If you’ve been keeping up with the latest Netflix releases lately, you’re likely aware of Kaos. The Jeff Goldblum-led series first premiered on the streamer on August 29, 2024. 8 heart-pounding episodes of civilization-threatening clashes between the gods of Greek mythology followed. Now that the first season is available to binge in its entirety, many fans have been searching for an outlet to process Kaos‘ off-the-walls conclusion. Here’s a comprehensive explanation of the series’ themes and ideas. Plus, we’ve put together a breakdown of the season’s final climactic moments. As always, there will be heavy spoilers ahead. Please feel free to bookmark this page and return later if you are not up-to-date on Kaos season 1. Let’s dive into the plot synopsis of Kaos, walk through the finale, and examine the future of the Netflix original series.
What Happens In Kaos?
As you likely gleaned from the first trailer for the Netflix original series, Kaos offers a modern look at the Greek gods. The roster includes the almighty Zeus, his expansive family of demigods, and the human beings who exist at their whimsy. When the series first kicks off, Zeus suffers something of a midlife crisis after discovering a wrinkle on his forehead. Your average deity may shrug off this minor sign of aging. Zeus, however, sees it as a sign that his grip over the universe is beginning to lose potency. This is due in large part to a prophecy which hangs over the entire series. The story’s narrator Prometheus explains “A line appears, the order wanes, the family falls, and kaos reigns.”
For Zeus, this line seems to be a physical imperfection in the form of a wrinkle. Other characters experience a metaphorical line of their own as the series progresses. Specifically, a trio of humans undergoes life-changing transformations in the first season of Kaos, which they see as their own line after receiving the same prophecy as Zeus.
For Eurydice, nicknamed Riddy, the line takes form in her sudden change of heart regarding her star-crossed lover Orpheus. Ariadne’s line comes when she learns that the childhood death of her brother was not her fault. The revelation frees her of a lifelong emotional burden. While this news should set Ari free, it actually fractures her sense of self, her family, and the world around her. The third human, Caenis, experiences a gender journey after being born into a tribe of Amazonian women. Upon growing into his masculine frame, he’s banished from the tribe.
The Natural Order Wanes
The prophecy seems to come true. Slowly, the natural order of the universe falls apart shortly after these respective lines are drawn. For starters, touched by the bond shared between Orpheus and Riddy, Dionysus eschews his destined duty, helping the mortal save Riddy’s soul from the Underworld after her death. This creates two major issues. First, bringing a human back from destined death is a fundamental breach of the universe’s order. Secondly, Riddy was secretly pumped to be dead. Her death meant not having to break up with Orpheus due to her lost feelings of love. In fact, while spending time in the underworld, Riddy begins a new fling with Caenis. This obviously complicates Dionysus’ attempt at a good deed.
Elsewhere in the world, Ariadne kills her own father and takes his place as leader of Krete. She sees this political upheaval as a justified act. After all, her father lied to her all her life regarding her brother’s death. Unfortunately, this creates further instability in the mortal realm. Things complicate further when we learn that Zeus spent years upsetting the balance of the underworld. He’d been rerouting human souls for his own consumption in order to strengthen his immortality. By this point, the natural balance of nearly every realm is out of whack. This all sets the stage for an off-the-walls finale which threatens the fragile paradigm of existence as we know it.
Who, Or What, Is Kaos?
Most viewers of the series likely assumed that Kaos was simply a stylization of the word Chaos, which threatens to reign when the balance of the universe falls by the wayside. As the series presses on, however, the question continues to arise as to whether Kaos is a concept, a person, or a state of being. Olympus falls into abject chaos in the penultimate episode of the series after the gods’ intervention upon Zeus goes horribly awry. In the season finale, Caenis manages to revive his mother after she passes through the Frame into the Nothing. However, she fails to recognize him upon her return. After glancing at her son with a dead-eyed stare, she utters the word “Kaos,” which may be an omen that Caenis is himself a representation of disorder and disarray.
Alternatively, some fans believe that Prometheus himself represents Kaos, as the perpetually tortured narrator ascends from his position on a cliff and takes Zeus’ throne on Olympus in the final moments of the show. Prometheus’ final line of dialogue in the first season is simply “Kaos is coming,” as he strikes the fear of mortality into Zeus. At the very end of the finale, Zeus begins to bleed, signaling his complete loss of godhood, as his ring of endless water collapses in the courtyard of his throne room. Meanwhile, Hera leaves Olympus and places a call, asking one of her children to “gather the troops and make up a spare bed.” It isn’t revealed exactly who she’s speaking to before the season concludes. We can surmise, however, that it’s likely Ares, the god of war. All of this sets the stage for an exciting and unpredictable season 2.
Will There Be A Kaos Season 2?
At the time of this writing, Netflix has not officially renewed Kaos for a second season. However, the series is not officially axed either. Series creator Charlie Covell, who previously helmed Netflix’s The End of the F***ing World, has expressed an interest in proceeding with a three-season arc, and has called the streamer “very supportive” of this idea. For now, renewing the series seems like a no-brainer, as Kaos has brought in tons of watch hours from viewers around the world, and received stellar reviews from many critics.
In a recent interview with Deadline, Covell explained, “There’s definitely more. I also didn’t want to do an ending that was a total cliffhanger. I hope that it feels satisfying as a season one in its own right, and there’s always hope for the more. Because I really would love to do more and work with those actors and that team. It was a bit of a dream come true.”
