Apple TV’s adaptation of Cape Fear got off to a great start. People were high on it, including me, lauding Javier Bardem’s stellar villain turn and the stylistic flourishes and creative decisions evoking previous adaptations. But it isn’t all positive, certainly not after Episode 4, “Pierced”, which seems to have divided the fanbase with some questionable character decision-making and soapy twists that aren’t as universally effective as those early developments were. Particularly, viewers seem to be worried about the character of Nevaeh potentially being Max Cady’s daughter, and Zach being… well, Zach, I guess.
This isn’t all, though, and there are further warning signs about the overarching tone that seem to be giving people pause. It’s still early days yet, but for a show that started out so positively seemingly turning people off so early in its run, that doesn’t bode especially well, and risks undercutting what I personally think is an all-timer performance from Bardem.
The Neveah Twist Is Too Soap Opera
The fourth episode implied that the mysterious Nevaeh, who formed a relationship with Zach under the pseudonym AngelX, is potentially Max Cady’s daughter. Anna asked her firm’s PI, Ray, to look into her, and he turned up that she was the daughter of a disgraced prison nurse who was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with Max when he was locked up. This season has massively played up Max’s relationships with women and his power to seduce almost anyone, including potentially Anna herself, so the idea that he might have wormed his way into the pants of a prison employee isn’t especially far-fetched.
However, Nevaeh’s motivations remain inscrutable, and her approach is highly questionable in terms of efficacy. She mostly seems content to try and seduce both of Anna and Tom’s children, but not for any obvious end-goal. Over on Reddit, fans have noticed that the character seems a little shallow and broad:
Shes just too obvious/mustache twirling. No redeeming qualities. Every character feels so black and white. No nuance
But the motive is coming up too. In a comment that is admittedly a little tongue-in-cheek, user GravyBear16 said the following:
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Again, it’s a flippant remark, but it touches on something important. Nevaeh feels like the kind of character who is conceived to be mysterious and risky through her sexuality, but not for any deeper reason or purpose beyond it being an obvious trait for Max Cady’s daughter to have, and an easy way to lead teenage suburbanites astray.
The Character of Zach Isn’t Going Down Well
Teenage characters in movies and TV shows are almost always annoying, but even by the usual standards, Zack is a frustrating figure. He’s intended to be a version of red-pilled modern male youth, not dissimilar from Orson in The Audacity, and his character arc revolves almost exclusively around having targeted an ex-girlfriend with revenge porn. He’s emotionally stunted and socially clueless, and he has made it his personal mission to “apologise” to his ex, Sophia, even though she doesn’t want anything to do with him. It’s more about his own entitlement than her feelings.
To confirm this point, Sophia calls Zach at the end of the fourth episode and tells him that she’s never going to forgive him, and he absolutely is the bad guy he’s trying to pretend he isn’t. Zach’s response to this is to either laugh or cry — it’s a little difficult to tell, which is part of the problem. Joe Anders’ acting is wholly unconvincing, which is a problem considering that his character is designed to be deliberately contentious.
These kinds of characters are difficult to depict, because it’s much too easy to go too far one way or the other, and that seems to be the case with Zach at the moment. He’s wandering headlong into problems, keeping things secret for no reason other than to be awkward, and consistently causing more and more issues for himself and those around him just for the sake of it. Right now, audiences aren’t buying it.
Juliette Lewis’s Character Might Not Fit the Tone Of This Adaptation
As exciting and novel as it was for Juliette Lewis to turn up as Max Cady’s mysterious stalker, we continue to know nothing about the character, and her gimmick of turning up randomly to sing songs, snap pictures, and give ominous warnings is already wearing a little thin.
Viewers are describing the character as “too whimsical and psychotic”, which is a fair point. She’s faintly ridiculous top to bottom, given the outfit and her general demeanour, and since this version of Cape Fear is largely about ambiguity and not quite knowing where anyone stands, this character being so broad and over the top doesn’t quite fit in with the relatively grounded portrayals elsewhere (certainly of the leads).
If this character isn’t worked into the plot more concretely soon, there’s a risk that fans are going to find her presence even more frustrating and ridiculous. And given some of the issues cropping up elsewhere, it might be enough to turn some viewers away for good.
