Netflix Series 'The Body' Leaves Question of Divine Existence Open, Creator Says

The new Netflix spooky drama series 'The Body' deliberately avoids giving clear answers about whether God is real, according to creator Quinn Shephard. The show follows a Catholic school dance team and explores mass hysteria, faith, and the lives of young queer girls. At the center of the story is Grace, a devout Catholic played by Sofia Wylie, who stands out at dance team tryouts.

What Happened

During a Halloween party at an abandoned convent, Grace is pressured to take Ecstasy by Elise, the team's co-captain played by Sara Boustany, while others jokingly perform a ritual to sacrifice Grace's soul to the devil. Grace wanders off and later collapses, convulsing before appearing to die as Anya and Lisbeth try to take her to a hospital. Anya is played by Kristina Bogic and Lisbeth by Geena Meszaros. Fearing trouble over the Ecstasy, Anya and Lisbeth take Grace's body back to her house and leave her in bed, but she takes a breath at the end of the first episode and spends the rest of the season in a coma.

Reactions And Fakes

To keep her secret safe, Anya brings outsider Lisbeth onto the dance team. Meanwhile, Elise fakes a spiritual vision of Grace to the whole school out of suspicion and frustration over Anya and Lisbeth's closeness. Soon, the entire town begins worshipping Grace as a miraculous healer, while Lisbeth uses the situation to protect her brother Leo, played by Jackson Kelly. Eventually, Elise uncovers the truth and forces Anya to confess to Father Franklin, the school principal and pastor played by Nnamdi Asomugha, just as Grace finally wakes up and whispers that she is God.

Context

Creator Quinn Shephard drew on her own background with the church and her identity as a lesbian to shape the complex, messy relationships and fears depicted in the show. The series explores themes of teenage social hierarchy, repressed identity, and the heavy burden of religious guilt before returning with more story in a planned second season.