Web Series Wednesday – Rational Creatures

By: Spring Marie  Cullen

WHAT? Rational Creatures

BY: Ayelen Barrios Ruiz Pagano, Hazel Jeffs, Jessamyn Leigh and Anya Steiner

WHY SHOULD I WATCH?

From a multinational team of female creators comes Rational Creatures, a modern and inclusive take on the classic Jane Austen novel Persuasion. The comedic literary web series sets out to be far more representative of today’s world than Austen adaptations of the past, ditching the typical straight white characters to bring something diverse to the table.

Persuasion is one of Austen’s best, yet oddly underrated works. So, I was excited to see an updated version of the piece. The source material lends itself extremely well to a web series format and I could tell from the start that it’d be in good hands. Rational Creatures stays true to its inspiration, while exploring queer relationships and touching base on mental health issues – two elements that are unfortunately lacking in the majority of Austen adaptations. Pagano, Jeffs, Leigh and Steiner managed to perfectly blend modern day romantic comedy with the longing and pinning of yesteryear, creating a sweet little series that leaves you wanting more. It’s full of so much heart, both on and off screen, as you can tell how much of the creators was put into their series.

The entire cast, especially Peter Giessl as Fred and Kristina Pupo as Ana, have such natural chemistry that it’s impossible not to get caught up in their relationship. However, the biggest overall standout for me was Derek Quesada, who stole just about every scene he was in. Right from his introduction, his character Louis felt well-rounded and I found myself lighting up whenever he came on screen. Quesada brought a level of subtlety to the role that made him almost immediately relatable for me and an instant favorite.

The five-episode first season is currently available to watch, with the series’ second season on the way. In the meantime, the filmmakers have released an abundance of behind the scenes extras to tide fans over. The bonus videos include everything from bloopers to Q&A’s with cast and crew and they’re just as entertaining as the series itself. The Mean Girls parody about the incomparable Fred Wentworth is an easy standout among the bonus features.

WHERE CAN I WATCH? Episodes are available on YouTube.

Follow on Social Media:

Website: https://rationalseries.wixsite.com/site

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rationalseries

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RationalSeries/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rationalseries/