Netflix’s 8-Hour Sci-Fi Mystery Thriller Is Secretly One Of DC’s Best TV Shows

Buried within Netflix’s catalog is an eight-hour sci-fi mystery thriller that, at first glance, doesn’t even appear to belong in the DC conversation. The comic book publisher is mostly known for stories about superheroes like Superman and Batman, but they do dabble in other narratives that are just as enthralling. DC has built its legacy on complex stories and has constantly reinvented itself as the years go by, dipping its toes in genres like sci-fi and horror and thereby proving that it is more than the home of some of the world’s best superhero characters.

Lamentably, one of DC’s most intriguing shows, Bodies, has largely flown under the radar as it has been overshadowed by more famous stories. The Netflix crime series, which was released in 2023, does something exceptionally well: it weaves science fiction, historical drama, and crime thriller into its narrative, genres that combine to create a cohesive and enjoyable story. Beginning as a crime drama, the non-superhero DC adaptation becomes even more intriguing as it goes on with its layered structure that spans multiple timelines and characters.

Bodies succeeds where other shows haven’t because it never loses its identity throughout its eight episodes. Its high-concept sci-fi story, coupled with a great detective mystery, is incredibly appealing, especially as it doesn’t sacrifice one genre for the other. Bodies is the type of show that challenges its viewers and makes them question everything until the very end.

Netflix’s Bodies Is Actually A DC Vertigo Adaptation

While Netflix’s Bodies has been widely praised as a gripping sci-fi crime thriller, what many viewers may not realize is that the series is actually rooted in DC’s Vertigo imprint, which is historically known for its mature narratives. Based on the 2015 graphic novel of the same name by Si Spencer, the Netflix sci-fi show carries the unmistakable DNA of Vertigo storytelling. This connection becomes increasingly apparent as the series unfolds, revealing a layered story that spans multiple timelines.

Much like Vertigo’s most celebrated works, Bodies‘ structure, which follows four detectives across different eras investigating the same murder, reflects the kind of ambitious storytelling that defined Vertigo titles such as The Sandman and Preacher.

The Netflix miniseries received generally positive reviews from audiences and critics alike. In fact, Bodies even has the same critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes as The Sandman, a respectable 81%, thereby proving that Vertigo adaptations have a place in modern TV.

With The Sandman and Preacher having reached their conclusion, Bodies is the next best thing for audiences looking to explore other stories that Vertigo has to offer. Its time-travelling themes are perfect for sci-fi fans, while the show’s nuanced murder investigations will resonate with audiences who enjoy top-notch crime dramas.

Bodies Is One Of TV’s Best Time-Travel Series

Sci-fi stories with a time-traveling concept are a dime a dozen. As such, it’s easy for a show like Bodies to fade into the background. When the series begins, it doesn’t immediately reveal that it’s actually a science fiction show as it unfolds its narrative like a typical crime drama. It’s only in the third episode that viewers are rewarded with an explanation for why the same body, with the same markings, has been appearing in different timelines and what that ultimately means for the detectives investigating what happened.

What’s even more interesting about Bodies’ time travel concept is that it’s nothing like what we see in other TV shows with similar storylines. In the series, The Throat serves as the way its characters go back and forth in time. At the heart of this mechanism is the idea of a temporal paradox, specifically a bootstrap paradox, where cause and effect become indistinguishable. Basically, the progression of major events occurs only because they have already happened, creating a self-sustaining loop with no clear starting point.

Bodies is one of the smartest sci-fi TV shows out there, particularly because of how it handles its time travel. Rather than presenting time travel as a way to fix mistakes, the show explores the idea that every action creates consequences that can echo through generations. It’s incredibly satisfying to see how every event in Bodies ties together with an explanation that is almost impossible to see coming.

Release Date

2023 – 2023-00-00

Showrunner

Paul Tomalin

Directors

Marco Kreuzpainter, Haolu Wang

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