Netflix Pick – The Get Down Part 2
Taking a break from diligently working on the custom So Wizard merchandise store I have to get the Netflix Pick out to the Wiz Kids. The Get Down debuted in 2016 by the incredibly visual creator Baz Luhrman. The Get Down Part 2 came out last month and did a lot to move the whole project up to the next level. Let me explain.
The Get Down follows a fictional hip-hop group in the late 70’s. Based on a lot of real artists of the time including Grandmaster Flash who shows up as a character serves as the group’s mentor in the series. The fictional characters are inserted perfectly into the real history of NYC, specifically the Bronx, as the 70s are giving way to the 80s. If you don’t know much about the city’s condition at this time the series will be seriously eye opening.
I won’t waste a lot of time going over what the series is since this is the second part. I did a write up for part one back in August 2016 you can check out here.
The characters established in the first series are back and their stories evolve. The more childish aspects of their lives are pushed aside as the harsh reality of their environment begins to crash in on them. The almost goofy aspect of the first part that was charmingly fun still shows up now and again but the second half has definitely taken on a more serious tone.
While Zeke, Shaolin Fantastic, and Mylene are still the core leads the side characters are given a lot more development. Even Jayden Smith’s Dizzee has some good development despite his limited screen time.
At first the switch is jarring. It feels like a different creative team picked up the property to run with it. In reality it was a brilliant way to get you into the character’s heads. You can’t stay a kid forever and in the world of crime, poverty, and racial prejudice the Get Down Boys were forced to grow up faster than most. Even the group’s semi-patriarchal figure is revealed to be more of a real world Peter Pan than an actual role model. Zeke and Shaolin Fantastic spend a lot of the series butting heads and trying to force a friendship that is ever widening. It’s tragic to see after spending so much time with these characters.
The one addition to this half of the series that didn’t work so well was the cartoon styling. It wasn’t that it was necessarily badly done it just felt like a crutch. A lot of plot was condensed into these quick drawings and it felt cheap. Rather than telling and acting out the story we were given cliff notes. Doing the cartoons in the style and characteristics of the era makes it as good as it can be but all in all an extra episode or two to give everything the time it deserved made a lot of difference.
The music, the core draw to the show, is a bit more prevalent in this which is fantastic. Hip hop is in full swing and disco takes the backseat. Mylene’s career careens and evolves, for better or worse, but The Get Down Boys find their stride. Without going into too much detail the final music number is absolutely stunning. Using a lot of real world artists and songs the titular band blends seamlessly and their point is made without feeling heavy handed and without breaking the mold of the show.
The older Ezekiel at his concert is all the narration the series needed. Figuring out the connection and theorizing on what happens to certain characters was interesting in the first half but crucial in the second. The series ends quicker than expected. The ending is powerful, well told, and dramatic. Clues and information is peppered throughout the core narrative, the older Zeke’s raps, and in the condensed cartoons. Every character gets a little something whether it’s implied or direct. For a series that spends so much time in fantasy the ending is surprisingly grounded and realistic. I can see viewers not appreciating certain aspects of the final episode but it’s a powerhouse for a short lived series and well worth your time.
Rewatching the series, which I fully intend to, will reveal even more information of this ensemble cast of interesting characters.
The Get Down started as a fun little thing made by someone who, at least, always delivered an interesting take. It ends as a great piece of fiction based in history with a slew of characters you will inevitably care about. It fires on every cylinder and is well worth putting up with the parts you may not like to get the truly amazing moments.
