When I embarked upon The Changeling (AppleTV+), I believed that one of my favourite novels, Victor LaValle’s The Changeling, would be adapted in full for TV. I was impressed but sceptical that anyone could do this complex tale justice in eight episodes, perhaps because they weren’t. AppleTV better be planning a second season.
The acting is wonderful, especially Emma as the crazed wise woman/goddess, played by Clark Backo; and Apollos’ mother, Lillian, played by Adina Porter.
We move with Apollo and Emma, through a rather disturbing courtship (discussed later), to the blissful existence of the perfectly matched couple, until the crippling depths of post-natal depression eats them alive.
The wooing of Emma may seem romantic, but it is a very toxic idea that to change a “no” to a “yes” requires dogged persistence, until the object of your desire’s resistance is worn down. The mantra of many a stalker.
The scenes depicting post-natal depression and its accompanying psychosis devastated me. I empathised deeply with Emma’s confusion and despair, having experienced similar issues albeit without the same tragic result.
Watching Apollo’s quest to find Emma—first to kill her and later to help her, and his growth on the island, despite the horror that accompanied him there—was immensely engaging. Those were the elements I loved most about the first season, that and the couple’s mutual love of books.
I wasn’t enamoured with the end of episode eight. It didn’t really work as a compelling cliffhanger or answer enough of the pressing questions asked during this wonderful show to provide a satisfying season end.
Spoilers ahead:
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Lillian’s gorgeous episode, presented like a stage play, led me to believe she planned to sacrifice her life for her son, but it was difficult to follow her logic, and I would have loved to touch on that further before the series ended.
Apollo fleeing the island, pursued by whatever the hell he brought there, was thrilling. But his final scene when he encountered a new terror and watched the huge subterranean eye open, distracted the viewer (or this one at least) from the preceding threat without providing enough detail for an effective cliffhanger.
Emma arriving in the forest and encountering the merry-go-round was a lovely scene. We don’t know what she’ll find beyond those dancing horses, but desperately want to find out. Her growth hasn’t been as apparent in season one, perhaps because she was a warrior from the outset, an archetype. But watching her shuffle through streets, unkept and hooded, did not obscure our view of that magnificent strength. Whatever she faces next, we’re pretty certain she can handle.
It's a visual treat and a spiritual journey – a fairy tale for adults. Check it out, and feel free to add your thoughts and comments below.