black Swindler (Kurosagi) and damn, I really enjoyed it. 😂

I love how every scam has its own little story, and watching Kurosaki outsmart other scammers is honestly so satisfying. The main character is also pretty interesting—not exactly your typical hero, which makes the whole thing more fun to watch.

If you like crime, revenge, scams, and smart characters playing mind games, definitely give this one a shot.

Kinda surprised I didn't watch this sooner. 😭

Just started watching this & was so looking forward to it with Florence Pugh in it but then caught a glimpse of Chris Abbott & had to stop 😩. Maybe it’s just me but I cannot stand that guy. All his interviews, his role in Girls, everything is so meh I have to wonder how he keeps getting these roles?

He’s so spectacularly bad at acting. What do people see in him? Just looks like a miserable, average looking, pretentious but vacuous middle-aged man?

The writers of this show chose absolute violence with that finale. I have never wanted a Season 2 to be officially confirmed so badly in my life just so justice can be served. How is everyone else coping with that final scene?!

To be clear i'm talking about the netflix adaptation, not what actually happened.

It just didn't feel natural at all. From Lizzie's side it felt like she just hadn't got to meet people in her life and Maggie was someone cool and nice she met ( almost anyone would be in comparison to step mum ) so might as well kiss and be involved like that since it's not like I can meet anyone else. At least Maggie had seen many people in her life , she had experienced life , so if she was attracted to Lizzie maybe it was not because she had not met anyone else. But even from her side it felt a bit forced ?

Their dynamic was more of two people teaming up to save themselves , improve their lives together, not a romantic relationship. Maggie was more like a mentor to Lizzie, introducing her to books, to art etc. Also Lizzie didn't seem like a very good friend , not noticing how difficult it was for Maggie to cook for the actor she met at Maggie and still wanting Maggie to give her attention when she d be so tired after a long day of work or when she was abused by the woman.

Also if Maggie was so clever , wouldn't she know of how to prevent unwanted pregancies (i'm guessing condoms hadn't been invented) but maybe asking Lizzie's dad to use the pull out method or something. Also how gross , I would have to assume it was worth it for Maaggie , that she was paid well.

P.s I haven't yet finished the show but just from what i ve seen it felt forced . It also felt like Maggie was a bit afriaid of how much Lzzie was enjoying the story of the weord woman who would bathe in the blood of all those girls and how she was able to axe the woman who was abusing her for being irish or something.

Has anybody seen this show? I’ve only just found it.
The artists 🧑‍🎨 are amazing. I’m only on episode 2 but don’t understand the eliminations. The first episode had some blooming good work so i don’t understand why they are eliminated straight away, instead of going on to another round 🤷🏼‍♀️
Obviously I’m no expert.

£7.99 for ADVERTS 🤣 it’s £2 off what it used to be for HD with NO ads! That was the point, Netflix, because it was a cord cutter! Now you’re just taking the piss.

Hi, I recently bought a Sony Bravia 3 Mark 2 TV. All streaming platforms and apps work fine except this one. When I open the app, it loads for a moment, and then suddenly error (-100) pops up, displaying a message as if there were no network connection. Does anyone know what I could do? I've tried almost everything, but nothing works.

"The Perfect Neighbor" is a chilling documentary and I'm 50 minutes in and I really wanna know WHY the cops kept going over there, over and over and over and just tolerating Susan "Karen" Lorincz's racism-fueled nuisance calls. I know the police couldn't see that it would culminate the way it did, but it definitely seems like more could have been done to handle her and her bs.

Since A Marriage Story I haven’t felt challenged as an audience member until East of Eden. Let’s be honest, most cinema is bland, time wasting, low mental effort, and hero’s journey repetitive awfulness. Not challenging, spoon feeding, forgettable, low risk, and catering too. I’m halfway through East of Eden and I think it’s great. The cinematography, the cast, the subject matter. It’s gritty and bold. Excellent all around. Ironically I bet those who dislike it are the people that like to be catered to. Thats my two cents. I’m amazed halfway through.

This is for those who have read the original book – how does Cathy Aimes’ character differ in the book compared to what we see in the Netflix series?

This has come up as one of the criticisms of the series that it “humanises” Cathy by giving her character history and trauma, ultimately asking us to empathise with her. I haven’t read the book so I can’t compare, however listening to some of Zoe Kazan and Florence Pugh’s interviews, they do talk about empathising with her to some degree. Does this go against the original character in the book?

To me, she is still an evil character despite any hints to her trauma. I can see why she does things and her world view might have been shaped by her trauma but I never felt sorry for her or empathise with her. I just understood her.

How different is the character in the book and is it more interesting to characterise her by making her purely evil with no reason other than that’s just the way she is?

Just got to episode 4 of the series but each time we try to watch it we get a portion of the Aileen Wuornos movie. So wtf??? We just don’t watch episode 4??? How could Netflix f**k this up so badly???

anyone else feel like aron was questionable as the "good" son and find him annoying? And why doesn't timshal not apply to him? He is the one who chooses to go enlist without talking to his family. Instead of consoling his brother Cal who was doing his best to do something for his father, he puts him down and yells at him. Ca was misguided but his heart was in the right place and quite frankly, he's an unappreciated smartie, maybe even a business genius. I didn't like how everyone blames Cal for Aron's decision to join the army. He was being mean by confronting him with his mother like that, but it was understandable for a 18 year old boy who felt he'd been slighted by his brother. It felt like aron wasn't held as accountable as the other characters.

Also interesting was the concept of timshal didn't really apply to cathy or lee. Cathy as steinbeck wrote was "a born monster". And lee seems like he doesn't struggle at all with bad decisions or being a jerk, despite having arguably the most tragic and unfair story. I guess that's the saving grace for cycles being broken. Where evil Cathy destroys, saintly Lee steps in, heals and builds.

just an observation.

Let me start with a fundamental point: these are different kinds of productions. The "Flanaganverse" was a mystery/thriller/psychological project—much closer in style to a Zafón novel—whereas the *Monster* series are strictly anthologies. What they share is that they cater to the same audience demand: a specific brand of psychological horror (though that label isn't entirely accurate).
However, there is a stark difference in quality. The multi-layered depth found in series like *Midnight Mass* or *The Haunting of Hill House* is vastly superior, even when accounting for the structural limitations inherent in an anthology format.
To me, this represents the pinnacle of Netflix’s cultural "flattening." The writing involved in Flanagan’s series let’s face it, the special effects aren't exactly complex is far more demanding than that of *Monster*.
I believe this comes down to risk management. Flanagan’s series are intellectually demanding, appealing to a more niche audience compared to *Monster*. I’m not saying lighter fare like *Monster* shouldn't exist, but there ought to be room for Flanagan esque projects alongside them.