September is always a bit wild, but this one seems to be particularly challenging and chaotic. In keeping with the vibe, Netflix has released a hot new series: Kaos.
This modern retelling of Greek mythology is gloriously unhinged and full of fiery characters to fuel your fantasies. It has complex relationship dynamics, edge-of-your-seat excitement, and a healthy dose of divine mysticism. Plus, this series gives us a new slang word that I dearly hope will catch on – vero!
If mild spoilers don’t bother you, read on to discover some of the characters you can expect from this series. Whether you’re looking for Halloween costume inspiration or new identities to channel in your kink play with!
Zeus and Hera: King and Queen of the Gods
Jeff Goldblum has been a sex symbol for quirky nerds for decades. Now everyone agrees: Jeff Goldblum is king of the gods.
His depiction of Zeus is not at all what you first imagine when you think of Zeus, but as the plot thickens, it becomes increasingly more apparent that he was the perfect choice. He is weird, temperamental and childish in a way characteristic of those with immense power. Yet with that power comes a sexy and terrifying confidence that periodically bubbles to the surface.
His wife Hera, played by Janet McTeer, is equally as mad but in a very different way. She is a jealous wife, but she is also so much more. She exhibits leadership qualities, yet also abuses her power without a second thought. Brutal and elegant, she has a room of tongues that were cut from her priestess’s mouths and each tongue is delicately placed in its own pristine, white drawer. Each drawer serves as a wiretap to each of her priestesses. She listens to her collection of tongues for fun and uses her priestesses as bodyguards to ensure discretion in her affairs.
The eccentricity and drama of this pair make them a fun couple to role-play. Two doms vying for power. They can take what they dish out, and they dish out a lot of violence. The BDSM possibilities are mind-boggling. Plus, with all of their extra-marital affairs, there are plenty of roles for other play partners to join in the fun.
Caeneus and Riddy: A New Life After Death
What happens after a trans person is murdered? This is a question that this series explores through Caeneus, an Amazon who was assigned female at birth and then killed after his transition. Riddy meets him in the underworld and as their relationship develops, we see more and more of his story emerge.
Caeneus isn’t just a trans character to score diversity points. His character was described way back in 8 CE in a Roman epic poem – and he was trans in that, too. His story is a reminder that trans lives (and afterlives) matter, which is a comfort to see in the face of the real-world anti-trans attitudes that have been more vocal in recent months.
While his trans identity is a major part of his back story, it isn’t a major focus in his present. It’s not his primary hurdle in life. Instead, he has a major role to play in the fate of the world, and he even gets his own romantic subplot. He’s not fetishized or desexualized, and his love scenes are amazingly powerful. He’s actually played by a trans actor, which is always a plus, and his masculinity isn’t exaggerated or toxic. He’s a regular guy who’s been thrown into extraordinary circumstances that allow him to experience in death what he never got the chance to do in life.
Persephone and Hades: The Underworld
One might think that Hades, the God of the Underworld, would be a scary and imposing figure, but in this series, that’s not true. In fact, Hades is very soft-spoken. Very demure.
As Zeus’s brother, he’s been bullied by the king of the gods into ruling the colorless Underworld. Whether he was depressed before going there or became so as a result of it is unclear, but his mood is as grey as the dead landscape where he rules. Fortunately, he has the love of Persephone, a powerhouse of strength with a secretary vibe. His siblings taunt him by insisting that Persephone isn’t with him willingly. However, Persephone is quick to affirm that she chose to stay by his side.
This couple makes for a great role-play for those with a mommy kink, or who love a good story of devotion. She is always by his side, taking care of him and the Underworld when he is too weighed down by the weight of it all. She’s the type to straighten his tie and dab at the corners of his mouth for him, like a good overbearing mother.
Of Fates and Furies
Two trios of legendary significance that are dramatically reimagined as very queer-coded figures are the Fates and the Furies. Embracing queer mysticism, the Fates are genderfluid sisters doling out poetic prophecies and reigning over The Cave nightclub. Their deep knowing inspires fear and respect from gods and mortals alike, which they recognize and play with.
The Furies are also feared, but they are much less visible. In fact, they are only visible to those targeted to receive their vengeance. These figures are leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding butch biker lesbians. Ok, they may not be lesbians – their sexualities are not explicitly defined – but they definitely give that vibe. They’re badasses, and they address injustice like no other.
These characters wouldn’t be the same if they were all straight, cis, white people. Queerness, especially in these forms, shapes experience in such a way that invites the kind of deep knowing and righteous actions these characters display. People who break the rules of the gender binary like the Fates, especially those who can flow through them intentionally, develop an awareness of the malleability of the psyche. They see the perceptual framework that others rely on and bend it at will.
Butch lesbians have often been on the receiving end of all sorts of injustice and learned how to stand up to their bullies. They are oppressed as women, oppressed as homosexuals, and oppressed by gender nonconformity. Butch lesbians are particularly well-positioned to understand and recognize the misuse of power and often are triggered into righteous rage as a result. If mindful not to repeat the abuse of their oppressors, this rage often gets channeled into addressing injustice, which is exactly the purpose of the Furies.
Dionysus and Ari: No responsibility meets all the responsibility
While this duo’s dynamic isn’t explored face-to-face in this season, there are hints of more to come in future seasons.
Dionysus is Zeus’s demigod of a son who is always out raving with the mortals — reminiscent of a rich boy with no responsibilities. He is the god of wine-making, festivity, and the theatre; essentially in charge of partying.
By contrast, Ari has taken on huge burdens from birth and continues to uphold her responsibilities as the dutiful daughter of Minos, ruler of Krete. Throughout the series, she becomes increasingly more aware of the disturbing truth behind her father’s power. By the end, she is stepping into her own power and setting things right.
Having tried and failed at managing more responsibility, Dionysus is in absolute awe of her capabilities. This couple dynamic could be explored in a multitude of ways. Dionysus could help Ari release and let loose, while Ari can take control and teach him some discipline.
Daedalus and his capable hands: disability representation
In this series, Daedalus is disabled. He’s still an artist and an engineer, and competent in both disciplines. The actor who plays Daedalus has thalidomide-caused phocomelia and has adapted quite well having had this condition from birth.
As the representation of diverse and marginalized people has improved over the last decade, so has the representation of disabled people. For a long time, disabled characters were always depicted suffering because of their disabilities, if they were shown on screen at all. In Kaos, Daedalus suffers, but not at all because of his disability. It’s not treated as strange or notable. His disability is just a part of the package.
It’s particularly notable that not only does he not suffer from his disability, but he is also highly skilled in disciplines that involve crafting detailed sculptures and mechanical models. Often, able-bodied people assume that body parts that work differently from their own are automatically less capable and that ableist mentality causes real harm.
To show a disabled visual artist creating fine art, without glorifying or belittling them, does a great deal to embrace physical difference into societal values. And if he can do all that with his hands and mouth, just imagine what else he could do.
Heavenly Divine Insanity
While Zeus and Hera have been highlighted in this article for kink role play, most of the characters lend themselves to kink dynamics. Persephone gives off mommy vibes to an underconfident and fragile Hades. Immature party boy Dionysus pairs well with decisive and direct Ari. And I bet you could even tie the minotaur into your scenes for some extra beastly fun.
But this series offers so much more than sexual fantasies. It says a lot about politics, power dynamics, and prophecy. More than that, it inspires a deep desire to take charge of our lives, band together, and remove corruption from positions of power.