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From legendary comedian and actor Mike Myers, The Pentaverate is the latest Netflix mini-series with humor abounding. It follows a fictional age-old super-secret society called Pentaverate, which comprises five men who work for the world's greater good.
Myers played the lead role, inspired by a conspiracy theory introduced in the 1993 film, So I Married an Axe Murderer. The Netflix original series takes it up from there to elaborate on the secret society of five and a Canadian journalist called Ken Scarborough.
A perfect blend of humor and satire
If anyone knows how to blend humor and impending doom with a hint of satire, it has to be Mike Myers.
The Pentaverate follows the story of a secret society of five that overlooks world affairs. When one of their members dies under mysterious circmatsnaces, the society forces a reluctant nuclear physicist, Hobart Clark, to take his place as the new member to help them tackle the climate crisis. However, things do not go as planned.
When another death occurs and two of the members jeopardize the integrity of the organization, Ken Scarborough, a Canadian journalist, and Reilly, a secret spy, must do all they can to contain the situation and the impending doom awaits everyone.
Myers has reoriented a kind of thriller drama by adding elements of humor and satire to it, which has the audience on the edge of their seats and has them cracking up due to numerous punchlines, satire, and even some inappropriate adult jokes.
The Pentaverate has more than comedy on its mind
What Myers intended was to defuse the tension with comedy to tell an entertaining story that also had a lesson or two hidden within it. Although on the outside, the comedy series has the audience laughing at almost every scene, there are some lessons in diversity and representation that Myers wishes to impart to the audience via the comedy.
The Pentaverate is an elite organization with rich white men heading it. There seems to have been almost no minority representation in the organization through generations. This is essentially a reflection of the real world, which is run by white men controlling world affairs to their benefit. Myers has attempted to draw from that to harp on the importance of ethnic, racial and gendered representations.
Thus, when the Pentaverate is dissolved, the Septaverate comes into formation. The new society consists of men and women from different ethnic and racial backgrounds, working together to ensure world peace and oversee everything from their secret headquarters.
So, The Pentaverate has a mission, apart from unveiling conspiracy theories that sure are exciting but fall behind when there are other issues. It is a beautiful revelation of how conspiracy theories work to keep greater and most empirical matters like corruption, poverty and climate change at bay by manipulating people into preoccupations with conspiracies.
Talent abound
Despite the seriousness of the issue, The Pentaverate is guaranteed to leave the audience laughing throughout. The series is truly a comic masterpiece divided into eight short episodes of no more than thirty minutes.
What is exciting about the series, apart from the comedy, is the cast. Mike plays eight roles in the series, showcasing his versatility and talent as an actor.
Others featured in the series in different roles are the following talented artists: Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Jennifer Saunders, Lydia West, Richard McCabe and Jeremy Irons (narrator). We also have Rob Lowe and Maria Menounos appearing as themselves along with this ensemble.
Each talented cast member brings their humor, comedy, and style to the series, especially Ken Jeong, well known for his role in the Hangover series and his sitcom Dr. Ken.
With plenty of humor and satire, Mike Myers does not disappoint even after ten years of being off the screen. One would think that the legendary comedian has become rusty from letting his acumen be at rest for such a long time. But nothing can be further from the truth. Catch Myers in his element in the Netflix comedy The Pentaverate.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
