Z: The Beginning of Everything: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	Your Score
6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Ratings

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Z: The Beginning Of Everything

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Season Details & Credits

Amazon Prime | Prime Video | Amazon Prime Video | Season Premiere Date: November 3, 2015

Summary: The life of Zelda Fitzgerald (Christina Ricci) is chronicled from her first meeting with F. Scott (Gavin Stenhouse in the pilot and David Hoflin in the rest of the season) in 1918 in the drama series based on the novel by Therese Anne Fowler.

Genre(s): Drama

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. Best of All
Air Date: January 27, 2017
tbd
S1:E9. Quicksand
Air Date: January 27, 2017
tbd
S1:E8. Playing House
Air Date: January 27, 2017

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Gwen Ihnat

Jan 27, 2017

For Fitzgerald fans, wannabe Fitzgerald fans, or even people who can appreciate a well-done period drama, Z has a lot to offer, even as it gives us lots to think about. Read full review

Mark A. Perigard

Jan 25, 2017

Ricci serves as an executive producer and delivers the best work of her career. ... Z is helped by an unusual format--the drama unfolds in 10 half-hour episodes, making it especially binge-worthy. More providers should try half-hour dramas. They don’t feel like endurance challenges, as many one-hour shows do. Read full review

Jen Chaney

Jan 27, 2017

Z: The Beginning of Everything tries to capture the many facets of this complex and conflicted woman, and does so with some success. There are moments when it’s exhilarating to be immersed in the 1920s with Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald (David Hoflin) and his wife/muse (a fierce, focused Christina Ricci). Read full review

Ray Rahman

Jan 23, 2017

The story itself is interesting, if well-known, but the series is overacted, over-accented, and overwritten. [27 Jan 2017, p.55]

Brian Lowry

Jan 28, 2017

Ricci is certainly convincing as a Southern Belle, and she helps make "Z" reasonably watchable. But when Scott grumbles in a later episode -- well before publishing "The Great Gatsy" -- "What if I never finish anything again?," there's a question whether, as a viewer, it's worth hanging around long enough to see him do it. Read full review

Ken Tucker

Jan 27, 2017

The story lacks much in the way of momentum other than the downward spiral of too much booze, too little creation of art. Z: The Beginning of Everything is a spiffy soap opera, but not much more than that. Read full review

David Wiegand

Jan 23, 2017

It’s possible that an acceptable performance could have patched over some of the cavernous inconsistencies in Zelda’s characterization, but Ricci’s performance is abominable. Read full review

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6.4

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User Reviews

cherold

Feb 11, 2018

I don't understand why this series didn't get more love. Ricci was excellent as Zelda. Yes, too old, but she's one of those people who generally looks younger than her age, so she gets away with it. The rest of the cast is also quite good and the period detail is first rate.

I wish theI don't understand why this series didn't get more love. Ricci was excellent as Zelda. Yes, too old, but she's one of those people who generally looks younger than her age, so she gets away with it. The rest of the cast is also quite good and the period detail is first rate.

I wish the series had been renewed; it would have been interesting to see Zelda's descent into madness.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

A7sus4

Jan 27, 2017

The half hour format works really well, the actors have great chemistry, the performances are great, and the scenery is terrific. That only things that hold the show back are the peculiar casting, (Ricci plays her part very well, but she's clearly older than her character is intended to be),The half hour format works really well, the actors have great chemistry, the performances are great, and the scenery is terrific. That only things that hold the show back are the peculiar casting, (Ricci plays her part very well, but she's clearly older than her character is intended to be), and despite all the many positives, nothing really sets it apart from similar shows; If you dig romance and drama, especially time pieces, I see no reason why someone wouldn't enjoy it.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JennetP

Feb 6, 2017

As someone very interested in both Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, I found the series disappointing. Not too surprisingly, it's more interested in their "dysfunctional" relationship than in their prodigious talents--or the way they briefly embodied a unique (and deeply conflicted) culturalAs someone very interested in both Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, I found the series disappointing. Not too surprisingly, it's more interested in their "dysfunctional" relationship than in their prodigious talents--or the way they briefly embodied a unique (and deeply conflicted) cultural moment. While never uttering pop-psychological buzzwords such as "codependency," the series occasionally seems to treat the protagonists as case studies, even cautionary tales. Toward the end, I half-expected Max Perkins or Zelda's parents to arrange an intervention. Lots has been written about Ricci, and I have to say I give her a about a "5," too. I don't care that she's too old, and I appreciate how hard she tries to nail the performance. But, for me, she's an actor who never disappears into a role; I'm always aware that I'm watching Christina Ricci as whoever. Sometimes that works, but here it's distracting. I'll keep watching because I would probably watch sock puppets play the Fitzgeralds on a cardboard-box stage. Z is better than sock puppets, but it needs to be "more better."… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Qldgamer

Feb 1, 2017

This would have to be one of the most boring plots I have ever had the misfortune to sit through. Dull is not even close to the tepid paced events that slowly crash down upon your mind.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Seasons & Episodes

61

Series Overview
Season 1

61
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: November 3, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E10. Best of All
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E9. Quicksand
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E8. Playing House
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E7. Where There Are Friends, There Are Riches
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E6. Lights! Camera! Fitzgerald!
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E5. The It Girl
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E4. You, Me and Us
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E3. The Right Side of Paradise
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E2. Just Humans
  Air Date: January 27, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E1. Pilot
  Air Date: November 3, 2015