‘The Boroughs’ Season One Review – The Goonies Inside A Retirement Community

The Duffer Brothers and Netflix’s relationship continues beyond Stranger Things. The duo is executive producing a new series for the streaming platform, The Boroughs. The new sci-fi series was co-created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who bring quite a charming Goonies, but in a retirement community, to life. Led by a star-studded ensemble, including Clarke Peters, Alfre Woodard, Alfred Molina, Denis O’Hare, and Geena Davis.

What is ‘The Boroughs’ About?

The Boroughs is set in a retirement community that sees a new guest enter the town. After Jack encounters something off, he is inspired to join a misfit crew that is uncovering a dark secret. Although it may seem like their “golden years” are behind them, they showcase that they are dangerous, ferocious, and more formidable than anyone could expect.

‘The Boroughs’ Series Review

Jack (Bill Pullman) is moving into this retirement community. The atmosphere is almost unreal as it sits in the middle of this desert-like area. He isn’t the most approachable guy in the world. And honestly, it’s not overly shocking, as he doesn’t really fit in with some free-flowing personalities in the community. That all changes when weird things start to unfold, and the Avengers assemble, or in this case, the Old Folks assemble. 

On paper, this type of show isn’t something that I would dive headfirst into. But boy, am I glad I decided to take a chance on it. The first episode reels you in with the mystery of what is ahead, and once it grabs hold of you, it never lets go. It is so well-paced that all the pieces come together beautifully. I literally binge-watched all eight episodes in one sitting. 

When it comes down to the roots of the script, the worldbuilding done by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews is filled with depth. Often, we are stuck with side stories within series that don’t seem like filler. But within The Boroughs, they found a way to enrich the story by highlighting the raw look at people within the retirement community. There is this vulnerability written with the characters that feels real. 

When you have a star-studded cast like you do with this series, it only helps elevate the writing. Of course, with Bill Pullman leading the charge and his crew of retirement misfits, you see each of these actors having a blast. While Pullman leads the charge, I thought the raw moments between Alfre Woodard and Clarke Peters brought some levity to this sci-fi world. I really had a blast with this ensemble. 

One vital aspect of what makes a sci-fi mystery work is the score. Composer John Paesano brings his A game. Not taking anything away from the show, but I didn’t expect it to technically wow me. The cinematography is quite impressive. With Paesano, he significantly elevates those quieter and creepier moments. 

Is ‘The Boroughs’ Worth Watching?

The Boroughs is everything I wanted The Thursday Murder Club to be and more. If you took The Goonies and put it at the retirement community, you would get The Boroughs. A fun, quirky, easy-to-digest series that will have you laughing. You can tell the cast is having a good time, even within this outlandish world they are living in. Ultimately, if you are looking for a quick and easy binge this weekend, add this to the top of the list. 

The Boroughs is currently streaming on Netflix.