The fourth episode, titled "The Ocean Will Have Us All," stands out as a particularly riveting piece of television. While the episode provides a more direct look at the creature that has been terrorizing the coast, its true impact lies in its portrayal of human frailty. It showcases the lengths to which individuals are willing to go when pushed to the brink, and the devastating sacrifices they are prepared to make for their own selfish gains. The final minutes of the episode offer gutting displays of inhumanity, portraying a breakdown of social order that only begins to find its context in the penultimate episode, "Little Pot Rock." This structural choice keeps the audience off-balance, mirroring the disorientation of the characters as their world is literally and figuratively submerged.
Ultimately, "Below" succeeds because it treats its central metaphor with sincerity. The climate crisis is not merely a background detail; it is the engine of the plot. By focusing on the Penney family and the specific geography of Newfoundland, McKeown addresses the fragility of life and the impermanence of the places we call home. The show serves as a stark reminder of how small humanity is when measured against the scale of the universe and the power of the natural world.
The series concludes by reminding its audience that change is an inevitable force, as relentless as the tide. In the face of such overwhelming shifts, the only path forward is to adapt and adjust. "Below" is a captivating ride that manages to blend horror, suspense, and environmental activism into a truly unique story. It challenges the viewer to look beneath the surface—not just of the ocean, but of our own motivations and the structures we have built to protect ourselves from a world that is rapidly becoming unrecognizable.
"Below" is now streaming on Netflix.
