THE STORY – In the early 1900s, a fiercely independent woman drives a rift between two brothers, igniting a saga that unfolds across two generations.
THE CAST – Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Joseph Zada, Joe Anders, Hoon Lee, Ciarán Hinds, Martha Plimpton & Tracy Letts
THE TEAM – Zoe Kazan (Showrunner/Writer) & Jeb Stuart (Showrunner)
Amid Hollywood’s never-ending tradition of reinventing adaptations of celebrated classic literature for television, Zoe Kazan’s “East of Eden” has done what many of her contemporaries have failed to do: make an exceptional work that improves upon its predecessor. Kazan is already fighting an uphill battle translating John Steinbeck’s magnum opus into a visual medium, given its arduous length as the author wades through generations of the Trasks and Hamiltons, two American families sifting through the complexities of navigating life, emotions, and familial preservation. At least a television adaptation would give a momentous work like this time to breathe, fleshing out the experience in the most novelistic manner possible.
This seminal work of American fiction has certainly impacted the Kazan family. The original film adaptation back in 1955, directed by Zoe’s grandfather Elia Kazan, an acclaimed filmmaker of Golden Age Hollywood, is forever cemented in cinematic history as the lead acting debut of the one and only James Dean. The film, however, stands the test of time more as a monument to Hollywood iconography than as an effective adaptation, especially since it focuses primarily on the novel’s final third. Within the first few minutes of the first episode of Zoe Kazan’s iteration, it’s clear she isn’t willing to repeat her grandfather’s mistakes. In fact, she brings something necessary to ensure a project like this would thrive: perspective.
Audiences see in the series’ opening moments a bloodied and battered Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh, crawling through the mud desperately clinging to life. She stumbles upon the steps of a household owned by two Trask brothers, Charles, played by Mike Faist, and Adam, played by Christopher Abbott, who reluctantly come to her aid. The narration shifts from a Steinbeck-esque stand-in to Cathy, and Pugh’s signature raspy voice immediately adds dimension to “East of Eden” from the start. Kazan, along with series showrunner Jeb Stuart, also uses a non-linear structure, replacing Steinbeck’s patient storytelling with something more cinematic. Each episode dives into portions of the novel, exploring the Trask family’s history from their upbringing under Tracy Letts’ Cyrus, a swindling veteran whose harsh treatment of the violently brooding Charles and soft-natured Adam damns them to a lifelong cycle of pain.
The two brothers, modeled after the biblical figures Cain and Abel, weave in and out of each other’s lives as the mysterious Cathy enters, threatening to tear apart everything they have reconciled over. It’s a story spanning five decades, showing how the simplest of seeds these characters plant, whether in how they treat one another, the relationships they form, or the decisions they regret, only permeate over time. Kazan takes Steinbeck’s words to heart, pouring them onto the screen in every moment these characters stare searingly at one another. Kazan’s perspective as a woman makes Cathy an even more compelling character than in previous depictions. Steinbeck paints Cathy as one of the most callous creatures ever to walk the planet, a character utterly transfixing from the moment he introduces her.
Kazan’s teleplay, while bringing perspective, never degrades the audience’s intellect in favor of apologia. “East of Eden” doesn’t shy away from the cruelty that festers in Cathy’s heart, showing that she’s a woman in a world where she has traded empathy for freedom. Yet this behavior has deeper roots, as Cathy remains in a world she can hardly control, a point Pugh’s powerful performance underscores. Many series today steer away from challenging audiences’ perceptions of the characters and even the stories they consume because of unlikability. Kazan weaponizes this weakness in how modern writers translate lauded works, seeing it as a chance to confront audiences’ emotions and help them understand who these people are. It’s a pretty fair preservation of Steinbeck’s novel, which, at the time of its release, was far ahead of its time in the subject matter he broaches.
Garth Davis, of “Lion” fame, steps in as director for the series’ first four episodes and perfectly captures how readers would imagine this story on screen. It may not have the visual splendor of seeing the Salinas Valley in CinemaScope, but it’s a handsomely shot series that Davis and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre direct with precision. Luckily, the series avoids the pitfalls of the Netflix aesthetic most commonly associated with many of their programs. The technical work, from the stunning production design to the costuming, is all exceptional.
Of course, the stacked ensemble that populates each frame and delivers Kazan’s words with such potency is marvelous. Pugh, who will garner most of the attention because of Cathy’s character, delivers her best work since “Little Women,” pulling audiences’ eyes with every mediated reaction as her unsettling energy stays present throughout. Abbott is also on an exceptional run, from off his Tony nomination for “Death of a Salesman” to his newly announced foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In “East of Eden,” he strips it all back, laying bare the broken soul of the once-kind Adam, slowly worn down by the world around him. Abbott is heartbreaking, especially whenever he’s opposite Faist or in the final few episodes of the series. Faist is great, delving into a darker performance he never has had the chance to display before, yet Charles presence is quite limited in the narrative. Kazan smartly weaves Faist throughout the series, but he is so great that every second he isn’t on screen is harder to accept.
Despite all of these star-heavy performances, it’s Hoon Lee’s performance as Lee that brings “East of Eden” to another level. Lee, the Chinese-American servant to the Trask family who becomes not only a loyal confidant but essentially the patriarchal figure that keeps the family together, is one of the more radical inclusions in Steinbeck’s novel. Lee feels like one of the more Mulligan-coded aspects of “East of Eden” that Kazan truly wanted to improve on from the 1955 feature. Not going into much detail, but while Dean is doing his thing on screen, Lee’s absence is enough to make the film a cinematic mistrial as an adaptation, given how integral he is to the story. Lee brings such warmth with his presence that it perfectly contrasts with the stern persona the character has to maintain to protect himself. Lee’s reliably comedic performance in “Your Friends and Neighbors,” while massively entertaining, only makes what is a career-defining performance here in “East of Eden” all the more impressive. He’s the best part of the series, and it isn’t even close.
My one gripe, which comes from my own experience with the novel, is that this occasionally abridged adaptation, while translating Steinbeck’s words faithfully, relegates the story wholly to the Trask family, leaving the Hamiltons as figures who appear to support Adam and company. While it shapes the narrative effectively for a cinematic translation, it also waters down a character like Samuel Hamilton, brought to life by a brief but lovely turn from Ciarán Hinds. The dichotomy of the two families makes for a fascinating examination of the perceived American household, especially in a period of change towards the dawn of a new century. Kazan makes this difficult decision for the most part, at least maintaining a narrative focus that many claimed Steinbeck lacked when “East of Eden” was first released. As far as adaptations go, “East of Eden” really set a bar that many that come after it won’t achieve. It’s for sure one of the best shows airing on television this year. To me, it may be the definitive cinematic iteration of one of the greatest American stories ever told.
THE GOOD – A near-perfect adaptation of one of classic literature’s greatest novels with marvelous writing, acting, and direction.
THE BAD – The decision to focus entirely on the Trask family waters down some supporting characters, occasionally making the narrative feel rushed.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Outstanding Direction for a Limited Series & Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series
THE FINAL SCORE – 9/10
