Throughout history, mystical creatures have been mentioned in books, lores and stories. However, you would never expect that supernatural creatures could come to life as humans through science. The new science fiction Netflix series, “The Imperfects” is about three young adults searching for a doctor who experimented on them to remove their now unsuppressed abilities. They were tested on through gene therapy experiments, which caused them to develop special skills as side effects. Now, they find themselves in a bind as they have run out of medicine to help control their genetic disorder, Acute Genetic Decay Syndrome, a cellular decay inside their body.
These three characters, a succubus, a banshee and a chupacabra, face their problems as they search for the man who can cure them all. Their search for the scientist brings more challenges as their abilities as imperfects grow. An imperfect is someone with special abilities due to the experiments they were involved in. This scientist is Dr. Alex Sarkov (Rhys Nicholson). Dr. Sarkov’s excuse for vanishing was to do more experiments on other people. He believes he has to save people from their misery because their powers are out of control while experimenting on them for a cure. He uses his research in synthetic stem cells to create the next evolution of humans. To Dr. Sarkov, synthetic stem cells are the next big breakthrough in creating perfect superhuman beings and saving humanity from a genetic disorder. Since he has no moral code, he is willing to let his hands get dirty in the name of science. This includes murder, hunting and continuing to experiment on people who cannot control their abilities.
In contrast, Dr. Sydney Burke (Italia Ricci) has a moral code and is willing to allow her research to die in peace, refusing to let it fall into the wrong hands. She worked with Dr. Sarkov in synthetic stem cell research until she realized how dangerous it was. She helps the banshee, succubus and chupacabra through their problems as they figure out the cure for their disease. While she is helping them, many plans go awry internally as if someone else is trying to ruin the research and the treatment.
Abbi Singh (Rhianna Jagpal) is a succubus who can spread her pheromones to others to influence their feelings. This poses a problem for her in her everyday life as people are constantly attracted to her due to her pheromones. Her pheromones contradict her identity as she is asexual and has no interest in relationships. She is scared of allowing her pheromones to spread because she does not want her friends, family or strangers to fall head over heels for her. Her pheromones also grow over time and change colors depending on her emotions.
Tilda Weber (Morgan Taylor Campbell) is a banshee who can control her echolocation and hearing. However, her hearing causes her pain daily, especially since she is in a band. To help overcome her super hearing, Tilda wears noise-canceling headphones when she cannot take her medicines to keep her side effects at bay. Her problem with super hearing is that she can hear everything, and it is painful for her. Her ability as a banshee is helpful throughout the series as she can focus on the sounds of everything, including heartbeats, body rhythm and many other noises.
Lastly, Juan Ruiz (Iñaki Godoy) is a chupacabra; he cannot control who or what he eats. In the morning, he would wake up in the middle of nowhere, his clothes shredded and bloodied. He would feel guilty because he has a big heart. His problem is that there is a website about his monster side called The Terror of Tacoma that warns people to be careful of this chupacabra, not knowing it is Juan the whole time. His imperfection also caused problems for his family as he does not see his brother due to their past. By being around his family, he can learn to recognize when he changes into a chupacabra and uses his form for good instead of eating whatever is in front of him. His ability to transform into a chupacabra depends on who he wants to protect from danger.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the series as it is full of jokes that the audience can relate to and laugh at. I could relate to their problems as they are problems that ordinary people deal with in real life, especially with Tilda, whose self-growth surrounds dealing with death and her friends. There are some love interests, so I am rooting for two couples to acknowledge their feelings and choose to either act on them or not. The drama, action, puns, jokes and mystery maintain my interest. I enjoy how these mythical creatures are used in the show to illustrate everyday people who have real problems like us and are learning to utilize their abilities. I feel there could be more explanations for subjects such as synthetic stem cells, AGDC and answers to some questions. One of the questions that have remained throughout the show is: how did the three unsuspecting people not realize that they were part of the experiment until they ran out of medicine, especially if they were told partial truths about their time with Dr. Sarkov for seven years?
This show is for you if you enjoy a quirky, fun action comedy with a little mystery. In the first season of ‘The Imperfects,’ there are 10 episodes that are 45 minutes each. Enjoy the roller coaster of twists and turns. The ending will likely surprise you as it did to me.
“The Imperfects” is available to stream on Netflix.
By Ayla Hooper