Little Birds Review: Season 1 Episode 1
Loosely based on Anaïs Nin’s collection of short stories, Little Birds Season 1 Episode 1 is a lush, candy-coated fever dream with an abstract sense of the direction the story will take.
There are a number of things at play—which is not uncommon for a pilot episode—setting up several potential paths for the plot. It’s unclear if all these paths will be explored or if they will intersect narratively. But, in the meantime, Little Birds‘ first episode is an arresting panoply of eroticism, decadence, and desire. Set first in New York then Tangier in 1955, we follow Lucy Savage played by the perfectly-cast Juno Temple.
Lucy is a rich heiress to an arms manufacturer, recently released from a mental facility. She’s been sent on her way with a year’s supply of her doctor’s patent-pending mood-leveling drug which will help curb her “troublesome behaviors and distracting wants.”
I hope this detail is revisited because throughout the episode Lucy is quite docile (except when she is overly randy for her new husband). Lucy is a fascinating character from the get-go so it would be nice to see her wild side.
We do, however, see Cherifa Lamour’s wild side from the moment we are introduced to her. Yumna Marwan, a Lebanese actor in her first English-speaking role, portrays this enigmatic dominatrix with vehement vigor. It’s already a stand-out performance, and it will be interesting to see where she takes this character and how the story plays out for her.
When the two meet in the bathroom of a club, sensuosity sparks between them. Lucy is taken with Cherifa and Cherifa indulges her by seductively flirting, applying the awestruck Lucy’s lipstick.
It’s very different from most interactions between Lucy and her husband, Hugo (Hugh Skinner). But this is expected because we learn before Lucy arrives in Morocco that Hugo is a gay man with a lover. Unbeknownst to Lucy, her marriage is really a business deal—Hugo receives an allowance as her husband and, in return, will use his connections as an English lord to help Lucy’s father sell weapons overseas.
Although Hugo is a lord, he is also broke, so it is both a marriage of convenience and necessity. How much Lucy suspects is uncertain, but she definitely notices his reluctance to engage with her romantically and sexually. Does this push her into the arms of another? Perhaps toward the vixen Cherifa?
This is plenty of plot for a 6-part story, yet there is more surrounding it. Political intrigue and class inequity are alluded to as well. These added aspects weigh down the opulent style and mood.
Little Birds is so artful that it could be that the main purpose of the show is to allow audiences to escape into this wondrous, prismatic world. The colors are vivid and often in delicious combinations and contrasts. There are odd angles and provocative framing which throw things off-tilt and, in essence, seduce the viewer.
Little Birds is a visual feast for the eyes, and time will tell if the story lives up to its sensual aesthetic. But, it is definitely starting out strong.
What did you think of this episode of Little Birds? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Little Birds airs Sundays at 9/8c on Starz.
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Erin Allen
Erin is a former script supervisor for film and television. She's an avid fan of middle aged actresses, dark dramas, and irreverent comedies. She loves to read actual books and X-Files fan fiction. Her other passions include pointing out feminist issues, shipping Mulder and Scully, and collecting pop culture mugs.