Emerald City: Season 1

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 102 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	Your Score
6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 102 Ratings

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Emerald City: ADRIA ARJONA at SDCC

Now Playing: Emerald City: ADRIA ARJONA at SDCC

Season Details & Credits

NBC | Season Premiere Date: January 6, 2017

Summary: A modern retelling of the classic has 20-year-old Dorothy Gale (Adria Arjona) and her K9 police dog taken to another world via a tornado.

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Fantasy

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. No Place Like Home
Air Date: March 3, 2017
tbd
S1:E9. The Villain That's Become
Air Date: February 24, 2017
tbd
S1:E8. Lions in Winter
Air Date: February 17, 2017

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

IndieWire Liz Shannon Miller

Jan 6, 2017

The overall result is a first season that has its flaws, but features enough delightful weirdness to intrigue those willing to give it a chance. Read full review

Michael Starr

Jan 3, 2017

Fans of the alternate reality/fantasy genre should enjoy “Emerald City,” and I think they’ll get a kick out of its parallels to “The Wizard of Oz,” and in trying to guess what’s coming next. Read full review

Tom Long

Jan 6, 2017

It all looks good, but Arjona never gains real traction as Dorothy and some of the side stories become distractions. Still, Emerald City is an ambitious, if derivative, project for broadcast television. Read full review

Verne Gay

Jan 4, 2017

A grim grind of a trip down that emblematic yellow road. Read full review

Hank Stuever

Jan 5, 2017

The visual qualities that make Emerald City so intriguing can’t make up for a meandering narrative that chugs and sputters along, with no one to really root for. The characters are flat, and the actors playing them seem as befuddled as the viewer about the ambiguous shades of good and evil from one scene to the next. Read full review

Robert Bianco

Jan 5, 2017

It’s hard to keep the story straight, as new and old characters mingle and the mostly anemic performances weaken the show's hold on our attention. Read full review

Ken Tucker

Jan 6, 2017

We soon begin to see the method behind this show’s storytelling: If there’s a way to pump more pretentious gas into the story, Emerald City will find it. Read full review

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User Score

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6.7

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User Reviews

evanevieve

Feb 26, 2017

This isn't a gritty re-boot, it's a show with complexity using fantasy to show poignant metaphors. Which is to say, it's the same you know, re-imagined and all grown-up. The show gives complexity to the characters of Oz, whilst ensuring autonomy and diversity of its characters. By shootingThis isn't a gritty re-boot, it's a show with complexity using fantasy to show poignant metaphors. Which is to say, it's the same you know, re-imagined and all grown-up. The show gives complexity to the characters of Oz, whilst ensuring autonomy and diversity of its characters. By shooting in Europe, the background of Oz feels more fantastical and wondrous with such little CGI used. From costuming to acting to directing, this show is far better than most television shows. I would watch it over-and-over.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

chrissycat

Jan 20, 2017

If a 'critic' says no, I say give it a go. I love fantasy and this re-telling of an adult Oz is on point. I will watch all of the episodes. We will see if it is second season worthy. Not a too bad replacement for Grimm.

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

Mediasavvy

Jan 11, 2017

I loved this show. It's visually rich, with a strong cast, great performances and informed, nuanced writing. While it's being sold as a 'reinvention' it actually has more in common with the original Frank Baum books than Garland's 'Wizard of Oz'. The original books are dark and creepy andI loved this show. It's visually rich, with a strong cast, great performances and informed, nuanced writing. While it's being sold as a 'reinvention' it actually has more in common with the original Frank Baum books than Garland's 'Wizard of Oz'. The original books are dark and creepy and set a tone of uncertainty, unfairness and unexpectedness that this TV show mines well. You don't truly know what will happen next, in Frank Baum's original books or this retelling.

Ignore the Hollywood pundits on this show. Some creep in NBC clearly has it out for this show and is using a game of Chinese whispers to kill it.

Ignore those critics or TV watchers who compare this show to the Wizard of Oz. This show has nothing to do with that movie and that movie had little to do with Frank Baum's books: very little, in tone, content or theme. This show is more in keeping with Baum's vision, than MGM's silly movie ever tried to do.

I thank the producers for updating the story (making Dorothy a Latina, for starters), because a great story should not be trapped by the blinkered bigotries of the past. It should evolve as we do. I think they did a great job of keeping it creepy, making every plot turn unexpected and painting such a beautiful visual fantasy landscape to work with. The cast is strong, the colors are rich and the modernizing touches only enhance the thematic ambitions of the original WRITTEN work. Normally, I'd give this show a 9, but since someone in Hollywood has it out for this show, I'll give it a 10 and hope it lives long enough to earn that last point. The script and performances show a nuanced understanding of their subject and the leads carry their roles far better than most of the dreck on TV.

Forget the Wizard of Oz. Explore this show's universe as if it were written today. I think you will really enjoy it. If you actually read Baum's work, you won't be disappointed either...............................… Expand

5 of 10 users found this helpful55

gobhoblin

Mar 21, 2017

Definitely the best show I never saw coming. had no clue what this was and started watching mid season, had to go back and watch them all after the first one I saw. Good costume design, best adaptation of the books I have seen, overall fantastic casting. My biggest issue with the showDefinitely the best show I never saw coming. had no clue what this was and started watching mid season, had to go back and watch them all after the first one I saw. Good costume design, best adaptation of the books I have seen, overall fantastic casting. My biggest issue with the show would have to be that every character is an insufferable moron who can never solve a problem logically.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

kennfusion

Feb 21, 2017

I think it suffers from some identity issues of what it wants to be and how it goes about it, especially as it tries to decide how much it should resemble the Frank L Baum land of Oz. But, it's interesting, I want to know more. The world building in what I thought was a "known" world is aI think it suffers from some identity issues of what it wants to be and how it goes about it, especially as it tries to decide how much it should resemble the Frank L Baum land of Oz. But, it's interesting, I want to know more. The world building in what I thought was a "known" world is a unique take and I find it good entertainment.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

emvampyre

Jan 29, 2017

This show is jumbled and, well, interesting. It's trying to be fantasy, and steampunk, and dark, and edgy all at once, and that's how it gets lost within itself. I think I enjoy the show, and I will keep watching if nothing more than to see where it goes.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

The3AcademySins

Sep 17, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Emerald City is honestly one of the worst pieces of media I have ever seen. Almost nothing about the Wizard of Oz has been done correctly. Reboots are fun, gritty reboots can be even moreso, but this is a textbook example of a bad gritty reboot. The Scarecrow and Dorothy were fine. The whole Lion and Tin Man subplot was mind-numbingly stupid at best and severely problematic and offensive at worst. The acting is all over the place, with scenery-chewing being the staple of every performance. The lore was stupid. Everything about this was stupid. To call this an abomination on the level of something like The Room or Manos: The Hands of Fate is insulting to both The Room and Manos. Terrible production values, hammy, melodramatic acting, and terrible effects make this a complete waste of time. Do not watch this show.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

SEE ALL 23 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

47

Series Overview
Season 1

47
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: January 6, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E10. No Place Like Home
  Air Date: March 3, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E9. The Villain That's Become
  Air Date: February 24, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E8. Lions in Winter
  Air Date: February 17, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E7. They Came First
  Air Date: February 10, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E6. Beautiful Wickedness
  Air Date: February 3, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E5. Everybody Lies
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E4. Science and Magic
  Air Date: January 20, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E3. Mistress - New - Mistress
  Air Date: January 13, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E2. Prison of the Abject
  Air Date: January 6, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E1. The Beast Forever
  Air Date: January 6, 2017