Mike Myers’ comedy streaming television series The Pentaverate was made for Netflix. It’s a sequel to Myers’ romantic black comedy “So I Married an Axe Murderer” from 1993. The series has six episodes and premiered on May 5, 2022. It was revealed on April 17, 2019 that Mike Myers will write and appear in a Netflix comedy. Along with John Lyons and Jason Weinberg, Myers serves as an executive producer.
The series’ narrative can be summarised as follows: Five men have been striving to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague in 1347. One unexpected Canadian journalist finds himself in the heart of a mission to expose the truth and save the planet in the process. Following the unexpected and unexplained death of Pentaverate member Eccleston, the organisation persuades Hobart Clark (Keegan-Michael Key) to assist them in addressing the climate catastrophe. Irons is guided through the initiation by Rob Lowe, who is having as much fun as Irons.
In The Pentaverate, Myers plays a lot of different characters — so many that, until I indicate otherwise, you can assume he plays all of the characters mentioned above. This includes the majority of the Pentaverate, which, unlike other secret societies, is beneficent. To summarise, it would be extremely easy to dismiss “The Pentaverate” as a terrible comedy with little aesthetic quality; yet, this is not the case. The show is strange, over-the-top, and undoubtedly cringeworthy at times, but it also has moments of wit, sweetness, and honesty. The gags that do land are hilarious, and some of the images are breathtaking. It’s a heady mix of heart, action, and parody; it’s not for everyone (I’m not sure who this programme was made for, other from Myers himself, obviously), but it’s also not unwatchable. For better or worse, this feels like a personal effort for Myers, one that is distinct from his humorous style.
The Pentaverate is a current narrative that includes climate change, pop culture references, with a healthy dose of scatological humour and broad puns. In a nutshell, it’s Mike Myers at his best. Myers also portrays non-Pentaverate characters, including Canadian reporter Ken Scarborough, who is investigating the Pentaverate. Ken is the most endearing and likeable of the characters, and he contributes to numerous amusing Canadian/American gags, such as one about how everything north of the United States is fuzzy and another about how rude Americans are.
Watch the trailer of The Pentaverate here:
