The Boroughs - Season 1: Episode 1 - "Welcome to the Boroughs" Review & Recap (Netflix)
- Jimmy Palmquist
- May 27
- 4 min read
There was something oddly confusing going into The Boroughs. Maybe it was just me, but I genuinely thought this was being promoted as the next big series from Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer. While they are Executive Producers here, the real creative credit belongs to creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who also penned the premiere episode. I only bring this up because they deserve their deserved kudos. And honestly? I’m glad the Duffer Brothers’ names got me in the door because this premiere absolutely hooked me.
Anywho, Directed by Ben Taylor, “Welcome to the Boroughs” feels very much in the spirit of Stranger Things, but instead of kids on bikes uncovering supernatural horrors, we’re following retirees trying to survive whatever nightmare is lurking inside a luxury desert retirement community. It’s such a fun twist on familiar genre storytelling that it instantly stands apart.
It also reassured me that the Duffer Brothers are selective producers. I love Wes Craven and most of his directed films, but I can’t say the same about some of the projects he merely produced. Wes Craven Presents Dracula 2000 comes to mind. R.I.P. Mr. Craven. The Boroughs on the other hand, immediately feels like something everyone involved genuinely cared about.
And this show wastes absolutely no time.
The opening scene introduces us to Grace, played by horror legend Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Cujo), video chatting with her husband Edward, played by Ed Begley Jr. (This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show). We quickly realize Edward is suffering from something resembling dementia while living in a specialized facility. The call abruptly ends after one of his episodes, and before viewers can even settle in, Grace is attacked in her home by… something. Her desperate attempt to flee through the front door while screaming for help sets a genuinely creepy tone right out of the gate. The show makes it clear immediately that nobody is safe.
From there we meet Sam Cooper, played wonderfully by Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2, Magnolia). Sam is being moved into The Boroughs by his daughter Claire (Jena Malone - Contact, The Neon Demon), her husband Neil (Rafael Casal - Blindspotting, Bad Education), and grandson Cody (Eldon Jones - Love Lies Bleeding). The Boroughs itself is immediately unsettling despite its beauty, a pristine retirement community hidden in the desert with one guarded road in and out. Everything looks perfect: clean streets, smiling residents, gorgeous homes, and community events everywhere. Which of course means something is deeply wrong.
Sam wants absolutely nothing to do with this place.
His late wife Lilly, played in memories and visions by Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle, Pleasantville), planned their move here before passing away. Now Sam is stuck honoring a dream he probably never really wanted. Alfred Molina absolutely nails the bitterness, grief, and exhaustion of a man who feels like life already ended once his wife died. He’s grumpy, stubborn, sarcastic, and honestly kind of miserable to everyone around him, but understandably so.
The supporting cast is stacked with familiar faces. Alfre Woodard (Hearts and Souls, Scrooged) and Clarke Peters (The Wire, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) are charming as Sam’s free-spirited neighbors Judy and Art Daniels. Geena Davis (Beetlejuice, A League of Their Own) plays Renee Joyce, an artist teaching classes at the community center who immediately feels like she’s hiding more beneath the surface. Eric Edelstein (Fresh Off the Boat, Twin Peaks) plays security chief Hank Williams, while Bill Pullman (Spaceballs, Independence Day) steals scenes as Jack Willard, the unofficial ambassador of The Boroughs and the relentlessly cheerful face of the community.
The episode does an excellent job balancing mystery, horror, humor, and emotional drama. Sam spends much of the episode trying to escape his contract and reject everyone attempting to welcome him, but there are hints of humanity underneath the bitterness. He helps repair Renee’s noisy car, even if he insists it’s only because it kept waking him up.
On the haunting front, Sam starts seeing things that are really there. But it's borderline as he also has "normal" dreams involving fond memories of Lilly. His visions of Lilly are increasingly unsettling as they blur the line between grief and possible hallucination.
Meanwhile, Edward becomes obsessed with Sam after returning home to discover Grace missing. Either he was not notified or does not remember due to his condition that his wife has passed. His ramblings about owls in the walls sound insane… until the show starts hinting that maybe he isn’t crazy at all. Their interaction takes a violent turn when Edward stabs Sam during a breakdown, further cementing Sam’s belief that this place is a nightmare.
But the episode’s final moments are what completely sold me.
After finally deciding maybe he should try embracing this new chapter of his life, Sam attends Jack’s welcome cookout. It’s awkward, uncomfortable, and human in a way that makes the residents feel believable instead of caricatures. Then things spiral. Judy begins choking, triggering traumatic memories of Lilly’s death for Sam. He flees home shaken.
Later that night, an alarm wakes Sam. He tracks it to Jack’s house and breaks in to help, only to discover Jack immobilized in bed while a horrifying creature crouches on his chest doing… something to him. Sam tries to save Jack. All we know is the creature flees and Sam has no clue what is going on.
And then the episode ends.
No explanations. No reveal. Just pure dread.
“Welcome to the Boroughs” is an incredibly strong pilot episode that mixes emotional storytelling with unsettling supernatural horror. It introduces a huge cast without feeling bloated, builds mystery effectively, and creates a setting that already feels like a character itself. Most importantly, it leaves you desperate to know what the hell is happening in this community.
If this first episode is any indication, The Boroughs could become one of the most entertaining genre series of the year.
Check out the trailer for the show below:
