There’s no shortage of teen survival stories out there: Yellowjackets, The Wilds, and The Society all came out in just the last few years. But in all of them, the survival efforts were a desperate last resort born from a plane crash, supernatural elements, or, in the case of Yellowjackets, possibly both. It’s unusual, to say the least, to see a survival story where the main character chooses to struggle against the brutality of nature because it’s more desirable to them than their normal life.
But voluntary survival isn’t any less terrifying, and a new Netflix series shows how “finding yourself” can mean the most beautiful moments and the most dangerous threats can come only seconds apart.
Penelope, created by Mel Eslyn and Mark Duplass, is inspired by the feeling everyone’s had at least once in their life, especially if they spend all day in front of a screen: What if you just left everything behind and walked into the woods? Penelope (Megan Stott) is a 16-year-old girl who dances at a silent rave, gets friendly reminders from her mom about SAT prep, and otherwise seems to live a mundane, comfortable life, but one day she takes an early morning walk and decides to just not come back.
After a camping store spending spree, she sets off to Cascade National Park by hopping a train. “It’s not you. I’m not running away,” she says in a final message to her parents. “I feel like I’m running towards something. It’s like... I’m being called. Please, just don’t come looking for me. Please don’t be mad at me. I’ll be OK. I just need this. I’ll talk to you soon. I love you.”
After sneaking into the park because she can’t afford a pass, she begins her journey armed only with her new purchases and a survival guide she found in a free library. Over the course of eight episodes, we watch as she figures out how to survive by trial and error and through encounters with other campers. Some are only shown for a scene, but others become co-stars for an episode. An elderly activist (Krisha Fairchild) teaches Penelope about the trees of the forest, while a Catholic teen (The Penguin’s Rhenzy Feliz) struggling with his faith bonds with her.
The lush, gorgeous cinematography pays as much attention to the environment as Penelope, lulling you into thinking the show is a feel-good adventure right up until the thriller elements kick in. Bears, cougars, and even infections leave Penelope fighting for her life over and over again.
If purposefully leaving it all behind even though life looked good from the outside reminds you of Into the Wild and its tragic real-life story of Christopher McCandless, you’re not alone. “I remember reading this book,” Penelope says toward the end of the series. “It was called... Into the Wild? This guy dies on the bus. He’s like right next to civilization. I always thought, ‘What an idiot.’ Why didn’t he just walk out before it was too late? But I get it now. You don’t want to give up.”
Penelope is a vicarious and beautiful journey through the fantasy of starting over, but it also carries a harsh reminder of what we leave behind. This series doesn’t touch on Penelope’s pre-wilderness life until its final seconds, but when it does, it’s one of the most heart-rending shockers of the year, casting all the idyllic montages and tense escapes that came before in an entirely new light.
Even without the big twist, the series is still well worth your time. Maybe we can’t or shouldn’t walk away from our screens and return to the land, but at least we can use our screens to see what it would be like.
