Harry Potter and the Cursed ... Story?
Don’t read this if you haven’t watched the play, or read the script.
Look, I’m not such a fan of spin offs as much as rest of the world probably is - the most I can do is handle a small throwback every then and now. Which is why when rumours surfaced of a FRIENDS movie my heart would leap in equal parts excitement and anxiety. Excitement, for obvious reasons, but anxiety for possibilities of tarnishing a good thing - why damage the brand? I guess that’s why the writers are never - and will never - go through with it.
Harry Potter, on the other hand, completely different situation. If there’s one story I can point to represent my childhood, it’s this. If there’s one story that makes my heart warm, it’s this. The Harry Potter series is in no way overhyped, exaggerated or inducing a “I don’t see what the big deal is” kinda statement (unlike Game of Thrones for example. It’s obvious you guys are leeching on the *ohmygoshwhatjusthappened* kind of scenes - although the direction and insight into the characters are quite literally entertainment at its best - I wouldn’t call it THE BEST SHOW EVER.) But let’s be honest - Harry Potter’s 7 seven part series is where the magic - no pun intended - lies. Not the Fantastic Beats and Where To Find Them unnecessary spinoff, not the Tales of Beedle the Bard, and certainly not the Cursed Child script. (Although I did enjoy the Pottermore website writing by JK Rowling - but only because it was a deeper insight into the story through her own eyes, NOT an addition to the existing story).
I haven’t watched the play, and I’m sure it’s much more different than just reading the script, but the story just seemed to fall apart in some instances. For example, Ron couldn’t string one damn sentence together; how did Scorpius’ character change so drastically within a couple of scenes?; the chemistry between Scorpius and Album was so ambiguous? like are they in love or just #nohomo???; the overall genre of dromedy was just so unfitting in the world of Harry Potter. Having said that, I get that a little bit of comedic relief is vital especially since it is, essentially, a play, but the whole thing was so unlike JK Rowling I physically cringed at some points.
I don’t want to be a #hater, so I’ll also mention some parts I liked. For example, the subtle mention at the fact that Harry is the one who cooks, the popular “stupid love” between Hermione and Ron, Draco’s loneliness, and how it was linked to his childhood and how he was brought up, the unmistakably somewhat-predictable plot twists which are so very Harry Potter, and finally, the best element - the relationship between Harry and Albus. I loved that Albus and Harry’s father-son connection was so absolutely flawed, and Albus was such a normal character, with very real problems - also the fact that having such a famous father inevitably casts a shadow over his whole life.
All in all, the story would’ve been fantastic with a tighter, more authentic JK Rowling plot. Not some famous playwright trying to be like her and bring the magic to like 5% of the world (eye roll). I hate fanfics, and the problem with this is that it ended up being exactly that. It was sad to see such a flimsy story being incorporated in the encapsulating world we all love. It was unfitting, disappointing and I would certainly not recommend the book unless you’re looking for a light read.
My advice to people everywhere, however, is not to make this the “8th part of the series”! It’s a spinoff (nevertheless a bad one), but let’s not get carried away and ruin the legacy of the best series in the world.
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