The post-apocalyptic show "The Rain" was entertaining, though failed to deliver a solid ending

2018 - 2020 | Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic/Thriller

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For those into post-apocalyptic fiction and YA drama, The Rain, a Danish show on Netflix, is certainly a binge-worthy contender that leaves you constantly excited to see what happens next; at least in the beginning. Upon watching the pilot, I was immediately hooked, finding myself saying the common phrase “just one more episode” in a weak effort to stop the several-hour binge I was treading towards; spoiler, I failed.

Now, admittedly, The Rain is not full of many surprises in terms of being beyond the classic tropes often seen in survivalist dramas, but there is still plenty of romance, betrayal, heartbreak, and intense life-or-death situations to keep the show captivating with its viewers glued to the screen.

Created by Danish filmmakers Jannik Tai Mosholt, Christian Potalivo, and Esben Toft Jacobsen, the Danish dystopian thriller wastes no time in idle build-up, opting to throw viewers immediately into the action upon the near first drop of water.

We start the first episode by watching teenage Simone’s (Alba August) panic-eyed face as she rushes to school to join her friends, all nervous about their upcoming test. However, things take a quick turn once Simone’s dad, Fredrick Anderson (Lars Simonsens), comes charging down the hall, grabbing Simone’s arm and leading her to be with the rest of the family, providing no explanation except warnings about the impending rain coming.

The family eventually ends up at a high-tech bunker just in time before the rain falls. Once safe, Fredrick leaves his family, insisting he can save the world while informing Simone that her task is to protect her brother, Rasmus (Lucas Lyngaard Tønnesen), as he’s the key to saving the world from the lethal virus embedded in the rain. After he leaves, tragedy strikes their mom, leaving Simone and Rasmus alone in the bunker for six years with no idea what had transpired outside the bunker, having dutifully waited for their father’s return.

Leaving the bunker, Simone and Rasmus are joined by a group of young adults merely hoping to find food and survive, each offering unique perspectives in comparison to the naïve siblings who have trouble adjusting to the world they’ve been sheltered from.

While the others can kill, lie, seduce, or threaten others without a second thought, having been forced to survive in a dystopian Denmark for six years, Simone and Rasmus lead with the idealized version of wanting to save and help everyone, shedding tears with each loss or tragedy witnessed.

The Rain showcases the perspective on what people do when fighting for their life or having lost everything important to them. It also brings up the unique premise of a seemingly innocent drop of rain being a lethal weapon, violently killing anyone at the slightest touch. This is seen when Beatrice (Angela Bundalovic), Rasmus and Martin’s first love interest, is believed to have been hit with a drop of water from the ceiling, sparking both her and Rasmus into an intense panic.

We spend the show following the two siblings, yet the support characters are colorful in their own regard, each adding to the plot without feeling unnecessary.

Moreover, no one is truly safe. While there are many instances in dramas that either pointlessly kill a character or, oppositely, avoid doing it completely, this Danish program ensures that you’re reminded of everyone’s mortality and MOST losses feel understandable (emphasis on most). You feel the emotions along with the characters, having watched them bond and travel in a group, only to witness tragedy consistently strike in unexpected ways.

Nevertheless, as the main mystery of the show continued to unravel, namely, how the virus was created, how Rasmus had acquired both immunity and lethal abilities from said virus, and how to stop the deadly infection, one can’t help but begin to have more questions.

Why was Fredrick Anderson involved? How was the virus infiltrated specifically within the rain and not, say, the air too? What was Apollon’s goal? Why were Simone and the group randomly able to stand in the rain at one point? The list feels endless.

As each episode continued, more plot holes ensued, walking the difficult line between realism and fantasy while struggling to maintain the initial steam it once had in its captivating beginning. By the final season, most of its charm began falling away for me, not happy with the direction they took Rasmus, Simone, and the overall plot switch.

Simone began feeling more invested in Martin than she was in Rasmus, breaking away from her previously unrelenting, protective stance towards her brother, while Rasmus had begun a rapid descent into becoming overwhelmed with power under the guise of wanting to “help” people but worsening the overall issue.

Again, the characters in this show are full of their own unique personalities that all, as any good character should, come with flaws. However, the issue was that the flaws began to consume all that we previously loved about the characters, completely devastating all of my initial hopes, excitement, and expectations, yet leaving more questions in its wake while forgoing the original plot.

By the finale, I could hardly pay attention to what was happening and felt very unsatisfied with the conclusion, as the main questions we seemingly were working towards remained and we were back at square one. The only thing accomplished was certain character deaths on the final episode that felt forced due to the show having dug them into a tight spot.

The first season was wonderfully intriguing, the second entertaining (though more questions began), and by the third, it was finished unsatisfactory. I do not regret my decision at watching the show and still found it to be enjoyable despite having lacked originality in terms of its post-apocalyptic genre. The acting was phenomenal, the quality of the production was great, and there were some top-notch storytelling plotlines.

Though, if the writers were attempting to take the show to a more original, plot twist ending as it seemed to be intended, there were much better ways to accomplish that without having left so many questions unanswered while desecrating the main characters and plot.