As a seasoned survivalist with over 30 years of experience under my belt, I must admit that the show “Penelope” left me utterly baffled and slightly offended. I’ve braved treacherous terrains, faced life-threatening situations, and survived on little more than a squirrel stew and a stale biscuit or two. Yet here we have a teenage girl, with no survival skills whatsoever, managing to outlast 50 days in the wilderness using nothing but a Survival Book!
Starting September 24, 2024, “Penelope”, a new teen coming-of-age drama on Netflix, has quickly climbed its way into the Top 10 most-watched TV Shows in the U.S. This fantastical 8-episode series tells the story of Penelope (played by Megan Scott), a 16-year-old girl who is so passionate about nature that she decides to leave her family and live on her own in the wilderness. Although this show is primarily aimed at tweens and young teenagers, it seems that its idealistic and unrealistic portrayal may not be striking the intended chord with the audience.
Despite initially attracting viewers upon its debut, Penelope has left fans disappointed for various reasons. Instead of evoking empathy and understanding towards the main character’s loneliness and inner turmoil, viewers find it hard to relate as they perceive the show as too unrealistic. This disconnect is especially surprising given that the show was produced by the Duplass Brothers, who are recognized for their work in Mumblecore realism – a genre known for its authentic portrayals. As Penelope remains popular on Netflix, it’s essential to gauge fan reactions to determine whether the series is worth watching or skipping.
What Is Penelope About?
Produced by Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, “Penelope” is a half-hour coming-of-age drama that made its debut on Netflix on September 24, 2024. The story revolves around Penelope (Scott), a 16-year-old nature enthusiast who, without any clear explanation, decides to assemble a survival kit and ventures into the woods to live on her own. Aiming to escape the modern world filled with smartphones and technological distractions, Penelope embarks on a journey to lead an autonomous, self-reliant life, refusing to depend on anyone or anything for assistance.
If you’re yearning for the authentic, dialogue-rich storytelling that Duplass brothers’ mumblecore is renowned for, mirroring the raw emotions of teenage turmoil, Penelope veers sharply away from realism to embrace whimsical enchantment instead. Instead of delving deep into Penelope’s past through engaging dialogues, extended, wordless montages of Penelope meandering through the woods become the focal point. This leaves many viewers puzzled as to why Penelope decides to leave in the first place and they’ve expressed that her character’s bright-eyed wonderment and unwavering optimism seem implausible, making it hard for young viewers to relate or empathize with her actions in the series.
Penelope Is Too Unrealistic for Some Viewers
Despite Penelope’s questionable initial actions and the unlikely events that occur during her journey, they stretch the bounds of believability even more. With no compelling explanation for her sudden abandonment of contemporary life, it’s perplexing why Penelope felt compelled to leave her peaceful domestic existence. What makes this more puzzling is that, lacking any survival skills, one would expect Penelope to succumb to the hazards of the wilderness almost immediately. However, armed only with her imagination and a single Survival Guide, Penelope manages to dodge numerous natural perils and thrive on her own in the forest.
Navigating constant encounters with deadly bears, perilous falls, harsh weather, and challenging conditions at every step, Penelope’s chances of surviving for more than 24 hours seem slim. The survival techniques shown on her show don’t appear authentic, strengthening the argument that it caters to fantasy wishes rather than real-life survival scenarios. For fans who appreciate genuine reality survival shows like ‘Naked and Afraid’ and ‘Alone’, ‘Penelope’ can be a disappointing letdown due to its blatant disregard for realism.
Despite being praised by critics for its wistful cinematography and Scott’s captivating performance, resulting in a high 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the show has struggled to gain audience acceptance due to concerns about its credibility.
Audience Response to Penelope’s Lack of Realism
Even though Penelope receives excellent critical marks, viewers have been less than captivated by the far-fetched fantasies presented in the widely watched young adult TV series. Furthermore, it has an IMDb rating of just 6.1, and a Reddit discussion has pointed out the show’s liberal use of dramatic license. The original poster (OP) begins their post with a score of 3/10, expressing dissatisfaction with the show.
I’d rate it at a 3/10, as it seems extremely improbable and unrealistic. Even experienced Survival Skills experts struggle to last beyond 50 days on Reality shows. A teenage girl surviving in the wilderness for a week with just a survival guide and no prior experience is quite far-fetched. I managed to finish it because I’ve flown over that mountain range.
Despite Penelope’s apparent inexperience in wilderness survival, discovering wealth in the forest seems particularly implausible, as one Reddit user points out.
Having just finished episode 4, I’m unsure about how things will play out, but I must say, this character seems remarkably fortunate. She always encounters helpful individuals when in need. I’m eagerly anticipating how she goes about reacquiring everything that was lost to the bear: perhaps an unexpected cash stash, a lucky lottery ticket, kind strangers offering her all she needs, or even a sudden appearance of her fairy godmother. The scenarios are limitless!
Although it might seem understandable for mature audiences to find it hard to relate to Penelope’s situation, one Reddit user points out that the show also appears disrespectful towards its adolescent audience, expressing this concern.
“I thought Penelope was overly idealistic and unrealistic in nearly every scene, bordering on pure fantasy. It felt condescending not just to the intelligence of most 16-year-olds (who should be aware of the dangers of being alone at that age), but also to every boy scout and girl scout. Moreover, it was unrealistic in portraying the power of nature.
The latter poster also covers the Social Worker’s implausible subplot, adding:
“This should be a cautionary tale of what not to do and for every youth that has Oppositional Defiance Disorder. The Social Worker should have reported her as a minor and called her parents. Unreal. The dangerous part is I hope this doesn’t encourage every young girl who may be disillusioned with anything to run away.”
As a discerning moviegoer, I must confess that while Penelope boasts certain charming aspects, it ultimately falls short for both mature audiences and those of us striving to make our mark in the industry. The overly idealistic teen drama seems implausible and insincere, leaving many viewers, even its intended adolescent demographic, feeling disconnected rather than empathetic towards Penelope’s struggles. Her existential predicament fails to resonate with us, making for a somewhat isolating viewing experience.
Penelope is available to stream on Netflix.
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2024-10-04 01:31