We’re getting to the point in the Streaming Era where services are starting to gain certain reputations. Paramount+ is the streaming service for broadcast hits like the Yellowstone Cinematic Universe, HBO is where you go for prestige Sunday night shows, and Apple TV+ is full of innovative sci-fi series. Netflix, however, doesn’t seem to have a firm identity in place: it’s known for Bridgerton as much as Stranger Things.
But with its latest series, East of Eden, we may have just seen Netflix corner at least one corner of the streaming landscape: lofty, epic adaptations of multigenerational sagas. Zoe Kazan’s take on John Steinbeck’s masterpiece is a resplendent, candlelit melodrama full of high-concept monologues and a collage-style presentation, and it shows what the streamer does best: big stories on the small screen.
