The following is my spoiler-free love letter to Lauren Oliver's Panic. Oliver's masterful adaption of her original novel is in the spotlight. So grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair.
Panic is the perfect blend of compelling characters intertwined with life in Carp. Carp is a fictional small town set in Texas. The cultural differences among Kiwis and Texans aside, Panic provides a sharp look at life in rural backwaters. Young people's desire to leave these communities is understandable and found internationally.
I am 36 years old, and I know the feeling of living in regional New Zealand. Moreover, driven by insane housing costs and the Christchurch earthquakes (2010 – 11), I ended up living in Invercargill. Soon, I discovered the local people's eccentric and insular nature. But, alas, that is a discussion for another time.
Curiously, I describe Invercargill as a poor town, with professional sports teams thrown into the mix. Granted, the poverty and the wealth gap portrayed in Panic are worse than in (real-life) Invercargill. But from my life's experiences, I understand why poverty is the ultimate motivation for some of Carp's residents. Oddly, reading military history helped my understanding of those kinds of social issues.
My appreciation for Ray Hall's character grew over time. My initial prejudices against him stem from personal experiences. Yet, I don't find the way Panic challenged my flawed perceptions of Ray or cast new lights on social and economic issues unusual. As a lifelong fan of Star Trek, I subconsciously expect that kind of treatment from my viewing habits.
Incidentally, people who aren't Panic fans might consider the following: If Panic and other hidden gems are at the mercy of the new frontier (streaming services), then are they destine for little known cult followings? I demand better from the people who axed Panic and The Society.
Season 1 of Dawson's Creek and Panic share one thing in common. They are the most fertile seeds for storying telling that I have come across. Yet Dawson's Creek's creators never dealt with network executives threatening the immediate and arbitrary cancellation of that program.
I view Panic fans alongside the best of their Star Trek and Stargate counterparts. Oliver and Panic's supporters are well placed to launch the Carp universe. Heck, Panic held me captive for repeat viewings, something that rarely happens.
So my plea is for Netflix or another streaming service to pick up the rights to season 2 of Panic. Alternately, Prime backtracks and renews the program.
