Dr. Annie Mercier is no stranger to deep-sea creatures with a touch of the paranormal.
Considering the “zombie” sea cucumber research at her Ocean Sciences Centre lab in Logy Bay, N.L., that went viral last year, it seems only natural that Netflix’s aquatic-thriller Below creators would seek out her expert counsel.
Jesse McKeown, the showrunner, was upfront about the ancient squid storyline but needed general science-based advice. Dr. Mercier’s previous experience with documentaries and TV shows, as well as books and articles for general audiences, meant she was comfortable navigating between science and fiction.
She says she provided guidance on plausible aspects like parental care and movement, but understood that unnatural things would be required to accommodate the plot, such as detecting prey on land or arms shooting out of the water.
“Beyond this, I tried to help them keep things as realistic as possible with respect to marine science, including tools and techniques, icebergs, climate change, animal migrations and deep-sea research,” Dr. Mercier said.
Still, the show took a few liberties in the name of fictional storytelling.
While most viewers would likely never notice, a few details jumped out to Dr. Mercier and a number of graduate students conducting research at the OSC.
Eleanor Barry, who is studying plankton dynamics under coastal sea ice and is in her final year of her PhD program, says she noticed one artistic liberty in particular with Mackenzie Davis’s character, who plays a scientist.
“She finds juvenile squid in the ice and she’s touching it all without gloves,” Ms. Barry said. “Just know a real scientist would never be without their personal protective equipment, especially if dealing with an unknown species causing hallucinations.”
Ms. Barry and her fellow marine biology graduate students held a watch party once the show premiered on Netflix; they say the OSC itself seemed to play a character in the show.
Its octagon shape and porthole windows resemble unique and mysterious undersea creatures with multiple limbs and bulbous eyes, making it a perfect setting for a sea monster thriller.
The inside had its eerie qualities too, says recent master of science degree graduate Yuthika Jalim.
One scene location in particular made perfect sense to her: the basement.
(No, not the glass door leading to the ocean. That detail was completely fictionalized.)
“I used to finish up working late at the lab sometimes, after sunset, and would need to go down to the basement freezers to dispose of my samples and I always got the chills on the stairs and thought, ‘My God this looks like something straight out of a horror movie!’” said Ms. Jalim, who did her thesis on trophic ecology of northern sea cucumbers. “It looks just as scary in real life as it does on the show, so hats off to the showrunners for clever use of that space.”
However, Ms. Jalim thinks the production missed a giant squid-related opportunity: incorporating the giant squid specimen on display at The Rooms Museum.
The specimen is one of 15 collected and preserved by the late Dr. Fred Aldrich, an internationally renowned giant squid authority and the founding director of the Ocean Sciences Centre.
As for a second season of Below?
Opinions are mixed, but master’s student Shanan Eleah Brun-Dabbagh thinks there is “definitely” material to work with.
“I think the story could dive into a deeper understanding of those squids that we see at the end spreading everywhere across Newfoundland,” said Ms. Brun-Dabbagh, who is focusing on the biodegradation of oil in the Laurentian Great Lakes for her thesis. “Perhaps bringing a story of cohabitation between humans and nature rather than humans destroying nature yet again, which would be a really good point of view in light of Anthropogenic changes.”
Ms. Barry thinks Below had enough of an open ending for a second series, and would love to see one, considering there is “so much more of Newfoundland to showcase.”
“And I wouldn’t mind having Josh Hartnett back in the province.”
