The Booth At The End
Is he God or Satan? An angel from heaven or a being from another world? Yes, the identity of the central character is certainly one of the more intriguing aspects of web series The Booth at the End, but its by no means the only thing keeping viewers gripped.
Airing as a season of five half-hour episodes (with commercials), The Booth at the End is based on a relatively simple concept: How far will you go to get what you want?
In each episode, a number of individuals visit a diner too see a mysterious character that occupies a certain booth. The man, dressed in a black suit and whose sole possession seems to be the journal and pen he keeps with him at all times, offers his visitors the opportunity to get what they want. In order to acquireit however, they must accomplish the task he gives them to do. The task is completely unrelated to their wish, but it will usually require them to compromise their morals in order to attain that which they most desire. And sometimes, ones task may directly involve another of The Man's clients. Quite how the pieces all fit together and whether the clients are able to accomplish their tasks however is part of the fun.
Although each episode takes place solely within the confines of a diner, the rich variety of characters that walk in and out of the booth in question ensures that the viewer is captivated throughout. Seemingly nothing is impossible for the man that sits in the booth at the end, including raising the dead.
I first heard about the show after Ryan and Jen raved about it on their podcast Popspotting, but I was only able to view the episodes myself last week when I finally signed up for Netflix. It didn't take long for me to get through seasons one and two. The Booth at the End is a character-driven drama, pure and simple. Some take a while to warm to, others you will grow to despise, but the bitesize segments the show is presented in ensures you will always comeback for more.
As mentioned at the outset though, the man in question - the modern-day genie that grants the wishes of these characters - is the most interesting figure of all. His motives, his true nature, is hinted at but never revealed (at least, not yet) encouraging viewers to guess and debate who, or what, he is. Season 2 pushed the mystery further by presenting another character that seems to know the answers to our questions and hints at a grander mythology. If the final scene of the finale is any indication, it looks like we might be learning a whole lot more in season 3.
That is... if we get a season 3.
I sincerely hope we do, because as it stands, The Booth at the End is one of the most engaging dramas in recent years, filled with the right balance of human drama and mystery, and backed by strong acting and writing to boot. Long may it continue.