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What to watch: Clickbait - Netflix
- Pooja Singh
- Aug 30, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 31, 2021
The name of the show made us click on it right away! And trust me, if you decide to watch it, you will not be disappointed.
Suspense has been nicely plotted in the script to make you want to get to the end. Visually appealing, it is packed with all the ingredients necessary to keep you guessing.
It starts with differences between brother Nick Brewer(Adrian Grenier) and sister Pia Brewer(Zoe Kazan) on their mom's birthday. Pia Brewer's character is that of an angry rebel who loves her brother and is keen to find out what's keeping him distant lately.
Nick get's really angry when Pia misbehaves with his wife Sophie Brewer(Betty Gabriel) and asks his sister to leave followed with a "get out of my life".
The first twist comes next when Pia finds a video of his brother(beaten up) the next morning with a sign that says "I abuse women" followed by "At 5 million views I die". After some running around, the family discovers that Nick is missing.
I'm not going to spill the beans any further in terms of the plot, but it sure gets very interesting as it rolls. You will be left thinking about it for sometime, even after it ends.
Remarkable things to learn
Along with an interesting story, the plot was built around a very important subject - online dating vs IRL. In case you're wondering what IRL means(like I did), it is "in real life".
The issues projected in the show are worth thinking about. Here's a list of tidbits and learning takeaways.
1. Clickbait and virality:
Within the first few minutes of the first episode, a video is released with a viral intent. Poor Nick(Adrian) has blood on his face and holds two cards with messages that were definite to create curiosity among the viewers. It reached 5 million views in a matter of hours.
People anticipated that at 5 million views Nick will die, and kept watching and sharing the video even so. That's food for thought.
2. Teenagers can crack mysteries:
Two very important events in the show are decoded by teenagers.
Pia's patient/buddy Vincent(Jack Walton) uses his technology skills to find the kind of van Nick has been held inside.
Ethan(Nick's older son) has been chatting with someone throughout the series - someone he's not met. Towards the end, Ethan gets suspicious about the person on the other side(who claims she's Alice) and demands a meeting. Much to his relief, Alice is real, however she has social anxiety and thinks she isn't good IRL.
Alice uses her free time to improve her technology skills. She decodes the metadata of images that have been shared by the culprit, as well as the physical address - which takes us to the end of the puzzle.
3. Online dating sucks
Countless dating sites and the freedom to have multiple profiles on multiple platforms is shady to begin with.
People claim to be in love/relationship with a person they've never met! They develop feelings and emotions for someone who's probably an impostor. Text messages may have brought us closer, but we are far from reality.
How can smart, educated women fall prey to online harassment? Is it chafing due to excessive use of dating apps that we settle for less than we deserve? Well, that's food for thought.
4. Online privacy is a sham
When was the last time you read "Privacy policy" in its entirety of a website or an app before saying yes? Plenty of platforms are fighting for our attention each day. And it's not just our "time" they're after, it's our data too.
Nick loses his life due to privacy issues.
There's another subtle message in the show which tells us that whatever you are upto, you will be found sooner or later - applies to illegal or fraudulent stuff.
5. Relationships - are they stronger or weaker than before?
They've showcased a strong brother-sister relationship between two pair of siblings - Pia & Nick, Sarah & Simon. A strong bond wrapped with care and love.
What's surprising - Sophie having an extramarital affair with a colleague while Nick was alive. In midst of the series discovering that Sophie was cheating and Nick was on multiple dating sites with multiple women, makes me wonder - why are marriages so difficult these days?
Is our commitment and loyalty up for clickbait too?
If you’re looking for a safe, non-judgemental space to meet people and also learn about relationships, check out Aurhum.
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