TONYA MOSLEY, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. The Duffer Brothers, the team behind the Netflix series "Stranger Things," are back as executive producers of the new Netflix series "The Boroughs." And it, too, is a show about sinister forces, mysterious creatures and a group of neighborhood misfits who emerge as heroes. Our TV critic David Bianculli has this review.
DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: Part of the appeal of "Stranger Things" was that its protagonists were quirky outsiders, unpopular teens for the most part, who found themselves and one another while battling monsters and bad guys in their isolated small town. "The Boroughs" plays with that same theme, but on the other end of the age spectrum. Its quirky misfits are all elderly, living in neighboring homes on a cul-de-sac in an exclusive retirement community.
The newest resident is Sam, a reluctant arrival played with deadpan gruffness by Alfred Molina. He's recently widowed and doesn't want to be there, but there he is. It's a seemingly sparkly and welcoming place, but there may be strange creatures crawling behind the walls. And there definitely are odd and nosy neighbors living next door, like Art and Judy, a longtime married couple played by Clarke Peters from "The Wire" and the wonderful Alfre Woodard. As Sam is moving in, Judy is on her laptop checking out Sam's past, which Art doesn't like.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE BOROUGHS")
CLARKE PETERS: (As Art Daniels) You got to stop stalking people.
ALFRE WOODARD: (As Judy Daniels) I'm not stalking. I'm investigating.
PETERS: (As Art Daniels) You're not a reporter anymore.
WOODARD: (As Judy Daniels) Journalist.
PETERS: (As Art Daniels) And that makes it stalking.
WOODARD: (As Judy Daniels) His wife died of a stroke five months ago. Oh, gosh. She was young. Not even 70. He worked for Northrop Grumman, 35 years as an aeronautical engineer. So we know he's smart.
PETERS: (As Art Daniels) Well, education is not the learning of the facts, but the training of the mind to think.
WOODARD: (As Judy Daniels) Well, who said that?
PETERS: (As Art Daniels) Einstein. Or maybe Mr. Peabody. One or the other, I don't know.
BIANCULLI: All the neighbors in this particular hood have their own defiantly individual personalities and are played by veteran actors who fill them with depth and sadness and humor. It's great to see Peters and Woodard strut their stuff here, and that's just for starters. Other talented veteran cast members include Bill Pullman, Ed Begley Jr., Jane Kaczmarek and Geena Davis playing a spirited woman named Renee. She meets Sam when unsuccessfully trying to start her loud car engine early in the morning. He comes out with his toolkit, throws open her hood and fixes it, after which he begins to retreat on foot while she pursues him in her car.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE BOROUGHS")
GEENA DAVIS: (As Renee Joyce) I'm Renee.
ALFRED MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) Sam.
DAVIS: (As Renee Joyce) New guy on the block.
MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) I guess. Try the engine.
DAVIS: (As Renee Joyce) Just like that?
MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) Just like that.
DAVIS: (As Renee Joyce) Huh. Alright.
(SOUNDBITE OF CAR ENGINE STARTING)
DAVIS: (As Renee Joyce) Oh, thank you. Hey. Hey, I'm trying to thank you.
MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) Yeah, I don't want it. I just want to get some sleep.
DAVIS: (As Renee Joyce) Well, then say you're welcome.
MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) Excuse me?
DAVIS: (As Renee Joyce) Here's a tip. When somebody says thank you, you just say, You're welcome. The other person will happily and go on their way, and you can go back to doing what all grumpy old men love to do - be alone.
MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) You're welcome.
DAVIS: (As Renee Joyce) Atta boy, Sam.
BIANCULLI: And one of my favorite characters and actors here is Denis O'Hare. He plays a retired doctor, Wally, who has a brazenly outgoing and unfiltered personality. He demonstrates this when first meeting Sam, who has been invited to a party welcoming him to the neighborhood. Sam is reluctant to enter, so he's just standing outside the door when Wally shows up with a startling opening line.
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DENIS O'HARE: (As Wally Baker) I have Stage 4 prostate cancer.
MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) Oh.
O'HARE: (As Wally Baker) I probably don't have much time left. It seems a waste to spend it standing outside a party. Not that I'd call six people in the backyard much of a party, but sadly, it's as close as I get since they banned me from the community center. Cowards.
MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) I'm Sam.
O'HARE: (As Wally Baker) Wally. You going to stand out here all night, Sam?
MOLINA: (As Sam Cooper) Oh, I'm not very good at parties. My wife was the sociable one. People only like me when I was with her.
O'HARE: (As Wally Baker) Well, I'm beloved. So stick close.
BIANCULLI: I predict you'll warm to all these characters immediately. Sam takes a little longer to warm to them. At first, he's like Bob Newhart reacting warily to all his therapy patients on "The Bob Newhart Show." But eventually, Sam embraces and confides in them all. He has to, as it turns out, if they're going to get out of the boroughs alive. The plot thickens in an intriguing but predictable way, especially if you're familiar with "Stranger Things" and "Cocoon" and "Ghostbusters" and even "Jaws." But it's all good fun, even when it scores some serious points and has some serious scenes about death and dementia and loneliness. The cast is more than up to it all, and there are younger cast members contributing, too, including Jena Malone and Carlos Miranda. And because it's central to the plot, "The Boroughs" doesn't skimp on the music soundtrack, especially from the catalog of Bruce Springsteen. The plot of "The Boroughs" is good, the music is better and the acting from this team of old pros is the best.
MOSLEY: David Bianculli reviewed "The Boroughs," now streaming on Netflix. Tomorrow on FRESH AIR, Clarke Peters. His breakout role was in the HBO series "The Wire" as police detective Lester Freamon. In Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods," he played a Vietnam veteran. In real life, Peters opposed the war and was arrested at a protest which changed his life. He moved to London, starred in musicals there and now stars in the series "The Boroughs." I hope you can join us.
To keep up with what's on the show and get highlights of our interviews, follow us on Instagram - @nprfreshair. FRESH AIR's executive producer is Sam Briger. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Phyllis Myers, Roberta Shorrock, Ann Marie Baldonado, Lauren Krenzel, Monique Nazareth, Thea Chaloner, Susan Nyakundi, Anna Bauman and Nico Gonzalez Wisler. Our digital media producer is Molly Seavy-Nesper. Therese Madden directed today's show. With Terry Gross, I'm Tonya Mosley.
(SOUNDBITE OF ALLEN TOUSSAINT'S "BRIGHT MISSISSIPPI") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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