Stranger Things creators Ross and Matt Duffer are only involved as executive producers on Netflix’s The Boroughs, but that hasn't prevented the service from proclaiming the new science fiction mystery series as its next blockbuster hit. What began ostensibly as a coming-of-age story became a closed loop fed by its obsession with nostalgia, satisfying those who still entertained the notion that the 1980s was the pinnacle of popular culture. The Boroughs isn’t a direct retaliation to Stranger Things, but it offers a reality check for the same generation. Set in modern day, The Boroughs is centered on a group of retirees that saw themselves as heroes because they grew up in the ‘80s during the time in which the Stranger Things influences were at their peak in popularity. They didn’t grow up to change the world, and have been forced to live a depressing existence where their radical dreams for the future never materialized.
This is a downbeat premise, but The Boroughs is far from a methodical expose on the psychological burden of aging; it’s a high concept genre show, but one with the understanding that the supernatural is most exciting when it's only slightly removed from the relatable. “The Boroughs” referenced in the title is a retirement community in New Mexico that’s intended to be a closed-off living experience for those that can’t function independently. None of the characters are that old, given that the notion that those in their late-60s would be at retirement age is ridiculous in today’s economy. However, it’s a compelling median age for an ensemble series about protagonists who’ve long since left their prime, yet still haven’t given up the will to live.
The residents of “The Boroughs” aren’t there just because they require the consistent monitoring of senior care experts, but because the world hasn’t made room for them. Alfred Molina’s Sam Cooper is opposed to what he sees as nothing but a fancy way to prepare his own funeral, but he’s forced by tragic circumstances to become a resident; a recent widower, Alex agreed to follow through with his late wife’s wishes to spend the rest of their life in a refurbished home in the suburban segment of the Boroughs. While he understands that his loving daughter Claire (Jena Malone) couldn’t possibly care for him in her one-story apartment alongside her two kids and husband Neil (Rafael Casal), Alex is resentful of being displaced to a living space that is specifically designed for people his age. As a former engineer who made a reasonable life for his family, he’s aggravated by constant attention and overbearing sensitivity by the staff.
The strongest connection that The Boroughs has to early seasons of Stranger Things is that they’re both about characters who are better-suited to solving problems on their own. Alex is forced to rein in his confrontational attitude early on out of fear that he’ll be deemed a “grumpy old geezer,” but that’s nothing compared to the consequences of claiming to have seen a supernatural incident. The spindly, hulking monster revealed at the end of the pilot episode “Welcome to the Boroughs” isn’t from this world, but a tech skeptic like Alex doesn’t have a means to record it. Much like the kids in Stranger Things, who were seen as having overexcitable imaginations by their parents and teachers, Alex and his fellow residents decide to solve the mystery for themselves. The fear of not being believed is suffocating to Alex, who’s long suspected that his wife’s death wasn’t by natural means.
The most meta aspect is that the ensemble of The Boroughs is filled with excellent actors, all of whom have seen opportunities dry up in their advanced age. The collective experience of “the Boroughs” residents is put to good use in cobbling together clues as to what’s really going on in an idealistic retirement settlement in the middle of nowhere, and the cast of The Boroughs is filled with acting veterans who’ve been given an opportunity to adapt to a new medium. Alex’s first contact in the Boroughs is the senior resident Jack Willard (Bill Pullman), whose shocking departure from the main cast indicates the show will have real stakes.
Given that Molina’s performance is reserved and purposefully brittle, it made sense to have a more eccentric acquaintance for him in Denis O’Hare’s Wally Baker, a self-admitted stoner who’s dying of cancer. The contradiction of Wally is that he was once a surgical doctor who worked in high-stress environments, but never earned the fortune or luck to spend the rest of his life in luxury or avoid his fatal diagnosis. That Wally would give off the persona of a carefree bachelor is a good challenge to Alex, who hasn’t quite understood that he doesn’t have anything left to prove. The sly, yet wise demeanor of Wally could’ve been written for the late William Hurt, a fact solidified by the presence of his frequent co-star, Geena Davis, in the role of the former music manager Renee.
Renee was used to a life of constant work, and has adapted to her new home by taking on the responsibility of teaching classes and giving harsh feedback to the Boroughs’ ignorant security guards. Renee’s similarities to Alex create tension because they’re both defiant, and it gives The Boroughs a reason for these characters to snap one-liners at each other. The standout performances from Season 1 come from Alfre Woodard and Clarke Peters as Judy and Art Daniels, a married couple who made the mutual decision to slow down. Rarely is an older Black couple given so much dignity, especially in genre shows, and Woodard in particular has a role that’s intrinsic to the plot, because Judy’s a former journalist who can prove Alex’s theories.