I had seen a trailer of this series on Amazon Prime (which included a kraken, by the way, a significant detail for those who know me) and had made a mental note to give this series a try. A few months later, when I was craving something with an adventure vibe, Nautilus seemed the smart choice. Though I have never read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Verne, I once watched The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which very conveniently introduced me to the most iconic literary characters from Western European literature. The concept of an advanced, giant submarine was my main takeaway from the character of Captain Nemo. It’s also one of the things that made the original story a science fiction story. Science fiction, at this time, still isn’t my preferred genre. However, science fiction that takes place in the past somehow feels more like fantasy to me, and thus boosts my enjoyment more efficiently. All this to say that I basically expected the equivalent of a pirate adventure story when I started watching; nothing to complicated when it comes to plot, but hopefully with a strong enough sense of exploration and maybe also some compelling characters.

Luckily for me, my expectations were met and at some points even exceeded. Nautilus is a charming series that neatly balances adventure, drama and humour. Furthermore, despite its more light-hearted moments, it doesn’t shy away from tackling more heavy themes and subjects, in the case of Nautilus: the concept of self-determination, identity and loyalty, as well as the horrors of imperialism. I find that this dichotomy between heartfelt cheerfulness and seriousness is something I appreciate more in media nowadays. Maybe because I’ve encountered both too much superficial and ‘grimdark’ stories in the last few years and now crave authentic stories that more reflect the ambivalence of real life. Or maybe it is just a balance I currently miss in reality with all what’s going on all around the world… Whatever the case may be, Nautilus has a loveable, diverse cast of characters -with actors that clearly enjoyed this production- with sufficient emotional depth to portray both light and dark emotions. Furthermore, the sapiophile within me could really appreciate that most characters were very capable, and that conflict within the story was seldom the result of incompetence, but rather of conflicting goals or emotions. Nemo, Humility, Benoit and Millais (portrayed by Luke Arnold, by the way, something that made me nostalgic for Black Sails) were all intriguing characters in this regard.

Is the acting and writing in Nautilus unparalleled? No, but I felt it was sincere. And after a few episodes I was genuinely invested in the story and the fate of the characters. Furthermore, it was a delight to watch this series with Jasmijn who could reflect on all the strange flora and fauna in this series with her newly gained biology knowledge from Naturalis Biodiversity Center. I now know of the existence of the coconut crab – which is a very cool crustacean – and have learned that moray eels can hunt on land. The more you know!