Zelda: The Beginning of Everything - Season 1

[WARNING, SPOILERS WILL BE LEAKED. READ WITH CAUTION.]

The backstory of F. Scott Fitzgerald is a fascinating subject. He made his start with his debut novel This Side of Paradise. After that he went on to make The Beautiful and the Damned, The Great Gatsby, and many more. His name is as Iconic as his novels, but there's one name that outshines all else. Zelda.

Zelda Fitzgerald has worked behind the scenes of Fitzgerald's fame, but she's been there nonetheless. There have been many different portrayals of Zelda, such as Midnight in Paris played by Alison Pill, Genius played by Vanessa Kirby, Zelda played by Natasha Richardson, and many more. Critiques say Christina Ricci was born to play the role of Zelda, but that depends on the viewer and their knowledge of the actual Zelda Fitzgerald. In season 1 of Z: The Beginning of Everything, Zelda is shown in a darker light. It also shows the dark side of the Fitzgeralds behind closed doors.

The side of Zelda people never knew was her early life as a southern belle. She longed to leave Montgomery, Alabama. Her spirit was too wild for her hometown's slow life. She danced with soldiers at the town hall parties, but none grabbed her attention. Not until the day F. Scott Fitzgerald waltzed in. Little did she know her life was about to be turned upside down.

The life of an artist is not always successful or fabulous. It takes imagination, courage, confidence, and connections to make an artist or in this case an author's fame. Zelda is there from the very beginning of F. Scott Fitzgerald's career, even when he was a penniless soldier. F. Scott proposed to Zelda before he deployed for war, but Zelda refused and made him a proposition. If Scott wrote his first novel and had it published, she would marry him. This left Scott heart broken before leaving, but it also gave him more motivation to finish his novel.

With Scott's completion of his novel and the end of the war, nothing held him back from achieving his greatest goal. Zelda heard the news, and raced out of Montgomery and all the way to New York City. She married him that same day, and that was the start of their posh life.

But, what goes up must come down. Scott's novel was a roaring success, but like every fad, its popularity died down. The fans wanted more, but Scott had nothing written. His money was shriveling away with their lavish parties and expenses. Zelda needed a break from her upturned life, and Scott needed a quiet place to write his next novel. For weeks, the Fitzgerald's lived in confinement on the Atlantic beach. With Scott locked up in his office all the time, Zelda's loneliness and boredom grew stronger. With Zelda on the edge of insanity, Scott decided to throw a party to cheer her spirits. The party was the wildest yet. Zelda realized she wasn't missing the wild parties, her socialite friends, or lavish possessions, it was family. She was eager to leave Montgomery, but not her family.

As a surprise, Zelda's parents stop by for a visit. But, it couldn't have been worser timing. The wild party thrown the night before was left behind in the morning. The parents were walking into a world of on going orgies, passed out naked men in bed, drunk men and women wandering about, and a hungover son-in-law. Despite the sinful site, the parents willed themselves to stay for dinner. But, it was not a pleasant dinner, for Scott showed his alcoholic side, and almost hurt Zelda. Zelda's mother cried for her child's hellish lifestyle and safety. Zelda's father realized there was no saving his daughter anymore. She was a grown woman and made her choices.

The next morning, Zelda found empty beds in the guest bedroom. Her heart broke, and she knew just who to blame. But, being a women of sophistication, Zelda decided to leave Scott and go home to Montgomery. Before she could, sobered Scott wouldn't let her leave and decided to go along with her. Their drive back to Montgomery was a bitter one. Before the arrival of Zelda's parents, she found herself in a depressed state and needed a friend to cheer her up. This friend happened to be Townsend Martin, Scott's life long friend who happened to have a thing for Zelda. But, he never acted on his feelings as Zelda was a married woman. So, he and Zelda built a friendship that didn't settle too nicely with Scott since he knew the truth about Townsend's feelings. Out of jealousy and his inebriation, Scott cheats on Zelda with Eugenia Bankhead, one of Zelda's newest friends. Zelda witnesses the affair, but doesn't act on it. Instead, she suppresses it and hopes to forget it all.

Season one ends with the uncertainty of the Fitzgerald's marriage and relationship despite Zelda being pregnant. As Zelda's mother once said, "They're gonna wear each other out," meaning their relationship was built on the dream of becoming rich and famous, but once that dream was achieved there would not be anything left for them to achieve. Zelda wasn't the type to settle down, but now that she had a child on the way, she might have to do just that.

I was excited to see a show that stayed close to the historical accuracy of the Fitzgerald's life. Zelda is an iconic character, and I want to take the opportunity to divulge into her. After watching this show, I have a new perspective on Scott and his relationship with Zelda. There are times when Scott treated Zelda like a princess, and other times as a trophy wife. This leads to me worrying about Zelda bringing a baby into the mix. I'm not sure if I'm ready for this type of twist based on the couples status as of now. They're too unstable to care for a child that needs 24 hour care and attention. However, that is what makes the story much more enticing.

My overall opinion on the show is that the characters are intriguing, and Christina Ricci really does bring a new side of Zelda to the table. She's very bold for some scenes and always clever, fun, and loving. I've watched Ricci in other films, such as Penelope, Sugar and Spice, and Casper, but she always played an innocent character. Zelda really takes Ricci out of her comfort zone and really exposes herself, literally. Ricci's performance is what made me keep watching.

However, I am not a fan of David Hoflin playing Scott. Even though he looks very close to F. Scott Fitsgerald, there are times when Hoflin overacts the character. His lines and actions come out as non-believable. He's a good drunk, but Hoflin tends to act like he's on a stage at Broadway rather than a film. He talks louder, exaggerates his character's emotions, and really makes Scott seem like an unknown character. Tom Hiddleston played an excellent portrayal of Scott in Midnight in Paris. In that film, Scott was way more bubbly and fun, but at least Hiddleston didn't exaggerate.

Each episode is only a half hour, but a lot happens in each. Each shows a new setback or accomplishment in the Fitzgerald's lives. I am very curious to find out what happens next in season 2, if there is a season 2. I am also curious about where the show will finalize the series. Is it leading up to the publication of The Great Gatsby? Or to the Fitzgerald's very end of their lives. I will be looking out for season 2 to find out for myself.

#Zelda #FScottFitzgerald #ChristinaRicci #poshlife