Disney’s Mysterious Benedict Society holds all the keys to the success of children’s shows

The Mysterious Benedict Society, the latest live-action series from Disney Plus, has all the components a great kids’ classic needs. Judging by the two critical episodes, the show evokes the same sensibilities as Spying children and Netflix adaptation of A chain of unfortunate events – and not just because children are the heroes. Certainly in all three cases it is part of the appeal to have children in situations where only they can save the day. But there are many bad stories with child heroes. Spying children and A chain of unfortunate events are memorable for the way they use unique visual palettes to create different settings. The Mysterious Benedict Society replicates this feat and makes the first two episodes visually memorable.

Based on the 2007 book by Trenton Lee Stewat, the show follows an orphan named Reynie (Mystic Inscho) taking a test for gifted children. It turns out that the test – full of tricky brain teasers and unexpected puzzles – was actually written by the mysterious Mr. Benedict (Arrested development‘s Tony Hale), who wants to put together a team of precocious children. The world is threatened by “The Emergency” – nobody knows exactly what it is, but Mr. Benedict found that the threat is subliminally transmitted through television and radio programming, using children’s voices to convey increasingly panicked messages.

Image: Disney Plus

To find out who is behind this, he needs a team of kids to infiltrate the academy from which the messages seem to come. Enter Reynie and his friends: Sticky (Seth Carr), a nervous boy with an eidetic memory; Kate (Emmy DeOliveira), a resourceful circus runaway who goes everywhere with her trusty bucket; and Constance (Marta Timofeeva), an unruly young Russian girl who literally argues with anyone.

While the characters are interesting and the plot is tentatively suspenseful, the first two episodes really highlight the setting of the show. The set and costumes carefully create a funky world that is nebulous both in time and place. There are references to real countries, animals, and plants, but the locations the characters visit are called Stonetown and Harbor Island – completely vague and easy to adapt to most countries. Visually, the show is based on a slightly retro look, with characters in mid-century outfits. There are televisions, but they’re the pre-flatscreen types with buttons and wheels. The Mysterious Benedict Society doesn’t feel like a historical piece, but more like a universe that’s just left of ours.

Image: Disney Plus

But not just pleasing to the eye. The set details also enrich the plot in a delicious way. Mr. Benedict’s study is full of books and bells and whistles, and his house is a cozy take on the popular Dark Academia aesthetic. When students head off to the prestigious Academy, where they’ll be performing their fact-finding mission, the difference is stark – the impressively clean and disinfected hallways are reminiscent of some sort of retro-futuristic look (think Disney’s Tomorrowland) that really pounds the difference between the academy and the the cozy vintage feeling of Mr. Benedict’s house.

Only the opening episodes of The Mysterious Benedict Society are currently being streamed, but the stage is – literally – ready for a whimsical adventure in a fully realized world with a unique backdrop and captivating characters. As the kids delve deeper into the mystery of The Emergency, they are sure to encounter more curiosities. It is a reality that is separate from ours, but shared just enough that it is easy to imagine such an adventure could happen in our world with just a little elevated twist.

The first two episodes of The Mysterious Benedict Society now streaming on Disney Plus. New episodes appear on Fridays.