It’s been a minute since I’ve raved about a Netflix original series and for good reason. The streaming service provider has turned out more than a few dogs lately and Mrs. Buckler and I lost interest. Not enough to cancel our subscription, mind you. I mean, Stranger Things season three is right around the corner. While we haven’t watched Netflix much, I’m glad we held on to it. It’s how we stumbled across one of our now-favorite series, Chambers. Described as a “supernatural horror web television series,” this Netflix original is hauntingly good.
If horror movie imagery doesn’t freak you out or trigger you, check out the Chambers trailer:
What’s Chambers About?
This series, created by Leah Rachel, tells the story of Sasha Yazzie (Sivan Alyra Rose), a high school student who suffers a freak heart attack. To save Sasha’s life, she’s given a heart transplant from a donor – high school student Becky Lefevre (Lilliya Reid) – who passed away earlier that same night. The transplant saves Sasha’s life. It also causes her to be haunted by visions of the Becky’s death. This puts Sasha on a quest to unravel just what happened to the young lady who’s heart beats inside her chest.
The plot of Chambers thickens after Sasha is approached by Ben Lefevre (Tony Goldwyn). He’s the father of the late Becky Lefevre. Ben and his wife, Nancy (Uma Thurman), invite Sasha into their home and their lives. They establish a scholarship to allow Sasha to attend Becky’s high school, and even give Sasha Becky’s old car. This contact with Ben, Nancy, and their teenage son, Elliott (Nicholas Galitzine), further complicate the strange feelings and visions that Sasha experiences.
What Makes Chambers Great…
… There are really so many reasons why we love this series. The first thing is that it stars some familiar faces in Uma Thurman and Tony Goldwyn. Film fans will immediately recognize Thurman from her iconic roles in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. Fans also might recognize co-star Goldwyn as the main villain in 1990’s Ghost, as well as from other popular roles. Having these familiar faces playing older, more mature roles suitable for their respective ages, forms a much-needed bedrock for this cutting-edge show.
The new acting talent is something that benefits Chambers. The lead role of Sasha is played by newcomer Sivan Alyra Rose. In her first major debut, Sasha is a fresh face who brings a natural, realistic energy to her role. The same can be said about Marcus LaVoi, who plays Sasha’s uncle and guardian, “Big Frank” Yazzie. These are just two of many fresh, new faces in this series and it’s refreshing.
Native American Portrayals in Chambers
Shot in New Mexico, Chambers portrays the modern lives of Native Americans in America’s southwest. Rather than trying to tackle these issues head-on, the series opts for a more subtle and nuanced approach. For example, Chambers touches on the tensions between Native Americans living on the reservation and those who have moved away. After the tragic death of his sister (Sasha’s mother), Big Frank takes Sasha and moves off the reservation to live in town. This decision strains the relationship between Frank and his father.
Frank’s decision to move to town has implications for Sasha, as well. Through some discussion between Sasha and her boyfriend T.J. (Griffin Power-Arcand), we find out that T.J.’s mother doesn’t like him dating Sasha because she doesn’t live on the reservation. The scene was underplayed, helped portray these sensitive issues in a realistic way. Viewers also learn how much Big Frank’s decision to leave has cut Sasha off from her heritage and her immediate family.
The theme of in-group tensions between people affects other characters in Chambers. The Lefevres find themselves at odds with their wealthy-but-new-agey neighbors. Their son Elliot also struggles to get along with the privileged children who attend the high school, even though he is one their own kind. Because of her donor heart, Sasha walks between all three worlds of the reservation, the town, and Crystal Valley as well as the worlds of the living and the dead.
Chambers’ Aesthetics and More
First of all, this show seems to have been shot in very high-definition video cameras. There a crisp cleanness to it that almost makes you feel like you could walk through your TV screen and into the sets themselves. Speaking of walking into the TV set, there’s something about this series that makes you feel like you’re part of the show. It’s a strange phenomenon, but Chambers draws you in and makes you feel like you’re a character in the show who’s watching these events unfold.
While this series is great overall, it has some low points. For example, since it has many new actors in it, you’re not always going to get Oscar-worthy performances. At times, it seems that some of them are just reading their lines or trying too hard to emote on screen. Fortunately, these instances are rare, and they certainly don’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the series.
If you’re looking for a unique and interesting show to watch, Chambers is it. This first season consists of 10, one-hour episodes. I haven’t seen the last episode yet but rumor has it that there’s a mind-blowing twist ending. The series’ creator Leah Rachel has said that the first season also ends with a clear-set up for a possible second season. If it does get renewed, fans might expect to see a second season as early as April or May 2020. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
I’m Still Skeptical About Netflix…
… But what I’m not skeptical about is the AirTV Player. With this streaming service, you can watch shows on Netflix and other streaming channels if you choose to add them. By now, you’re probably thinking “big deal,” right? Well, there’s more to the AirTV Player than just the ability to stream pay TV. When you connect a TV antenna to this device, you’ll get as many local TV channels the antenna is able to receive. You can also add the Sling TV package for 30+ national channels. Your AirTV Player puts all of these programming onto one convenient menu.
While all this stuff is great, it’s still not the best thing about the AirTV Player. Here’s what is: it’s ability to cast all that program – yes, even those local TV channels – to your wireless device. Think about that for a minute. Let’s say I’m visiting California but I still want to watch my local Detroit news. I can pull that up on my phone or tablet and catch Michigan news in the California desert. Pretty cool, right? I think so too. If you want more information about the AirTV Player, give our team a call at 888-233-7563.
