Hemlock Grove

When searching for a Netflix Original to watch for this blog entry, I started to watch a couple of things that looked interesting, and after several hits and misses I ended up on Hemlock Grove. While I had heard good things about this show I was interested to know if the rumors of how good this show was were true, and I was not disappointed! What struck me as I was watching multiple episodes of this show was that I was glad this came around in a time where special effects seem to be at their peak, and only getting better. One scene in particular stands out to me, and if you have ever seen, at the least, season one of Hemlock Grove you can probably guess which scene I’m talking about.

While the special effects were not used for a lengthy period, they were used over a fairly large area and were quite extensive. The question then becomes were the special effects appropriate for that particular scene? In my opinion, yes they were appropriate. The special effects propelled the storyline further and only increased the intensity of the already mind boggling situation. While you seem to be questioning everything you know about this show and what could be happening next, they throw one more thing into the mix that only makes you want to keep watching to solve the mystery that is Hemlock Grove.

The storyline plants doubts in the audience's’ minds and makes them think about what they truly want from this t.v. show. The intimacy that is fostered in this scene between two teenage males that barely know each other, the secret they are both now forced to keep, and the possibly severe implications that could stem from this scene are carried through the next couple of episodes; the trial that seems to be happening on one side of the point of views keeps you on the edge of your seat doing the only thing you can do… hope things go your way and wait to find out in the next episode. (Although that wait isn’t more than thirty seconds most of the time, it is agonizing!)

Beyond the fact that the storyline greatly benefits from the this scene in particular, it also make the actually storytelling more effective. This added scene gives you a feel for the character and what they are going through, along with the simultaneous sense of security that the scene gives to the budding friendship between the two main characters, and the sense that nothing is ever as it seems. Watching this slightly cringe-worthy scene, makes the audience feel sympathy and stirs the want to know that everything will turn out the way they want it to. This scene while mildly unrealistic to the logically sound of mind, gives you an accurate feel for what this scene might  possibly be like in real life. Is it entirely realistic and accurate? Who knows, I certainly don’t, but if this were to happen this is how I would expect for it to go. The fact that it seemed agonizing, and terrifying is enough for me to expect that no matter what other movies and t.v. show portrayed this scene as, this is definitely the one I could see happening the most in my everyday life.

So final decision time: will I be watching this again? You bet I will! I foresee this becoming one of my many netflix staples that I come back around to when I have finished a series or all the available episodes on Netflix. We all have our staples that pass the time between new series, and are always a pleasure to rewatch, and I am happy to say that Hemlock Grove, if it goes the way I’m hoping it does or even if it doesn’t, has proudly made its way into my list of many other classic rewatch shows. Criminal Minds, CSI (all of them), Supernatural, 30 Rock, The Office, and many others have to make room for one more… Hemlock Grove.