Nautilus Will Drive Jules Verne Purists Crazy

You won’t need to journey 20,000 leagues beneath the ocean to embark on the Nautilus series, inspired by Jules Verne‘s iconic 1870 novel. If you subscribe to AMC or AMC+, you can easily watch it right from your couch! However, the question remains: Is an origin story about Captain Nemo, the enigmatic character from Verne’s work, worth investing your time in?

Enjoyment of “Nautilus” depends on several aspects. For instance, your familiarity with Jules Verne’s original material and your liking for a television series that resembles “Star Trek” but is lighter in terms of adventure episodes. The show takes liberties with Captain Nemo’s story by introducing new monsters and villains, yet it follows other genre shows in its execution, giving off a slightly educational feel. However, the key factor determining your enjoyment might be your age, as the series is primarily aimed at a younger audience than what AMC typically caters to. This difference in target demographic may be due to the challenging path this British sci-fi adventure series took to reach North American screens. As a result, “Nautilus” offers an unusual yet not entirely unwelcome experience for summer television viewing. Let’s delve into its journey from overseas and see how it unfolds across ten episodes.

What is Nautilus? And wasn’t it canceled?

Nautilus, created by James Dormer as an adaptation of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, was initially commissioned by Disney+. However, due to cost-cutting measures taken by the streamer in August 2023, they dropped the already completed Nautilus; AMC acquired it a few months later for U.S. release. Similarly, another project abandoned by Disney+, The Spiderwick Chronicles, found its home on Roku.

Nautilus has already been shown worldwide: Prime Video in the U.K. and Ireland, Stan in Australia, SVT Play in Sweden – and it will premiere on AMC with two episodes on June 29, followed by one episode per week until the two-episode finale on August 17. At this point, there’s no word about a renewal for more seasons, so be aware that the storyline may leave you hanging at the end, if that bothers you.

Is it a faithful adaptation of Verne’s novel?

In essence, AMC’s series “Nemo” is essentially a retelling of Captain Nemo’s backstory. This adaptation borrows the unveiling of Nemo’s true identity from “The Mysterious Island”, a novel by Jules Verne published in 1875. In this original story, readers learn that Nemo was once Prince Dakkar, a well-educated Indian leader who fiercely opposed British rule over his territory, Bundelkund, and India as a whole. Verne’s narrative portrays India as a “long degraded and heathen country” with citizens who are “ignorant and superstitious”, easily manipulated by their leaders. The rebellion was eventually suppressed by the British, at which point they placed a bounty on Dakkar’s head. Filled with rage towards the civilized world, Dakkar built his submarine, set sail, and assumed the identity of Captain Nemo.

In essence, a fragment of that portrayal is incorporated into the show Nautilus. Instead of an overall Indian rebellion against the U.K., the narrative focuses on Nemo (Shazad Latif) harboring a personal grudge against the British East India Mercantile Company specifically. As the series opens in 1857, captions and a graphic blood-stained map reveal that the company is more influential than any nation and its private army has plundered wealth across the globe. In the series, the submarine is a clandestine project of the company’s, which Nemo, who spent three years as a prisoner in a labor camp, played a role in designing. He then steals it, escapes the penal colony with a crew of former slaves from the company, and charts a course for the Pillars of Halvar. Rumors of a sunken Norse treasure there entice him, believing it will make them all wealthy, fueling his vengeful mission against the company for causing harm to his family and seizing his lands.

That sounds fun! Is it fun?

I’m sorry to bring this up again, but let me explain that “Nautilus” essentially consists of two intertwined narratives: One revolves around Nemo’s relentless pursuit against the corporation and their attempts to undermine him, which involve a colossal warship known as the “Dreadnought” in hot pursuit of the submarine “Nautilus” across the globe, inciting revolution wherever it goes. This forms the main storyline spanning the ten episodes, and the series draws inspiration from the actual Indian Rebellion of 1857 for this narrative. Regrettably, the series feels somewhat laborious because Nemo’s character development is rather scant, resulting in an excessive focus on company characters and briskly skimming over mini-rebellions. In contrast, Nemo’s characterization primarily consists of traumatic glimpses into his past and a short temper in the present.

In a different rendition, the series titled Nautilus is an episodic journey that follows the crew as they encounter sea creatures, peculiar societies, and villainous nobles, making for quite an entertaining experience! This show, in its exploratory nature, shares similarities with Xena: Warrior Princess, Our Flag Means Death, and the franchises of Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, and King Kong. It also includes mysterious leviathans and humorous crew antics. Due to its initial target audience on Disney+, it contains minimal sexually explicit content, but offers exhilarating encounters with various monsters that could serve as an engaging introduction for tweens to the world of sci-fi and steampunk. Regrettably, Nautilus may not be as impactful when characters express “Viva la revolution” while battling an evil corporation, but it shines as a series that allows the crew to bond, appreciate the splendor of whale pods, and confront colossal eels.

So the story about Captain Nemo … isn’t really about Captain Nemo?

In a more conversational and rephrased manner:

The show “Nautilus” reveals too much about Nemo’s character at the start, which takes away the intrigue surrounding him and keeps him static. Instead, it focuses excessively on Miss Humility Lucas (Georgia Flood), a British socialite aiming to become an engineer, who initially perceives Nemo as a savage but eventually earns respect and grows fond of him. This dynamic is reminiscent of the “plucky white woman learns from minority characters” trope, which has been overused and can be frustrating. What’s more disappointing is that “Nautilus” doesn’t offer a fresh take on this cliché but rather invests more in Humility than most other crew members.

The TV series “The Nevers” already delivered the feminist narrative of strong scientist women, and we didn’t need another iteration of it in “Nautilus.” The show’s treatment of Miss Lucas as a sympathetic figure among the company’s employees undermines its portrayal of the corporation as greedy and destructive worldwide. This inconsistency weakens the internal conflicts within the series, making them appear less significant.

Wait, there’s a both-sides approach to the company and the workers rebelling against it?

The company, in itself, is not good, but some of its employees are. It’s not right to blame them entirely because they may have been influenced by others who acted poorly first. As an adult, I find this amusing, but since Nautilus is geared towards pre-teens and young teens, it’s at least introducing them to the idea that capitalism can be harmful. On the other hand, for adults, it’s more entertaining to watch Nautilus as a show about homeownership, with the company representing your mortgage company pursuing payments; I found myself agreeing with the crew whenever they had to troubleshoot problems with the submarine using their DIY skills. It’s understandable that metal-eating bugs would be annoying!

In this version, I have attempted to maintain the original meaning while making it more readable and accessible for a general audience. The tone of voice has also been adjusted slightly to make the text sound more conversational and less formal.

But: Should I watch it?

As a fan who appreciates all-ages adventure shows, I’m ready to give my approval, but with the disclaimer that it’s ideal for family viewing. It’s regrettable that shows like Lockwood & Co., Time Bandits, and even Nautilus were cut short before their time. However, Nautilus fits perfectly into this genre, emphasizing unity among people from diverse backgrounds, each with unique pasts, working together towards a shared goal, and valuing discovery, science, and truth above all else. In essence, it’s the classic Star Trek formula that Verne envisioned over a century ago, and it still works wonders. The series offers captivating journeys to islands teeming with colossal insects and civilizations ruled by Norse honor codes, making for an immersive and enjoyable experience.

For purists of Verne’s work, the somber atmosphere that enveloped Nemo in the novels may be missing here, and the adaptation’s corporate storyline might seem overbearing at times. Yet, as a series designed for younger audiences, with undertones of a “we have nothing to lose but our chains” message, Nautilus manages to stay afloat.

2025-06-25 19:54