Netflix has been accused of not giving its recurring shows the opportunity to expand into multiple seasons, but the service has offered tremendous opportunities for limited series that have a singular focus. Since these shows don’t have to worry about sustaining an audience’s attention over the course of several seasons of time, they are often empowered to be more avant-garde and experimental. Eric has one of the most unusual loglines for any Netflix original, as it centers on the narcissistic puppeteer Vincent Anderson (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he reacts to the disappearance of his son. That an actor of Cumberbatch’s fame was willing to play such a loathsome character was impressive, but even more unusual was the presence of “Eric,” a seven-foot-tall puppet who appears alongside Vincent to help search for the truth.
Although it is not based on a true story, Eric does share commonalities with many of the “true crime” shows that examine the procedures taken in the aftermath of a criminal case. However, Eric has the unique perspective of a character who could not feel more helpless; not only does Vincent feel that he is powerless to find out what happened to his son Edgar (Ivan Morris Howe), but he is also guilty about not spending enough time to get to know him. Since the series is set in the 1970s, there is an added complication regarding the role of the New York Police Department and their process for investigating cases, especially those that are in the public spotlight. Those who skipped out on Eric when it first aired because they were concerned that it looked like a self-serious parody owe it to themselves to check out an ambitious, thoughtful character study with real insight about the human condition.
‘Eric’ Is an Unconventional Crime Thriller
Eric takes a unique approach compared to other thriller shows because the series attacks its central mystery from multiple angles. Although the law enforcement’s approach is to treat the case with the utmost sensitivity, it is revealed that the police failed to solve similar cases in which Black children had been abducted. The prioritization of Edgar’s kidnapping sheds light on how the NYPD has utilized its resources and how a single high-profile case is enough to call their entire practice into question. It’s an interesting perspective to deal with because of the presence of Michael Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III), a Black cop who has to work outside the system to pick up on the clues that Edgar may have left behind. It was a true breakout role for Belcher, who received a BAFTA nomination for his performance; although Eric was marketed primarily using Cumberbatch’s star power, both men have equal weight in the story.
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He may have just been coming off of an Oscar-nominated performance in the brilliant revisionist western The Power of the Dog, but Eric is unlike anything Cumberbatch has ever done because of how thoroughly transparent he is. While Cumberbatch played an alcoholic in Patrick Melrose and a criminal family man in Black Mass, Eric called upon him to play an obsessive performer who has used his art form to mask the deep insecurities he has about his own failings. With what happened to Edgar lingering over him, Vincent feels that his work doing a children’s puppet show is even more superfluous than it had been before. It’s because of this that the presence of Eric is such an interesting wrinkle in his character arc. Puppetry is part of his essence, and it is ironically the only thing he can turn to when all other aspects of his life have collapsed.
‘Eric’ Is a Thoughtful Character Study
Eric was an impressive swing because the show varies wildly in its tone, especially with the presence of the fantasy elements, which could be jarring. While at times the incorporation of puppets is used for a darkly comical effect, they also become an effective means of showing how divorced from reality Vincent has become. It’s not only that he’s been so singularly focused on his work that he has cut out all other aspects of his life, including his family, but that he is more comfortable dealing with his personal issues in an environment where he can anticipate the reactions.
Eric is a captivating mystery that makes the series a fascinating binge-watch, but Eric is also bleak in a way that contemporary television rarely is. It presents flawed characters without an obvious route for redemption, and directly addresses racial bias, being unafraid to show how little progress has been made over time despite the changing landscape of society. It would be difficult to say that this show is a “satisfying” watch, but its uniqueness will suck you in like no other show. In an era where the same visual aesthetic and tone has crept into many productions — specifically those that are prioritized by major streaming services — the existence of something as unusual as Eric is a good thing for the health of the industry. If nothing else, Eric is successful in sparking conversations about the deeper ideas that it touches upon.
