Since his iconic portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the beloved BBC series, Benedict Cumberbatch has made a career out of playing various incarnations of the socially awkward genius. These roles often walked a fine line between eccentricity and endearment, leaving audiences charmed despite their characters’ prickly demeanors. However, with Abi Morgan’s latest creation, “Eric,” Cumberbatch takes on a new challenge by revealing the darker underside of exceptional brilliance through the character of Vincent. This series peels away the layers of glamor to expose the toxicity that often accompanies genius.
Vincent is not just any creative mind; he is the driving force behind a hugely successful children’s puppet show. Yet, his extraordinary talent is marred by an abrasive personality that wreaks havoc on both his professional and personal life. His sharp tongue frequently lashes out at everyone, including his co-creator Lennie Wilson, portrayed by Dan Fogler. Consequently, Vincent finds himself increasingly isolated as his colleagues withdraw from his volatile presence. This toxicity doesn’t stop at his professional circle but extends deep into his home life, where his ego and infidelities strain his relationships with his wife, Cassie (Gaby Hoffmann), and his reclusive, artistically inclined nine-year-old son, Edgar (Ivan Morris Howe).
The narrative takes a harrowing turn when Edgar goes missing one morning on his way to school. This traumatic event triggers the disintegration of Vincent’s already fragile personal and professional life. Cassie decides she has had enough and wants to leave, while Vincent descends into a harrowing spiral of alcohol and drug abuse. As his world unravels, corporate suits start to view him as a liability. Despite the chaos, Vincent becomes obsessed with the notion that if he can incorporate a puppet designed by Edgar—a seven-foot-tall, blue, shaggy monster named Eric—into the show, his son will return. As Vincent isolates himself further, Eric morphs into the embodiment of his hopes and failures.
Set against the backdrop of 1980s New York, “Eric” captures the paradox of a city that gleams on the surface yet festers with rot beneath. Vincent’s descent mirrors the plight of those less fortunate who call the city’s underbelly home—the homeless living in subway tunnels. As the city’s upper echelon invests in gleaming new condos, they simultaneously deprive the homeless of shelter in the name of gentrification.
. This era also saw the emergence of the AIDS crisis, a time when exploring one’s sexuality came with deadly risks. The series does not shy away from these gritty realities, instead stitching them into the narrative fabric to deepen its impact.
Michael Ledroit, played by McKinley Belcher III, is the officer tasked with finding Edgar. Ledroit himself is an outsider due to his identity as a gay Black man, and his position provides a poignant contrast to characters like Yuusuf, a talented graffiti artist who is also living rough. In a grim parallel, another boy named Marlon Rochelle has been missing for nearly a year. His mother, Cecile (Adepero Oduye), accuses the NYPD of not searching diligently for Marlon because he is poor and Black—unlike Edgar, who is white, cute, and comes from a wealthy family.
A still from ‘Eric’ | Photo Credit: Spencer Pazer/Netflix
The Lux, a nightclub managed by Ali Gator (Wade Allain-Marcus), becomes a pivotal location tied to the various subplots. Before transferring to the missing persons unit, Ledroit was part of the vice squad, entangled in a bust on an underage sex ring. The city is rife with corruption, populated by crooked cops, strung-out junkies, and ruthless pimps.
Despite his professional success and privileged background—Vincent is the son of a real estate mogul, Robert Anderson (John Doman), and society matron Anne (Phoebe Nicholls)—he is not immune to the city’s darker temptations. He scores a hit from a subway junkie, highlighting the stark divide between his privilege and the grim realities faced by characters like Cecile and George, his apartment superintendent. George, portrayed by Clarke Peters, was wrongfully imprisoned and finds himself a suspect in Edgar’s disappearance.
The series poignantly explores the myriad faces of love, from the tragic, unspoken bond between Ledroit and the cellist William (Mark Gillis), who is dying of AIDS, to the desperate, strained love Vincent holds for his son. “Eric” transcends mere storytelling to deliver a luminous examination of a city rising from the detritus of its past. It captures the desperate measures taken by its distressed inhabitants, the coexistence of hope and despair, and the profound depths of grief and love. And if the intricate mystery and period detail are not reason enough to invest in “Eric,” Benedict Cumberbatch’s electrifying portrayal of Vincent will certainly captivate your attention, leaving a lasting mark.
Another reason to embrace “Eric”? Its exceptional soundtrack, epitomized by The Velvet Underground’s searing classic, ‘Heroin.’
“Eric” is currently streaming on Netflix.
