Z: The Beginning of Everything

The true story of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is a sad one. The southern belle who married conflicted struggling author F. Scott Fitzgerald and followed the ups and downs that was his brief and tumultuous life, struggled herself, both with alcoholism and a debilitating mental disorder exacerbated by the excessive use of shock therapy and institutionalization. Their marriage was plagued with financial stress and emotional and substance abuse. Zelda eventually died alone in an asylum fire, her mind destroyed by the treatments used to try and help her. While she was married to Scott she lived opulently, often throwing elaborate parties and burning through her husband’s money faster than he could earn it, a source of contention between the two. Allegations of infidelity also undermined their relationship, especially once his works began to be adapted for movies and he found himself surrounded by actresses. All of this and more was detailed in Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler. 

Christina Ricci read this novel shortly after it released and suggested adapting it into a series with herself starring as Zelda. The show idea eventually ended up at Amazon Studios where large portions of the story were fictionalized. What finally debuted in 2015 covered just a part of the total story, detailing Zelda and Scott’s first meeting in Alabama through their early years of marriage and the downs which came after his first novel falls off the top seller’s lists and he has to come up with a follow-up. The series was a critical and commercial success and a second season was ordered that would adapt the mental decline and sad final years of Zelda’s life. Sadly, one of the show’s executives was accused of sexual harassment and the second season was cancelled while in preproduction. This has caused what we do get to feel incomplete. The final episode just ends and there is no sense of closure whatsoever. It becomes difficult then to fairly judge the final product when the rest of the story ends so abruptly and incompletely.

This was a passion project for Christina Ricci and it shows. She’s put a lot of effort into embodying this character, creating her believably. Ricci, who was in her thirties while filming was entirely too old to be able to portray the woman as a teenager. To combat this, digital trickery was used to good effect to de-age the actress appropriately. Ricci also had to master a southern accent and effectively use it throughout a wide array of emotions, many of them heated. This is not an easy feat and even some of the best actors and actresses lose an affected accent occasionally. If that accent slips anywhere in this show I didn’t notice it. That alone speaks volumes on how passionate Ricci was at bringing this to life. 

There is a great deal of complexity to the lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald (David Heflin) and Zelda. This is not a simple love story that turns sour once the glitter settles. Their relationship had many obstacles to overcome. Zelda was raised by a sympathetic mother and a hard nosed political figure father (Kristine Nielsen and David Strathairn). When she first meets Scott she is sneaking out of the house to attend social gatherings for the troops destined for the battlefields of World War I. At first he is just another soldier showing interest in her and when he continues calling her she ignores the calls. But he’s persistent and finally catches up with her. His determination, coupled with his upbringing in the north and ambitions to be a famous writer, win her over. It’s these same ambitions that will erode at their happiness and lead Scott down a steep spiral into alcoholism. Zelda’s free spirited ways, adorable when money was flowing freely, further strains their relationship when that money becomes sparse.

Unfortunately, with this being an incomplete series, it doesn’t wrap up any of the story. It was assumed a second season was assured and thus ended right in the middle of the story without a satisfying conclusion. This mars the show’s enjoyability and eliminates any desire for rewatching it. Without another season we miss out on The Great Gatsby, perhaps Scott’s most well known and respected book. The juiciest and most dramatic elements of Zelda’s life come from the second half when her cognitive abilities began to decline and Scott’s health deteriorated through a life of excess. Without all of this there is just no direction for this series and it becomes a relationship drama without an ending. The decision to cancel it, while understandable under the circumstances, derails an interesting story, even with all the liberties taken.

Much of the true history is either glossed over or ignored entirely such as Zelda’s father’s role in setting back black rights and the speculations of sexual abuse against his daughter. He’s painted as a generic stuffy father appalled by his daughter and her chosen lifestyle. As for Scott, a great deal of time is spent building him up as a brash young man determined to be a great author only to tear him down when the realities of writing and staying on top come crashing down on him. His inability to reign in Zelda and be financially prepared for the lean years between books leads him to alcoholism and self-destruction.

Without that second season there is very little worth recommending to watch, here. Christina Ricci is in top form in the lead role and it is fun to watch her go from naive southern girl, with little to no inhibitions, to a socialite who can’t bear to be away from the excitement of the city even for a week while her husband tries to isolate himself and write. A lot changes in her character over the course of this season and it is fascinating to see that change but then it abruptly ends. This series could have been stellar but instead it’s more of a curiosity.

Release Date: November 5, 2015-January 27, 2017

Running Time: 272 Minutes

Rated TV-14

Starring: Christina Ricci, David Hoflin and David Strathairn

Directed By: Tim Blake Nelson, Mike Barker, Neasa Hardiman, Minkie Spiro, and Wash Westmoreland.