by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
Hulu is looking to breathe new life into a classic rogue by spinning an original tale and shoving a beloved supporting character squarely into the spotlight with The Artful Dodger.
A sequel to the Charles Dickens classic, Oliver Twist, the show picks up 15 years later as Dodger (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) has found a life as a surgeon in the colony of Australia after cutting his teeth in the British navy, when Fagin (David Thewlis) shows up. As Dodger tries to stay on the straight and narrow, he finds a kinship with the governor’s daughter, Lady Belle Fox (Maia Mitchell), who seeks to escape the constraints of her own life and pursue her passion for medicine.
This show is a performance piece, though not in the way you might usually think. I don’t think it will be winning many awards, but the cast is the reason I had so much fun here. They’re all solid, and honorable mentions go out to the antagonist for the series, Captain Gaines (Damon Herriman), and Belle’s mother, Lady Fanny Fox (Lucy-Rose Leonard), but it’s really about our main trio. For Brodie-Sangster in the lead role, it feels like a logical progression from the young character the original novel introduces us to. Now, I’m not overly familiar with the character, aside from what has seeped in from pop culture osmosis (the only Dodger I’m familiar with has fur, four legs, and is voiced by Billy Joel), but the portrayal makes sense for me. The performance oozes the charm and charisma that served him well in his previous life — one he tries desperately to keep from backsliding into. Thewlis is a real standout as Fagin. He chews all of the scenery and has a blast doing it. There’s a sleaziness that somehow manages to come off as charming. It’s a wonderful dichotomy to observe. Mitchell inhabits a role we’ve seen before, a woman ahead of her time seeking to buck the role society says she must play, but she does so in a way that works with the narrative.
All three performances are good enough on their own, but they’re elevated by the way Dodger interacts with the other two. With one, the reason is pretty simple. There’s an almost effortless chemistry between Brodie-Sangster and Mitchell — and not just when they’re trying to sell a romantic spark. They work together seamlessly as colleagues, too. Seeing them interact always put a smile on my face, minus the handful of moments where the song and dance of tension has to play out. The complicated relationship between Dodger and Fagin is fascinating, given the complex factors at play and the long history and baggage that doesn’t exist with the other relationship. Fagin just can’t seem to help himself with setting up the next con as soon as possible, and watching Dodger be exacerbated trying to rein his darker impulses in provides its fair share of amusement. The show thrives on witty repartee and offers it in spades. Even when it has to go for drama over comedy, it largely works.
Hulu is taking a page out of Netflix’s playbook with this one by dropping every episode at once, and I think it works to their benefit. The watching experience is improved by the ability to roll from one episode to the next. Everything from the performances, to the editing, to the score by Antony Partos is bursting with energy that just makes you want to keep watching. The story keeps the momentum moving at a rapid-fire pace with plenty of wit and humor. That makes the episodes internally flow well, though how the pace moves from episode to episode can be a bit jarring. At times, it does seem that certain threads are left hanging, and some of the “twists” don’t always work. However, with the frantic pace with which things progress, I was too often enjoying the ride too much to care overly much about it.
Technically, the show is also well done. It doesn’t have the gravitas that you get from some other prestige series that will be fighting it out at the Emmys, but that’s not always what I’m looking for. Sometimes all I want is a fun, good-humored romp, and The Artful Dodger more than delivers on that.
Rating: Liked It
The Artful Dodger is currently streaming on Hulu
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