The rumors of The Essex Serpent’s mysterious beast are turning out to be more bark than bite. Sure, we saw a few glimpses of what could’ve been the serpent at the beginning of Episode 1, but there is no real confirmation yet.
So, is the serpent real? Will we see it on-screen in The Essex Serpent?
Mostly likely, there is no mythical serpent in The Essex Serpent. In the book, the villagers find out that it was simply a big fish that later died.
The show has certainly made a few changes from the book. One, for example, is that in the book, the rumors of the serpent came about after an earthquake—implying that the calamity had awoken the beast.
A mention of the earthquake was made in Episode 2, but it heavily focused on making Banks’ sister the cause of the beast’s arrival. But what exactly is the truth about the Essex serpent?
The Essex Serpent’s Biblical Allegory
The serpent is a known form of the devil in the Bible, and the one who tempted Eve to commit the first sin in the Garden of Eden. That is why Gracie says that the serpent made her do it when she alludes that sleeping with Samuel Dowsett was a sin.
As we see in the trailer where the village folk say, “It was woman that was tempted by the serpent,” they will soon start blaming Cora too for the serpent’s presence.
In the book, Sarah Perry uses the serpent as an allegory for this very prejudice against women and the iron grip that superstition and religion still had during a time when science was making huge progress.
So in all likelihood, the show too will give the serpent a more logical explanation—maybe, like the book, it may just turn out to be a huge fish as well.
Of course, the explanation may come a little too late. That is, after the villagers have scorned Naomi and Cora.
There is also a small possibility that the show may play into the horror and actualize a serpent. Or it could even leave that speculation open-ended. Why don’t we watch the rest of The Essex Serpent to find out!
About The Essex Serpent
The Essex Serpent is an Apple TV+ original series that follows recently-windowed Cora Seaborne who moves from London to Essex upon hearing rumors of a mythical sea creature.
Determined to investigate the truth, she befriends the local pastor but ends up getting up blamed for attracting the creature.
The cast is made up of Claire Danes, Tom Hiddleston, Frank Dillane, and Hayley Squires among others.
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