Edward’s mind might be crumbling, but he’s not wrong about something sinister lurking beneath the idyllic facade of The Boroughs. The pilot episode’s cold open showed Edward’s (now-deceased) wife, Grace (Dee Wallace), being attacked by a mysterious, spindly creature in the middle of the night. Someone (or something) has been stealing all things quartz in the community. Art witnesses a flock of crows suddenly dash themselves into the ground in the surrounding desert for no apparent reason.

Signs and wonders

And then the creature comes for Jack. Sam discovers the thing crouched over his new friend’s lifeless body, seemingly feeding off him. It’s a bold move to kill off a major star’s character at the end of the first episode, but it certainly establishes the stakes. Because Jack was so beloved, his loss becomes the linchpin for the surviving neighbors to work together to solve the mystery of how and why he died.

It’s nice to see Netflix embracing senior-themed series of late, starting with the two seasons (thus far) of A Man on the Inside, an excellent comedy drama that also features a grieving widower (Ted Danson) figuring out how to rebuild his post-retirement life. There’s a vast amount of world-class 60-plus acting talent out there, and The Boroughs’ stellar cast proves it.

These are meaty roles with broad emotional ranges. Sam breaking down to Jack is a highlight of episode 1. He rants about how his wife is dead and yet somehow everyone just goes right on living their lives, oblivious to her loss, while he bottles up his overwhelming grief. Jack responds with gentle, hard-won wisdom that earns a tearful smile from Sam. It’s an entirely believable exchange played to perfection by Molina and Pullman.