SPOILER WARNING: MINOR PARTS OF THE IMPERFECTS WILL BE DISCUSSED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Promoted as a “coming-of-rage story,” The Imperfects follows a trio of young adults who’ve undergone experimental treatments, later discovering that said procedures have resulted in some unwanted side effects. Juan, a self-proclaimed “graphic novelist,” transforms into a chupacabra, a Latin American twist to your typical werewolf story arc. Tilda, a rock singer, develops enhanced hearing and a powerful banshee scream. And Abbi, a genetics student, becomes a succubus via enhanced pheromone production. Joined by Dr. Sydney Burke, a scientist with her own well-kept secrets, the group attempts to track down Dr. Alex Sarkov, the man whose experiments are at fault for upending their lives, in an attempt to return to normal.
The Imperfects feels like a throwback to edgy, snarky TV shows like Misfits. The characters are a lot of fun, and the show does a great job at investigating the complexities of morality and what makes a person a “monster.” It’s not afraid to question the boundaries of science and whether we’re all too willing to cross those boundaries whenever it suits us.
Tilda is my personal favorite character, although I have a soft spot for edgy females with good hearts. Morgan Taylor Campbell (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) shows all of Tilda’s inner complexities in such a way that you feel her vulnerability at all times, despite the many walls she puts up. Midway through the season, Tilda experiences a significant loss. The writers did an excellent job of showing Tilda’s grief all the way until the finale, rather than make the mistake of having her move on immediately, as TV shows so often do. Watching her eventually come into her own was so satisfying. I love me a strong banshee.
Juan serves as the group’s moral compass, an appropriate assignment considering his chupacabra side only comes out when his loved ones are in danger. His complex relationship with his estranged brother and niece is something that I don’t see a lot of on TV. The only part of his story arc that’s lacking is some out-of-character behavior towards the end of the series and his relationship with Darcy that doesn’t really add to the plot. Inaki Godoy is just a pleasure to watch, and he really conveys the purity of Juan’s nature.
Abbi has the most interesting initial premise. After all, we haven’t had a succubus main character since Lost Girl, and we’ve certainly never had one who was asexual. Rhianna Jagpal (Motherland: Fort Salem) portrays her personal struggles with morality perfectly. There’s a lot of push and pull between Abbi’s love for science and doing whatever it takes to advance scientific discovery. She’s frustrating at times, but she’s supposed to be. I just wish they’d fleshed out the relationships between her, Hannah, and her family more. While she herself is a strong character, her ties with the others could have used a bit more development.
Dr. Burke/Isabel Finch is a cool take on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The entertainment industry has a bad habit of villainizing those with multiple personality disorders, but luckily the show quickly abandoned that plot point and portrayed Finch as Burke’s uninhibited personality. Italia Ricci (Supergrirl, Chasing Life) and Kyra Zagorsky (The 100) play off each other extraordinarily well.
Overall, the show has some pretty cool effects, doesn’t back away from the weird/gory, and is a pretty good case of proper character study. Some of the pacing can be a bit uneven, but the show is solid. I highly recommend giving it a shot.
The Imperfects was released on Netflix on September 8, 2022. No news on either a renewal or a cancellation has been released as of the creation of this article. Hopefully, plans for a second season will be announced shortly, giving the show and its talented cast a chance to truly shine.