Netflix’s The Irregulars Season One Review

The Irregulars accomplished something unlike any other series after having resigned to the fact that it just wasn’t working…it turned things around. In its earlier episodes, the series was merely a facade of being a simple monster-of-the-week procedural with a larger overarching plotline that will easily be resolved by the end. Mixed in are elements of teen angst through various side plotlines that can never decide whether its target audience is for young adults or an older crowd. All the while, the series continually leans further into a darker realm that by its fourth episode fully won me over.

From the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the money and vision of Netflix, The Irregulars takes ancillary characters from the novels of Sherlock Holmes and thrusts them into the spotlight complete with backstories, character development, and conflict. This series follows the lives of five teens named Bea (Thaddea Graham), Jessie (Darci Shaw), Spike (McKell David), Leo (Harrison Osterfield), and Billy (Jojo Macari) respectively, who are familiar with life on the streets of London and are recruited by none other than Dr. John Watson (Royce Pierreson) to help solve crimes of a supernatural nature that occur in places his reputation will not allow.

As Bea, Jessie, Spike, Billy, and Leo begin to solve the supernatural crimes, they begin to uncover a much larger conspiracy that affects the entire population of London and begins a race against time to stop evil forces from consuming the city. Along this journey, each character is given ample time to explore their individual backstories which leads to somewhat interesting places. The main protagonists among the group are Bea and Jessie, sisters that have been abandoned by their father after their mother was killed. Jessie possesses special abilities which allow the group an advantage when solving cases, however, her powers also alert the evil forces to the group’s existence and places them in harm’s way.

One could expect that if the series is operating in the world of Sherlock Holmes that he is bound to make an appearance and as previously mentioned, it is in the episode that he first reveals himself where the series truly becomes interesting. This is largely due to the atypical portrayal of the literary character in a way we have never seen him before. Sherlock (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) is an opium addict and is reliant upon Dr. Watson for everyday care. It is when his story is introduced and collides with the misfits that The Irregulars begins to explore a much more intricate storyline that was entertaining to watch.

Ultimately, The Irregulars, despite possessing flares of intrigue, suffers from an identity crisis as it never truly settles on who its audience should be. This accompanied by its simplistic narrative structure, mid-level production value, and early career roles for its core group all play a part in severely limiting the series from exceeding beyond what it is on a surface level. That is not to say it isn’t entertaining. After all, it did manage to turn itself around by offering just enough to be engaging until the end, however, there were never any surprises or twists along the way.

still courtesy of Netflix

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