Netflix’s first Canadian original series has arrived and it’s a winner. North of North is a half-hour comedy series starring Anna Lambe as Siaja, a twenty-six-year-old Inuk woman in the small fictional town of Ice Cove in the province of Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic, the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. Siaja is having a bit of an identity crisis and wants desperately to break out of the rut she’s in, starting with her marriage to a self-absorbed husband, who happens to be the most popular guy in town. But breaking away from her husband, who is also the father of her young daughter, won’t be easy, and neither
will forging a new life for herself, including getting a job and figuring out what she wants to do with her life and who exactly she is, other than being a wife and mother.
If this all sounds really deep, the best part about North of North is that creators Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Amaquq-Baril sprinkle the meaningful themes so lightly and subtly throughout the eight episodes of the first season that you hardly even notice because you are having such a good time just vibing with these fun people in this amazing place.
For those of us who remember back to the early ‘90s when Northern Exposure first gave us a taste of what life was like living far, far outside the big city, North of North will remind you a little of that. And for those of us with a bit of a shorter memory, it may remind you a bit more of the recent season of True Detective: North Country, except without all the murder and much more sunshine.
While North of North may remind you of a lot of shows, maybe even my recent binge recommendation Resident Alien, with its dynamic Native American leading lady and colorful cast of supporting characters, it does break through on its own with its genuine sensibility and unassumingly modest approach to both story and humor. There is no need for high drama nor low brow antics here, North of North is carried fully on personality, charm and location. You just want to spend time here and you want to spend it with these people.
If you are looking for a quick (each of the 8 episodes are a brisk 22 minutes) escape, head north to the snow and the charm of North of North. You’ll be glad you came.
Season 1 of North of North is currently streaming on Netflix and has been renewed for a second season.