This past weekend, I finally got the chance to binge-watch the trending series “Z: The Beginning Of Everything.” The original series, created by Amazon Studios, appeared on my Facebook newsfeed back in January and immediately caught my eye. It was released on January 27th, exclusively for Amazon Prime members, a new venture for Amazon with the production of new shows separate from Netflix and cable television.
The bio-series centers on the life of Zelda Sayre, the young, beautiful, rebellious, and wonderfully sassy woman from Montgomery, Alabama who becomes the wife of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story begins before she meets him as an unpublished writer and then it delves into their passionate yet destructive marriage. The show fully embraces the liveliness and wild nature of the Roaring 1920s, with the parties, music, fashion, and alcoholism of the historically notable Jazz Age.
Furthermore, Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald has been brought to the screen by many actresses in the past years, and although I cannot compare this portrayal to the others, I was beyond captivated by Christina Ricci. She is truly the star of the show, and demands attention in every scene, as this Southern Belle who becomes a flapper, writer and icon of modern feminism. She brings sass and spunk, along with her wild personality, as a young woman with dreams and goals of her own. However, she is also sensitive and emotional, and doesn’t know how to handle life as a married woman. The challenges she faces as a woman and as a wife will undoubtedly connect with viewers, especially modern women who often find themselves in her shoes.
On another note, although I am a fan of both the literary original and modern film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” this series provides a more personal take on the kind of man he was, his lifestyle as a newly published writer, and the relationship he formed with a woman who refused to be tamed. It displays an intimate look into the life of the author, decades before he achieved worldwide success as an American novelist. F. Scott Fitzgerald is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. His work became highly acclaimed, beyond what he could dream of in his lifetime. It is with this in mind, that I find it particularly intriguing how he is portrayed in the series. I am not familiar with David Hoflin’s past work as an actor, but what he brings to the screen as F. Scott Fitzgerald is worth noting also. He is destructive, verbally and emotionally abusive, and is stuck in his own mind as he struggles to write his next work. And of course with this time period, he is an alcoholic, whose words and actions affect him greatly and he must face the consequences of them throughout the series.
Scott and Zelda, as they are referred to in the show, became a celebrity couple in the ‘20s, and the show delves into many aspects of their famous, and infamous, relationship. The development of their relationship is emotional and intimate, and as the show progresses with each episode, they end up having an abusive marriage. Zelda is unhappy and often ignored, and she gradually loses her grasp of who she is and what she wants. They struggle to fulfill each other’s needs and in the last episode, after she tries to leave him, they take a road trip together back to Montgomery in an attempt to somehow mend their marriage. The series, unfortunately, ends with her admitting to another woman in the restroom, and to viewers, that she’s pregnant, and although she has yet to tell him or her family, she walks toward him smiling, with her narration as a voice-over in the final minutes. To paraphrase, she says, “No one knows how much the heart can hold.” And there is truly a lot of emotional weight held in those words.
There is much to embrace, connect, and learn from this show, and I highly recommend it. As a writer, as a young woman, as a young adult dealing with mental illness, as an emotional and sensitive person, I saw myself in both Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I am a huge fan of this series and I undoubtedly am glad I gave this show a chance. Ten episodes are definitely not enough and I hope there will be a second season.
