Netflix recently released an erotic TV series, and Obsession is getting all the hype an erotica generally gets. This show stars Richard Armitage, Indira Varma, Rish Shah, Sonera Angel, Charlie Murphy, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Marion Bailey and Francesca Knight, alongside other cast members. The episodes are directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, while Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and Benji Walters. This show is based on the novel by Josephine Hart and contains four episodes, each ranging from 30-45 minutes.
Obsession as a Sex Show
-This Article Contains Spoilers for Obsession-
Netflix has been adding a lot of shows and films to the roster that entices the normal erotica watcher. However, some of these shows barely have any plot and instead, focus all their production budget on making a product that screams of the male gaze and blatant sex appeal. Obsession manages to fall under the same trap.
The show starts off pretty tame in just introducing all the characters and the context the protagonist lives in. However, as the episodes progress, we get a first look at how things go incredibly wrong when carnal desires are not curtailed. The show massively focuses on their chemistry and their conventional attractiveness to move the story along. Furthermore, as the characters get more comfortable with each other, their activities become more adventurous.
The themes of sadomasochism and bondage are pretty normal in the show. They start off pretty tame but soon become intense, creating a new dynamic between the two characters. While Anna can separate her sex and romantic relationship, for William, it is all-consuming. He knows the limits of this relationship but continuously pushes the boundaries of it against Anna becoming incredibly toxic. After 365 Days, this seems like a similar extension of toxicity without massive kidnapping offences.
When this writer mentions that there is no plot, they mean it in the way that the writing seems terrible, the actors do a pretty average job with the script given, and the structure of the show seems off immediately. A good adaptation of this story would entail some time for the audiences to get used to their unusual and forbidden relationship. It becomes pretty clear that the streaming platform wanted to move ahead from the story and instead focus on how the physical chemistry manifests through the story.
Additionally, the writers of this series don’t shy away from giving its characters some deep trauma, especially at the expense of them walking in on this harrowing sight. Jay has to see his father have sex with his fiance, and if that wasn’t enough to kill him, they actually do make him fall off the railing, to his death. While everyone else may have qualms about the presence of sex in a drama that talks about bad decisions, this writer is madder about the fact that there is no cunnilingus in this show.
In this progressive and expressive world that accepts sexuality, there has to be some understanding of the fact that many people don’t experience pleasure through conventional methods of having sex. In such a case, where the female protagonist seems keen on that, there must be some payoff. There has to be an appropriate representation of the different kinds of ways people get pleasure. While they did show the male protagonist pleasuring themself, a similar opportunity should have been given to the female character in tandem.
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To conclude, this is most definitely a sex show. There is no way anyone else can think otherwise. It is for people who enjoy watching After, Sex/Life, 365 Days and other shows where the plot is colourful but becomes almost secondary to the sizzling chemistry on screen. While the plot may not be catching, many people may still get some new ideas for their personal lives from this kind of content.
Obsession is currently streaming on Netflix. What did you think of Anna and William? Let us know in the comments, and read our review of the show below.
Also Read: Obsession Review: Desire Takes Over Social Obligation