The Mosquito Coast. Apple TV Plus makes its mark.

The Mosquito Coast

Episode 1


Now I’m going to shoot straight. Some TV series simply feel as though they have been written directly for me. The Mosquito Coast on Apple TV plus is one of these rare series. On the rare chance that I do experience this uncanny phenomenon I am often quick to realise that I have finally found something worth watching. Now….I know this comment may seem selfish and somewhat delusional but hey, I’ll gladly accept my faults as a person if you the reader can accept my somewhat biased television recommendations. The truth is simply because of the shear volume of TV experiences now available world wide of course I was eventually going to find something that played into my Confirmation Bias. In fact knowing that it was playing into my confirmation bias has given me the opportunity to enjoy it more. After all, when all is said and done I am the viewer it was written for and I enjoy that fact that someone else in the world recognises the important issues raised in this TV series. Watching it gave me a good helping of vindication and personally I believe that vindication is the sweetest and most useful variety of pride there is.
So, what did I enjoy about this show the most? Well, that would the following. It’s the system that’s the problem. That’s the message I got from episode one of The Mosquito Coast. Which, as it surprisingly turns out is actually a brilliant reimagining of the same namesake film originally released in 1986 which starred Harrison Ford while he was in his prime.
Many societal themes run throughout the entirety of the episode. Amongst these themes are many of the most debated topics of the current age. The various topics touched upon include homeschooling vs government sponsored system education. Enforced Authority vs parental authority, enforced coercive family behaviours and of course the big one, climate change. Chaos and it’s impacts also plays an important role throughout the episode and is brilliantly represented on screen by the presence of a single butterfly. Underpinning the entire episode is the story of one mans consistent struggle to break away from the invisible prison of the modern first world civilisation we find ourselves in today. Painted against this some what desperate backdrop is also the secretive story of this particular mans reason for avoiding first world life at all costs. One quote, mentioned by Mr Fox’s own daughter early on in the episode is particularly poignant. It is as follows.
“Do you ever wonder? If dad is so smart how we got to be so poor”
This quote alone opens up a world of mystery and forces the viewer to ask why Mr Fox lives the way that he chooses. Another question the viewer soon asks is Why is Mr Fox and his family in hiding? These questions help to pique the viewers interest and creates a TV experience that is genuinely exciting and something worth looking forward to. In fact after watching episode one I careened directly into episode two. Something I have not done since watching Mr Robot. It has been some time since I have been as captivated by a television series such as this.
Ultimately The Mosquito Coast TV series is a perfect blend of the previous best TV had to offer. While watching it you will encounter moments of brilliance that have not been seen since Breaking Bad or Mr Robot. The team behind the production have taken the time and care to produce a dramatic TV series that is of top caliber entertainment. You may also unintentionally learn something useful along the way. Which is unironically one of the themes deliberately imbedded within the storyline of the series.
It is fair to say that I finally I have another reason to watch Apple TV+. And for that matter, so do you.