The ancient tales of Greek mythology, often complex and challenging for modern audiences, seek to explain the diverse nature of humanity. In the new Netflix show, "Kaos," which explores the downfall of the Greek gods, creator Charlie Covell presents a portrayal of immortals who succumb to their base desires, insecurities, and obsessions. While the eight-episode series highlights the dangers of power and greed, it stumbles due to convoluted storylines and underwhelming characters.

“Kaos” begins with Prometheus (Stephen Dillane) eagerly awaiting the downfall of the increasingly cruel Zeus’ ( Jeff Goldblum ). Bound to a rock and forced to endure his liver being poked out by an eagle daily, Prometheus reveals he and Zeus were once good friends. Their friendship soured after he dared to stand up to the King of the gods. Now, as he hangs from a boulder, Prometheus explains that the ousting of the most notorious Greek god will involve a prophecy and several unsuspecting humans.

The audience first meets Goldblum’s Zeus in the gardens of his palatial estate on Mount Olympus. Donning a white short set with rhinestone-encrusted lightning bolts, he gleefully watches the Olympia Day celebration in the city of Krete (broadcast live on his television) with his conniving sister/wife Hera (Janet McTeer) and his daft son Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan). Zeus is initially pleased with the celebration, but that changes when the statue honoring the gods is unveiled, covered entirely in feces. The pointed offense sends the sky and thunder god into a tailspin. The disrespect, and a new wrinkle on his forehead, prompt Zeus to recall his own prophecy, which states, “A line appears, the order weans, the family falls, and chaos regins.” This foretelling is a fate that Zeus is desperate to circumvent.

On Earth, three individuals are bound by Zeus' prophecy. Eurydice, also known as Riddy (Aurora Perrineau), is struggling to find the courage to leave her rock-star husband, Orpheus (Killian Scott). Meanwhile, Ari (Leila Farzad), whose father is the president of Krete, begins to notice significant flaws in his leadership and in society's veneration of the gods. Finally, in the Underworld, ruled by Zeus' brother, Hades (David Thewlis) and his wife Persephone (Rakie Ayola), Caneus (Misia Butler), who has been deceased for a decade, is forced to exist between the living and the dead. However, a chance encounter with a stranger alters the course of his afterlife.

"Kaos" shares a similar tone with Netflix's horror series "The Fall of the House of Usher." Unfortunately, this dramedy struggles to maintain its captivating quality throughout. Although all the gods, including Zeus' yacht-dwelling younger brother, Poseidon (Cliff Curtis), appear intriguing at first glance, as the story progresses, viewers realize there's nothing compelling about any of them. They are selfish, evil, and solely focused on their own desires.

Furthermore, while a garish, self-serving Zeus is amusing, even Goldblum, a master of wit and absurdity, can't make the character compelling enough for the audience to care about his downfall or reign. McTeer, Rizwan, and Curtis all deliver strong performances, but the characters themselves lack depth and creativity. Instead, these gods are merely versions of wealthy, repugnant individuals we've seen depicted on-screen (and in real life) countless times before.

The episodes are mostly overly long, rambling, and contrived, but Episode 6 presents some intriguing themes. As Caneus, Ari, and Rinny discover their prophecies and connections to the gods, childhood flashbacks illustrate the dangers of blindly following rituals without genuine faith or understanding. Moreover, "Kaos'" portrayal of the Underworld and humans traveling through the frame towards renewal is visually stunning and a testament to Dick Lunn's exceptional production design.

Ultimately, "Kaos" fails to captivate because the narrative collapses under the weight of its own ambition. Several storylines exist independently before crashing into each other near the season's anticlimactic conclusion. The gods rarely even utilize their powers in any awe-inspiring or thrilling manner. More than anything, viewers are left wondering why their petty squabbles should be of any concern to us, especially when there's already so much to grapple with on Earth.

“Kaos” premieres on Netflix Aug. 29.