So, I clicked on this series and wasn’t too sure what to expect. I heard about it from someone in a literary cafe. They mentioned that they would turn on the audio description for the sex scenes, but didn’t enjoy it. They asked me to watch it and see what I think.
I made a note to watch it with very low expectations regarding the audio description. I’ve been a consumer of audio description since 2017. As I said in my audio description critique of Money Shot: The Pornhub Story, audio described sex is terrible. It’s irritatingly boring. Audio describers sound like they’re reading a technical manual about sex. It’s not entirely their fault. It’s the writing they have. It’s not interesting.
With this in mind, I clicked on the first episode. I was curious about the premise. I was right about the audio description, but we’ll talk about that much later in this post. First, we have the series.
Synopsis
Jay introduces his fiance to his family. His father is immediately attracted to her and they begin an affair where she establishes specific rules.
Series Information
Genre: Drama
Category: Adult
Explicit violence: No
Explicit sex: Yes
Content warnings I noticed: An implication of child sexual assault
Review
The writing is okay. For a four-episode series, the pacing works very well. I’d compare it to a novella. It’s very tight.
Themes could have been explored much better. Anna’s backstory is foreshadowed, but it feels like it’s setting up for something else. When it’s revealed, it feels like it’s only there to explain her actions. It doesn’t fully excuse her actions, but the series did nothing to not make it seem that way. The reveal feels like it’s there for shock value.
Because of how short the series is, the themes are not even touched. They’re simply there for shock value. Every part of the story that has a difficult theme feels like it’s added for drama.
I don’t feel attached to the characters. They don’t go through an arc that I’m interested in. They’re moved around for what the plot requires. They’re not boring, but they’re not interesting.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s an interesting series, but so much more could have been done. I know it’s based on a book, so I’ll check it out and let you know how I feel. I rate it three stars.
Audio Description
This section will focus on the audio description of the series. For those unaware, audio description is a separate audio track added to visual media that describes visual aspects. It’s mainly intended for blind and visually impaired audiences, but it can benefit and be enjoyed by anyone.
As I said earlier, I was right about this audio description. This also means I’m not disappointed since I went in with very low expectations.
Review
The writing is good. The word choice is good for the audience it targets. The language is similar to most Netflix series, so it should be very familiar.
Descriptions are delivered in a minimal style. The best part about this description style is that it doesn’t overwhelm the viewer. It’s easy to listen to and I don’t feel like I have to put too much effort into paying attention. It’s usually very engaging. However, it tends to lack detail, such as descriptions of physical features, clothing, and setting.
While this audio description is minimal, it does add some interesting details that are important to the story. The diary page that William took, for example, one of the biggest details. There is, however, no description of the characters. There are no physical features mentioned or what ages they are. I know William is in his fifties, but the audio description didn’t mention that. I know this because, as I mentioned earlier, this series is based on a book and I read the synopsis which gave me this information.
If at least the age category of the characters was mentioned, it could have explained the concerns Ingrid had. Ingrid mentions being concerned that Anna is much older than Jay. How old is Jay? How much older is Anna? Is she William and Ingrid’s age? I don’t know. This wasn’t clarified by the audio description or the series.
Clothing is described in certain moments. I can’t remember exact descriptions, but I remember thinking the clothes were pretty. I’m pretty sure dresses are described.
This series is very sexually explicit. Each episode has at least one sex scene. The audio description for them is boring. Every single audio described sex scene seems to use the exact same words. I’m so tired.
Audio description writers, please, I’m begging you, read romance novels. Find better words to describe sex. Don’t make them sound like technical manuals. They’re so uncomfortable to listen to. This is besides being boring.
The describer’s performance is engaging. They have a neutral voice and they’re not distracting. When this vocal performance is taken to the extreme, however, describers can become invisible, distracting, and forgettable.
The audio description is edited well. The describer doesn’t interrupt dialogue and allows viewers to appreciate music and silence.
Currently, Netflix offers the series audio described in English, French, Spanish, German, Brazilian Portuguese, European Spanish, Hindi, and Italian. From what I can see, these are most of the languages the series is offered in. This is better, but, as it’s not in all the languages, it still excludes viewers. I hope they get better.
Conclusion
Overall, the audio description is okay. I’m very curious about the Spanish ones. I’ll watch them eventually and let you know my thoughts. I rate it three stars. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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