While millions of fans await the return of great productions such as House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power, the fantasy landscape continues to offer lesser-known titles but capable of surprising those willing to go beyond the most popular names. Among the productions that deserve a second chance is undoubtedly The Nevers, an HBO series that, despite a short life and premature cancellation, still retains all the characteristics of a small hidden gem.
Often when we talk about television fantasy, the thought immediately runs to the dragons of Westeros, the armies of Middle-earth or the great epic sagas that dominate the streaming charts. Yet there are productions that have sought different paths, mixing fantasy, science fiction and dramatic elements to build something more original. The Nevers belongs to this category and represents one of the most particular bets attempted by HBO in recent years.
Created by Joss Whedon (Buffy), the series transports viewers to an alternate version of Victorian London, an elegant and charming world that hides deep social tensions and a growing fear of what cannot be explained. At the center of the story we find the so-called “Touched”, men and women who suddenly develop extraordinary and inexplicable abilities, but some manage to control mysterious energies, others manifest abilities that defy the laws of nature, while all find themselves sharing the same fate: to be looked upon with suspicion by a society that fears what it does not understand.
Among them emerges Amalia Truee, played by Laura Donnelly, an enigmatic woman who runs a shelter for young Toccati and who possesses the gift of glimpsing fragments of the future. The definition that often accompanies The Nevers is that of X-Men set in the dystopian Victorian era, a comparison that partly works but which also risks reducing the scope of the series.
As happens to Marvel mutants, in fact, the Touched are discriminated against and considered a threat by society, but the story goes far beyond the simple metaphor of marginalization. The series builds a world populated by eccentric characters, including brilliant criminals, scientists obsessed with their own research, ambiguous political leaders and figures who seem to come straight out of the pages of a steampunk comic.
The atmosphere is constantly suspended between classic fantasy, supernatural thriller and adventure story, managing to create a very different identity than other productions of the same genre. One of the most interesting aspects of The Nevers is its ability to reinvent itself over the course of the narrative. What initially appears to be a story of people with special powers takes an unexpected direction as new details emerge about the origins of the Touched.
Despite the good premises and the initial interest generated by the series, the fate of The Nevers has been particularly complicated, in fact during production there were several changes behind the scenes and the project progressively lost momentum until it was canceled after just one season. A decision that continues to be considered by many viewers today as one of the most interesting missed opportunities in recent years for television fantasy. And if you want other TV series on HBO Max to see, we recommend some not to be missed.
