Spoilers for season one of The Society below, so proceed with caution!
If you're anything like me, you've whizzed through The Society on Netflix and are now deeply obsessed with all things New Ham. The sci-fi thriller revolves around a group of teenagers who find themselves mysteriously transported to a facsimile of their Connecticut town, which looks identical but contains no trace of their parents or loved ones. From there a battle of the wills breaks out among the teenagers as they struggle to establish order and make (and break) dangerous alliances in order to gain control of their situation.
Any show that's a blend of Lord of the Flies and celebrated teen shows like 90210 and Gossip Girl is bound to stir up drama, and it definitely does. But the first season also left me with a number of important questions, which range from wondering about Cassandra's fate to what that adorable dog is up to. Ready to break things down with me? Let's dive in.
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Let's face it: all the characters in The Society, except for maybe Sam and Gideon's new baby girl, are trash for some reason or another. And I get it – they're teenagers! They're full of angst! And hormones! And probably freaking out about the town's Axe body spray shortage! But that doesn't change the fact that they're the worst, except for the show's greatest character: the dog!
The fluffy black and white dog pops up here and there after their town is pulled into whatever alternate universe they're stuck in. Eventually Elle finds him scrounging for food outside her home and invites him inside, where she gives him treats and plenty of love. This, of course, doesn't go over well with her abusive, psychopath boyfriend Campbell, who is jealous of pretty much everyone and everything who takes Elle's attention away from him, including the dog. Elle comes out of the shower one night to find the dog missing, and Campbell washing what looks like blood from his hands in the sink. He denies having seen the dog and blames his disappearance on Elle leaving the back door open.
At the very end of the season, though, it looks like the dog survived! And is back in the original universe, apparently?! I just really want him to be OK, you guys.
When the dog arrives back in the original version of West Ham, he runs into Allie and Cassandra's mother. She's walking into a library wearing a yellow remembrance ribbon on her jacket, and she proceeds to read a book to a group of young children also wearing ribbons. Behind her is a large plaque with the words "We Remember Them" engraved on the top, and the names of all the students who disappeared below. Could this mean that, back in the real world, their parents found evidence of their deaths? Or did they just disappear? It's unclear. But whatever the truth, obviously their parents and the rest of the town are treating the situation like they're gone for good.
I know, I know — Greg Dewey confesses to shooting Cassandra and is found guilty. But despite his confession, it's important to note that The Society never actually shows us who murders Cassandra. In the scene, Cassandra is ambushed by an unseen assailant with a gun when she's cleaning up after the school's impromptu prom late at night. She briefly begs for her life before being shot twice in the stomach, and is left to bleed out alone on the sidewalk. Yes, it could have actually been Dewey, but not having seen the shooter we can't be 100 percent sure.
If you ask me, the show is saving a big reveal for its potential second season, when we'll learn that Cassandra's murderer was actually someone else all along (*cough* Campbell *cough*). If Allie or the members of The Guard who killed Dewey find out they killed an innocent person, it could be enough to destroy alliances and shatter any semblance of rule within the town.
Speaking of Cassandra, what happens to the people who die in New Ham? Like Cassandra, Dewey, and that unfortunate girl who gets bit by a snake? Does death in this alternate universe function the same way as it does in the real world, or does something funky happen with their existence? To be honest, the only reason this thought even crossed my mind is because of the dog, since he seems to survive whatever Campbell does to him and end up back in the original town.
I understand that New Ham probably allows the teens' phones to still be able to text and call each other simply for the fact that the show's writers wanted to use texting as a way to move certain plot points forward, but other than that . . . well, it makes zero sense. It's not like there are cell towers in the new version of the town, right? And obviously there's no internet or WiFi. Although, looking on the bright side, I guess none of them have to worry about getting an angry text from their dad about using all the data for the month.
The most troubling storyline in season one is the abusive relationship between Elle and Campbell. Sam, Campbell's brother, tells a highly disturbing story about how their parents had Campbell tested when he was a kid and he's a legitimate psychopath (one who gleefully and graphically murdered their pet bird). Unfortunately, Campbell takes a shine to Elle right off the bat, telling her she's pretty and that they're "the same" (i.e. loners with a darkness to them).
Even though he repeatedly vows to never hurt her, we see him do everything from hold her head underwater in the bathtub to leaving her with dark bruises and deep cuts all over her body from his physical abuse. She attempts to escape his hold over her by poisoning him on Thanksgiving, but that backfires when the pie she tainted ends up eaten by a bunch of other classmates and she's left with even more guilt to shoulder.
By the end of the season Elle almost makes it out of the relationship thanks to Allie and Helena's protection, but her efforts are thwarted when Campbell and Harry overthrow the "government" set up by Allie. Campbell drags Elle back to their home under the impression that Allie had imprisoned Elle, so he doesn't hurt her (at least not that we see). But the final shot of Elle makes it clear that she's not done fighting — not by a long shot.
The only acceptable answer to this question is YES, 100 PERCENT YES. Protect them at all costs.
Just when Allie and Will finally find a way to each other, their rule is overthrown by Harry, Campbell, and Lexie and they're arrested. The coup is still in charge in the final episode, even though Lexie and Harry seem to be regretting their actions judging from the hesitant look they share. As for Will and Allie, they're handcuffed and thrown in the back of the car on their way to . . . jail? To be shot in the woods like Dewey? It's up in the air.
In the very first scene in The Society, we come upon Harry and Kelly making out behind the school during a play. When Allie comes to let them know that Harry is due to go onstage, she remarks that "the smell" is back, and they all hold their noses as they rush inside. Unfortunately we don't find out much more about the smell before the kids go missing (not even what it smells like).
All we know is that it smelled bad enough that the town leaders called the EPA to come and remove it. Later, Sam finds documents that reveal a man from the EPA was able to get rid of the smell for $1.5 million, but when West Ham reneged on their deal, suddenly the smell returned. The man who got rid of the smell was seen in a tense meeting with town leaders just before the fateful student field trip, and then shows up later as the bus driver who brings all the kids to their new and terrifying version of West Ham before he disappears.
Now, given all the religious themes and Easter eggs scattered throughout the series — the scripture on the wall, redemption and condemnation, one of the characters becoming a literal preacher — could the smell be . . . a portal to hell or purgatory, of some kind? A sci-fi version of a deal with the devil gone wrong? I know that sounds a little bit insane, but it could be the physical manifestation of the town's adults being "found wanting," and the punishment that they must endure because of that. No one ever describes what it smells like, but if there's so much of a murmur of sulfur next season, keep this in mind.
Also, it's important to note that the smell does not exist in New Ham. Their slates have essentially been wiped clean when they arrive there, free from the sins of their parents. As Helena notes in one episode, they now have the chance to be better than their parents, and to right previous wrongs. Given how season one ends, we wouldn't be surprised if the smell returns at some point.
