On Sept. 24, Netflix released the new young adult (YA) TV show Penelope. Penelope follows the story of a young girl, Penelope, who runs away from summer camp. The series tackles themes of social media, community, and the gravity of loss. While labeled as a YA series, Penelope avoids typical genre cliches and instead is both personable and charming, making for the perfect seasonal watch to enjoy with family and friends.
Mel Elsyn and Mark Duplass, from the production company Duplass Brothers Production, co-wrote and created the off-beat series. The work of cinematographer Nathan M. Miller compliments Penelope’s paired-back plot line with his picturesque style, allowing Netflix’s newest indie TV show to be wonderfully unique. Some foul language and a brief romantic fling contribute to the show’s TV-MA Netflix rating, restricting the show to be viewed only by mature audiences. Penelope brings an entirely new meaning to the YA genre by relying on character growth, rather than romance and gore, to hold viewers’ attention.
21-year-old actress Megan Stott dynamically portrays the series’ main character, 16-year-old Penelope. As Penelope undergoes many hardships throughout the series, Stott captures teenage mood swings in a heartfelt and relatable way, offering younger viewers comfort within her touching portrayal of the protagonist.
The show takes its time, unlike a typical Netflix YA series, showcasing even the most mundane elements of Penelope’s journey of self-discovery. The pilot episode begins with Penelope surrounded by fellow teenagers on a dance floor at what viewers can infer is a summer camp.
As Penelope dances with her headphones on, she becomes distracted by what appears to be a wolf in the woods.
When Penelope awakens the next morning after her encounter with the wolf, she walks to a local general store and finds herself buying hundreds of dollars worth of camping gear seemingly on a whim. Penelope runs away from summer camp, camping gear in hand, finding herself in the company of a charismatic folk singer, Sam (Austin Abrams), who drives her to North Cascades National Park. Penelope sneaks onto the campground, and as the rest of the series’ eight episodes slowly unfold, viewers receive front-row seats to watch her overcome the adversaries of surviving in nature by herself.
Despite a lack of clarification around Penelope’s reasoning to suddenly take off into the woods, part of the show’s allure lies in how haphazardly the plot fits together. The show only provides explanations on a need-to-know basis, and sometimes not even then. Through a series of flashbacks and peeks into Penelope’s memory, hallucinations, and phone, viewers begin to understand bits and pieces of Penelope’s life before she left civilization behind.
Despite the show’s plot largely revolving around how Penelope deals with the ups and downs of being in solitude, some notable guest appearances of fellow campers add excitement to a show that otherwise would be considered slow TV. Most notably, while camping in the Cascades, Penelope comes across an environmental scientist, Alana (Krisha Fairchild), who introduces Penelope to the world of environmental activism and science. Penelope also befriends a group of weary teenage boys working to reconcile with their Catholic faith, striking up a romance with one such character, Peter (Rhenzy Feliz).
While only a short amount of on-screen time features the romance, Penelope’s connection with Peter is one of the few guest appearances that the show calls back to throughout the series. Most other plot lines vary in length and ending, with some more straightforward while many ending open-ended, leaving viewers without a sense of closure.
Penelope’s greatest strength lies in its effective portrayal of the negative effects of teenage social media use. While the show does not directly reference social media often, the technology Penelope uses is reflected in a negative light, addressing the prevalent effects of social media use on teenagers. Throughout the series, Penelope’s phone is used as a symbolic object of stress, and possible reasoning for her escape into the woods.
The show’s continual lack of dialogue and dramatic plot twists may bore some viewers, but those who can push through a slow burn are in for a thrilling and mysterious journey. Penelope’s portrayal of the struggles of teenhood paired with Megan Stott’s brilliant acting makes for an empowering and thought-provoking watch, earning three out of five feathers.
