The idea of youth escaping into a large section of woods so as to start life anew is a plot device not at all unexplored prior, seen in films as recently as 2013’s “The Kings of Summer,” while literature will always have “My Side of the Mountain. “In “Penelope, “the concept gets the episodic treatment, but if the premiere is any indicator, this is one project with the potential to captivate in its own unique way. Mel Eslyn (“Biosphere”), head of Duplass Brothers Productions and frequent collaborator with Duplass siblings Mark and Jay, helms the series alongside Mark as co-writer and co-creator and Jay as executive producing; it’s enormously clear that something special is unfolding throughout the show’s premiere, and to say it’s only the beginning would as a tremendous understatement.
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Focused almost entirely on the show’s namesake teenage girl (Megan Stott), introduced while on a camping trip with her parents, it isn’t all that far into the first few minutes that Penelope is witnessed having what could be considered an epiphany; during an outdoor dance held for campers and their families, Penelope pauses mid-song upon seeing a wolf peering out from the trees, a moment that passes in an instant but leaves an impression on the girl nevertheless. Is this event the impetus for all that’s to follow? It’s but one of many questions this pilot presents as the episode progresses into the next scene, seeing Penelope take a lengthy hike as her parents send text messages simply to ascertain her whereabouts and to make mention of the need for them to leave shortly so as to take part in preparations for the SAT. Despite the show’s pseudo-secrecy with plot components at first, nothing feels overwhelmingly murky, instead opting to allow the action the ability to find its rhythm at an easily digestible pace that works simultaneously to draw in the viewer without a hitch.
It’s here that Penelope decides to take action. Armed with a $500 Apple Pay gift card purchased without anything that could be considered permission from her parents, the teen decides to buy a sizeable amount of camping gear in one of several memorable scenes before turning off any phone tracking with which her parents might choose to make use and eventually hoping a train to travel…somewhere and seeing her pull off the train jump results in a tangible sensation of freedom achieved as she yells in delight from the speeding caboose, though not without an equal sense of anxiety as she ignores worried texts from her parents and records a voice memo that will, to her, offer reassurance while imploring both to leave her alone. Fellow parents, considering the circumstances, we know both to be impossible.
After the train comes to a stop adjacent to a small town and Penelope is hurried off the premises by railyard security, a detour into a quaint Main Street shop sees her dig into several how-to guides as to wilderness survival as an open mic begins mere feet away; first up is an affable acoustic singer-songwriter (Austin Abrams), with whom Penelope soon bonds and shares an evening of conversation, card games and the briefest of probing into why she’s doing whatever it is she’s doing, all while Abrams makes the most of his appearance enough to generate hope he’ll show up again. As Penelope is dropped off the following day at the entrance to a large nearby park, her wish to camp somewhere on-site is swiftly thwarted by a park ranger informing her of reserved campsites and a hefty annual park pass fee, but will such a setback stand in the way of her plans?
It’s hard to remember such a pilot episode that flows along as gracefully as this, with every character dripping in richness even if there are but a few lines of dialogue total, in a fashion similar to what Elsie Fisher brought to her role in “Eighth Grade, “Stott has nurtured to life a character oozing with naivete as much as a dream, as misguided as it may be, though not without projecting a feel that she’s also somehow supremely wise beyond her years. The latter is something Penelope needs to discover herself, adding to the unexpected level of mystery surrounding the 28 minutes that serve to kick off Penelope. Aside from one or two pieces of onscreen evidence that something might be amiss within the corridors of her head, nothing else about our heroine seems particularly “off, “with no signs of apparent addiction to technology, psychological trauma, or a significant moment from her past that have pushed her on the journey she finds herself undertaking as the credits roll. To comprehend what could come next is honestly exciting; a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants camping adventure is presumed, but hardly guaranteed.
There’s an appeal demonstrated from this, merely a pilot, and an exciting aura of curiosity hovering over where the road will take this protagonist next that terrifically sets up further episodes. Eslyn’s work feels effortless but with a strange complexity just below the surface, and it’s hard to imagine the disappointment and the resulting emotion after viewing whatever’s to come. Maybe it’s a show about a girl’s inner journey; perhaps she just wants to experience nature. Whatever the case, I can hardly wait. [A]
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