Reprisal Review: Hulu’s New Series is Unique, But That’s Not Enough

The concept is fascinating. Reprisal on Hulu stars Abigail Spencer as Katherine Harlow/Doris Queen, a woman who sets out for revenge against her own family after being left for dead.

Her story of revenge isn’t necessarily typical. Doris (the name she goes by once she changes her identity) seems soft-spoken and not threatening in the slightest. But she proves more than a few people wrong on that front, not because of any kind of special strength, but because she’s smart.

It’s a role that allows Abigail Spencer to shine. She brings this complex character to life with every nuanced detail, and if we had the chance to focus on her more, it might just make Reprisal worth watching. 

Unfortunately, the show is painfully slow otherwise, at least in the first five episodes I’ve seen. The storytelling is clunky and most of the characters are flat.

It’s hard to stay interested despite Spencer’s spot-on performance and the highly stylized setting and time period, which is ultimately ambiguous. 

That should be another strength of the series, and it certainly makes it unique. It’s unclear where we are in time on this show, but even the mixture of old televisions and cars with flip-phones doesn’t push the limit as far as it probably should.

It’s bizarre and other-worldly in a way that should allow the setting to become a character of its very own. 

Still, I’ve never seen anything quite like this coupled with the kind of story that’s being told. In addition to Spencer, the strength of the series is that it is something entirely different — a tough feat when there’s so much television out there to watch. 

It’s all very visually appealing, too, and the editing makes an effort to be artistic. But that only allows the show to go so far. On paper, the gang rivalry and the femme-fatale element should be captivating, but it’s just… not. 

The twists and the moments of bloody shock value don’t rescue it — even when they seem like they’re about to. There are a few twists early on that are satisfying.

Doris proves she has no qualms with cold-blooded, messy murder at the end of Reprisal Season 1 Episode 1, “The Tale of Harold Horpus,” and it’s satisfying for us to know the horror of what she’s survived.

Then there’s a scene later on that’s possibly more bloody than a Tarantino film. That moment is a highlight, not only because it’s so visually stunning (and disturbing), but also because it places the focus back on the women of the story. 

In fact, much of Reprisal is about women pushing back against the patriarchy, particularly for Doris, but for other women in the story as well. It’s just too bad that so much attention is given instead to other less interesting parts of the story. 

Even though the ideas behind the series are intriguing and Abigail Spencer’s performance is spectacular, Reprisal is ultimately a disappointment. That said, I think it’s worth watching at least the first episode or two for the uniqueness alone — and to see Spencer’s fantastic portrayal of the character.

What did you think of this episode of Reprisal? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Reprisal is currently available for streaming on Hulu. 

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