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Live-action adaptations of video games are pretty hit or miss. They miss more often than not. The new Resident Evil show on Netflix has viewers pretty divided. On one hand, RE fans are unimpressed, but critics like it a little more. If you manage to stick with it, you will find that the show connects to the mainline games quite a bit.
You may have heard that this show has lines that include “Zootopia porn” and “PornHub will shred your resume.” This is absolutely true. If you have a hard time digesting this dialogue, just remember that this is the series that said: “You were almost a Jill-sandwich” and had Chris Redfield punch a boulder without a hint of irony. By reading further, you will encounter spoilers, both big and small.
Resident Evil Extended Universe
One of the main characters is Albert Wesker, who you may remember from Resident Evil 1, Code: Veronica, and 5. You may also remember that he died in RE 5, never to return. You would think that having Wesker in this show makes it a divergent story, but not entirely.
Throughout the season, the Raccoon City incident is referenced. This is the event at the center of Resident Evil 2 and 3. Umbrella and the US government bomb the city, but cover it up as a gas explosion.
A major twist and plot point in the show comes in episode 6. It is revealed that Albert Wesker is in fact one of three clones of the original Wesker from the video games. OG Wesker cloned himself to create three brilliant scientists for his own research. This occurs while Umbrella is hunting for him. In 2005, four years before Wesker is killed in an over-the-top action sequence in a volcano, Umbrella captures two of the three Wesker clones. The remaining one dies.
The finale of the first season ends on a cliffhanger. During the 2022 timeline, the Wesker children, Billie and Jade escape New Raccoon City with instructions to meet someone. That someone is Ada Wong, who appears in Resident Evil 2, 4, and 6. The second season will supposedly add Ada Wong to the cast, though the show has not been renewed as of yet.
Smaller Nods
There are a couple of things that are inspired by iconic moments and tropes that the Resident Evil series is known for. Other than the out of place dialogue the games are known for, fans will notice a few some sequences that scream Resident Evil. RE 4 and 5 have recurring enemies with burlap sacks on their heads, wielding chainsaws. In episode 4, Jade Wesker is trapped in a stronghold occupied by a faction called the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood has an executioner that is clearly inspired by this enemy, though he appears to be a regular human rather than an infected one.
In episode 5, Jade and Billie receive a message from their father. It has instructions for them to decipher, leading them to a supply bag, in case they need to escape New Raccoon City. The message contains carefully worded clues that are very much like a classic Resident Evil puzzle. The twins have to carefully inspect family photos and secret panels to find their objective. All this sequence was missing was a skull with jewels for eyes or a red triangle key/door.
There also seem to be a couple of characters that share the same name as others from the video games. There is a contact that Jade has to meet named Barry and an Umbrella executive named Evelyn. They do not appear to be characters from the games, however.
You may have some serious reservations about watching live-action adaptations of video games. They are warranted, but hopefully, Netflix reaches more fans with Resident Evil as the series progresses. That is, if it gets the chance.