Episode Guide
Welcome to the Jungle, where anything goes. No matter the cost. God bless the hood, and flowers blossom in the spring. All of us fall down in our struggles.
Jungle is one of those arthouse projects that will be very divisive. With a subheading like “a crime drama like nothing you’ve seen before,” Jungle sets lofty expectations for itself right off the bat, and does itself a disservice by not meeting those expectations. ..
The show’s visuals are often over-the-top and distracting, while its story is weak and uninteresting. While the show does have some great visual effects, it ultimately falls short in terms of its overall quality.
The creators of this project, Junior Okoli and Chas Appeti, wanted to craft a rap-version of Euphoria, with all the heady visuals and commentary on a pocket of society. Instead of that being Gen Z though, this one hones in on the streets of London. Only, it’s not really the UK in a conventional state.
The neon lights and the rap music video feel like a mismatch. The neon is bright and flashy, but the rap music video is dark and moody. It’s not a great mix, and it makes the world feel very one-dimensional.
The story then jumps to 6ix, who is now the new security guard at the complex. Gogo tries to get back on track by working with 6ix to clean up the place and make it a safe place for everyone. However, things quickly go awry when Gogo starts getting letters from Slim, asking him to come back and help him rob again. Gogo starts to feel like he’s being followed and can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching him.
Marcus, a struggling young man, wants to start a new life and be a better role model for his brother, Danial. He has a shady past which catches up to him late on, exacerbated by the fact he falls for the beautiful and talented Bianca.
The first story is much weaker than the second, but it does have a more interesting plot. The artist’s vision feels torn between wowing its audience and actually telling a good story. Top Boy had numerous twists and turns along the way, while Jungle is much more interested in the flashy visuals and interesting cinematography.
The creators of the new show Jungle have no experience in the TV industry, and their credits come from music videos. This may be unsurprising, as many of the rapping in this show feel ripped right from gritty rap videos. Honestly, go watch a music video for something like High Road by Frisko and then watch one of these bouts of rapping in Jungle, you’d be hard-pressed to see the difference. ..
