What if you started a new school, bonded with a classmate who had also recently moved to the area, and then they disappeared? What if you thought that your parent passed away, but they might actually be alive? And what if you and your two new friends could be the ones to figure everything out?
While those are hopefully not questions that anyone has actually had to ponder in real life, they’re like the premise of a well-crafted thriller series. Many are familiar with the Netflix adaptations of Harlan Coben’s novels, as there are more than a few (and more Coben shows are coming). But what about the Prime Video series Shelter, which premiered in 2023? Not enough people talk about that one now, and it’s a particularly interesting idea to watch it twice.
Why Harlan Coben’s ‘Shelter’ Should Be Watched More Than Once
Some love to rewatch familiar sitcoms like New Girl, Friends, and Seinfeld, as the characters are like our pals, or perhaps our found family. (I definitely would love to grab dinner with Elaine and pick her brain about life.) People often argue that life can be overwhelming and wild, and change can happen at any moment, so knowing what storylines are coming is comforting.
A case can definitely be made for rewatching thriller series, too. If you watch Shelter twice, you’ll notice more details about the character arcs of Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael) and his father, Brad (Kristoffer Polaha). You’ll also think more about the puzzle pieces of the mystery of the Bat Lady, the group of interconnected characters, and what happened to Mickey’s new classmate Ashley Kent (Samantha Bugliaro).
Everyone has their favorite Harlan Coben thrillers, and everyone also can point out ones they think have plot twists that are too out there or hard to like. Given I Will Find You‘s Netflix success, I would guess that more than a few people rank the eight-episode series pretty highly. Shelter doesn’t come up that often, although it has an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is fairly good. (Actually, that’s higher than I Will Find You, which got much more buzz but only has 63% on RT.)
Despite the lack of ongoing attention paid to Shelter, and some criticism over the ending, I think rewatching gives you a lot to appreciate. Shelter marries heavier topics with a compelling and thoughtful narrative made for binge-watching. Coben fans love his twists, but I think his books are so popular because he makes us think about how people handle the absolute worst things they could ever imagine.
It’s heartbreaking to think about what Mickey has gone through, from losing his father to watching his mother struggle with her mental health to moving to a new place and facing a scary mystery. I also think that rewatching Shelter gives viewers the chance to appreciate both Jaden Michael’s and Constance Zimmer’s performances. Zimmer, known for playing tough characters like reality TV producer Quinn King on UnREAL and Hollywood executive Dana Gordon on Entourage, is perfect as Mickey’s aunt Shira. She’s just as confident as those other characters but more mysterious. Since she’s lived in this creepy town for so long, does that mean that she knows more than she’s sharing? Could she be connected to the Bat Lady?
Every question will be answered by the end of these eight episodes, and then all that’s left to do is wait for the next big Coben show. As it turns out, Netflix’s next adaptation has a connection to Shelter. The author’s book series Myron Bolitar is being adapted for Netflix, and it tells the story of former basketball player Myron Bolitar. Shelter‘s main character, Mickey, is Myron’s nephew. That makes it an even better time to binge-watch Shelter.
- Release Date
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2023 – 2023-00-00
- Showrunner
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Harlan Coben, Charlotte Coben
- Directors
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Patricia Cardoso, Edward Ornelas, Christina Choe, Deborah Kampmeier
- Writers
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Harlan Coben, Charlotte Coben
