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Netflix released its new, genre-defying supernatural series, 鈥淭he Boroughs,鈥� on Thursday, which follows a group of unconventional retirees whose seemingly idyllic senior living community in New Mexico is upended by a mysterious, otherworldly entity.

The series was created by 鈥淭he Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance鈥� showrunners Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, and produced by 鈥淪tranger Things鈥� creators Matt and Ross Duffer.

Yona Speidel, a writer and co-executive producer of the series, shared some of the inspiration behind 鈥淭he Boroughs.鈥�

The overall tone, she said, was influenced by 鈥淓.T. the Extra-Terrestrial鈥� and other family-friendly science fiction films produced by Steven Spielberg鈥檚 company, Amblin Entertainment.

鈥淲e like to call the vibe 鈥楢mblin,鈥欌�� Speidel said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very scary at moments, so I鈥檓 not saying it鈥檚 just for kids, but underneath, there鈥檚 a lot of heart and soul about everything that every human being goes through when they realize they鈥檙e entering a new chapter in life,鈥� Speidel said. 鈥淔or some, it might be their last chapter. So, the theme is, what do we do with the time we have left?鈥�

Speidel, formerly known as Our Lady J, had served as a writer on the hit series 鈥淭ransparent鈥� and as a writer and producer on 鈥淧ose鈥� and 鈥淎merican Horror Story.鈥� She said 鈥淭he Boroughs鈥� gave her a chance to write new kinds of characters.

鈥淎lfred Molina鈥檚 character, Sam 鈥� has been widowed, and he鈥檚 going to this retirement community they had planned on going to together. He doesn鈥檛 want to go, so he鈥檚 kicking and screaming. He鈥檚 a grouch. He鈥檚 very cynical,鈥� Speidel said.

鈥淚t was really fun to write cynical characters who are starting to open their hearts, because, as a writer, you go through the emotions of the characters you write. 鈥� So, it made me feel like a better person, and I hope that鈥檚 how the audience feels when they watch it.鈥�

The character of Sam was partly inspired by showrunner Addiss鈥� grandfather, who was an engineer.

鈥淢y father was also an engineer, so I got to maintain that part of the character that he created, and then explore what that meant to me,鈥� Speidel said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 some dialogue in my episode about my dad. He used to tell me not to be afraid to take things apart and put them together to figure out how things work, and that really became a metaphor for life for me. So, I was able to put that in the script.鈥�

Speidel wrote the series鈥� penultimate episode, which introduces two new female characters.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e based on my grandmother鈥檚 sister and my grandmother鈥檚 sister鈥檚 partner,鈥� Speidel said. 鈥淚 had a great-aunt who I didn鈥檛 know was gay until I was much older, because we always called them 鈥楢unt Zo毛 and her friend Marge.鈥欌��

The character who is based on Speidel鈥檚 great-aunt, The Duchess, is played by Mary McDonnell of 鈥淏attlestar Galactica鈥� fame.

鈥淪he鈥檚 a patient at the dementia ward who may or may not have supernatural powers,鈥� Speidel said. 鈥淲e were talking about what the mind does at that age. 鈥� Dementia patients are operating in another world, but that鈥檚 not to say there鈥檚 anything less valuable about the world that they鈥檙e operating in.鈥�

Foregrounding characters with dementia whose sense of reality is fractured and unreliable makes the audience question whether the things they are witnessing are actually happening.

鈥淭hat kind of magical, otherworldly thinking is part of that episode. And it was really fun 鈥� and touching 鈥� to explore that,鈥� Speidel said.

Speidel was also inspired by sa国际传媒官网网页入口, where she spent time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淚 was able to tap into a part of my life that I鈥檝e never talked about before, which is, I鈥檓 a huge RV camper. I love driving through the desert and just plugging in my camper and getting to know people,鈥� she said. 鈥淒uring the pandemic, especially, a lot of retirees were out camping, but also people who weren鈥檛 retired were just working from their RVs, which was me.鈥�

Speidel said she wrote part of 鈥淎merican Horror Story鈥� while camping in her 鈥済lam mobile鈥� at sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Route 66 RV Resort.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing more magical than going out into the middle of the desert in the middle of the night and seeing that open sky 鈥� and what that does for our souls and our intellect, as well. It really expands our consciousness and possibilities,鈥� Speidel said. 鈥淚t helps us see a world that maybe doesn鈥檛 exist yet. And there鈥檚 a lot that in 鈥楾he Boroughs.鈥欌��

All eight episodes of the first season of 鈥淭he Boroughs鈥� are currently streaming on Netflix.

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .