Bad Behaviour

Where to begin?! This is one of those series where it's hard to accurately pinpoint the directors intent but what it does capture, it captures brilliantly enough to warrant praise from my perspective. Often have I bared witness to the abundance of missed opportunities in capturing such a unique dynamic between two symbiotic protagonists who simply cannot exist without, nor with one another. A subtle but constant awareness, a duel, a dare to test the limits and determine just how far they are willing to go to complete and challenge fate itself. Nothing else can exist in their presence given the picture would be otherwise incomplete.

I've read several reviews throwing the word "toxic" around but i'd argue this is only applicable to Jo and her so called friends of whom she'd easily discard for her other half. The series tackles this with her constant need to apologize (for being toxic) despite the fact that its been years and everyone else but them has moved on, explaining the constant flashbacks; a yearning to close a chapter that she may move on.

Thats my take currently as theres currently only four episodes . I dare say perhaps i'm reading into it too much and simply experiencing what the director left open to interpretation based on my own desires but who knows really. Let this review serve as a reminder that whilst currently I am absolutely in love with this series, my prediction is for my opinion to rapidly decline as we progress from EP:4 onwards given its unique nature and humanities (modern writers especially) constant desire to warrant destruction over anything so beautiful and fragile, its flaws must be exposed and laid bare for us to trample our feet upon.. that it may never be beautiful again.

I'm pondering concluding the series here and never picking up the book as I have no desire for tragic endings despite my high praise for the story and its unfolding so far... time will tell.

I remember seeing the ads for this and thinking "wow this could be bad." but I watched it all in one sitting and it ended up being really good? That was the surprising thing. It was just daring to be different and daring to change the normal of just a 'school drama', the director and cast did a fantastic job at bringing this to life, congrats.

What this shows is that you can never really hide from the past and make sure the future looks safe when its not and unfortunately while everyone else let go of the past Jo couldn't. Jo is the epitome of 'can't let go' and it really shows when she meets the people from her past who have let go their previous lives at the school.

You can run from the past but you cannot hide from it.

I think most negative reviews stem from the fact that the protagonist is one of the most despicable human beings ever to grace a tv screen.

Every second is pure agony to watch. These girls are mean, they are weak and spoiled.

The fact that this show makes me feel all this hate and dismay clearly shows how well the characters are portrayed and acted.

Sadly it makes the show almost unwatchable.

If you like "Yellowjackets" or the much more obscure "Ondskan", here you can "enjoy" similar feelings, but a lot less watered down, and for hours on end.

I did not like watching this. But I respect the artistry. 8.5/10.

It's definitely not horror genre, but it does remind me of a horror movie. It's just a whole series of uncomfortable, painful and awful experiences one after the other. I think if you enjoy watching awful things happen, then you would enjoy this. But if you want something more than that, then you will likely not enjoy this.

Having said that, the cinematography was great and I thought most of the acting was excellent, especially Kavenagh.

I also loved that a gender neutral character was included without making a big deal about it. A conversation between people using them/they super naturally is really lovely and still quite a progressive thing I think. So, I appreciated that.

But as I said, the storyline was just too constantly painful for me to give a higher review.

As others have pointed out, this brief series is not particularly joyful and so, if you think you might struggle to watch kids and adults bullying each other, then Bad Behaviour might be better avoided. However, for me, it was the powerfully credible depiction of the suffering endured by characters in the show that made it worth watching. I felt that it accurately conveyed the struggles of teenage years and the dark plot was engaging without being gratuitously disturbing.

The cast performed with great sensitivity and the use of the same actors across both timelines was seamlessly executed. This highly convincing duality of character portrayal was perhaps the most impressive aspect of the series.

Once again, Australian television delivers a distinctive series that focuses on complex themes, stunning scenery and excellent acting, without stringing the viewer along unnecessarily.