With Hemlock Grove, Netflix is set to take the ample goodwill it received from House of Cards out for a spin when they release all 13 episodes of the season 1 on April 19th.
Adapted from Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name and produced by horror auteur Eli Roth, the murder mystery stars Famke Jansen (X-Men), Landon Liboiron (Terra Nova), Bill Skarsgård (Simon and the Oaks), Penelope Mitchell (6 Plots), Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under), and Dougray Scott (Desperate Housewives).
Here’s the synopsis:
The series revolves around the eccentric residents of a dilapidated former Pennsylvania steel town and the murder of 17-year-old Brooke Bluebell. Through the investigation, the town’s seamier side is exposed, revealing that nothing is what it seems.
In the trailer, the seamy side sure does seem to be the focus, with Famke Jansen’s character lounging in lingerie and possibly cavorting with a teenager from the other side of the tracks, much to the chagrin of her son and the teenager’s mother.
Themes of class warfare, salaciousness, and mystery seem to abound, but the funny thing is, the first trailer – which debuted in January – showed a different side entirely, and one more in line with Eli Roth’s resume. This trailer is reminiscent of Revenge while the last one seemed like something that could be perfect for True Blood fans, and that’s not just because Hemlock Grove stars Alexander Skarsgård’s baby brother.
So, is this an all-things-for-all-people sort of situation, or are the showrunners hiding from their gorier nature to appeal to a different crowd?
I for one don’t care, so long as we get to finally see Famke Jansen and Dougray Scott (who was originally cast as Wolverine) sharing the screen. It looks like his ship has finally come in, and dove-related Mission Impossible 2 re-shoots can’t sink it this time.
Hemlock Grove premiers April 19th, 2013 on Netflix.
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Sources: IGN
