(ARTICLE ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2021)

Whitney Walmer
Associate Arts & Culture Editor

Tick.Tick.Tick. Time ticks away for Nick Brewer, a family man, when he becomes an attraction after a video is released of him holding signs after being kidnapped and beaten. Next, Internet users see Nick covered in blood from a head wound holding signs projecting “I Abuse Women” and lastly, “At 5 Million views I Die .”

As the number of viewers increases, the severity increases as his wife, Sophie (Betty Gabriel), and sister Pia (Zoe Kazan) search to find who is responsible. As they have refrained from checking the number of views that they have to put in perspective of how much time they have left to find out who and why is a double-edged sword putting Nick closer and closer to his death. At the same time, fighting the impulses of social media and the concepts that they can affect life in the real world. In the release of the famous miniseries August 25th on Netflix, the storms its way to the top being in the top 10 in the U.S. 

As the series takes place in modern-day L.A., where social media culture is mainstream, and the city is always thriving, you learn that everyone has their secrets that they keep. While Clickbait lives up to the initial meaning of its title, stringing you along as the tension builds, leaving you on edge wanting more. 

In the strategy of keeping you on your toes, you find yourself misled as you think you have solved the mystery to then find that there is so much more. With each episode, you are scoping in on the perspective of different individuals and how they have a role in what happened to Nick Brewer. It’s like the experience of traveling down a rabbit hole, leaving you with so many questions needing answers.

Spoilers Ahead in Review Pertaining Series Info

You assume that Nick Brewer had been killed following the views of his video exceeding the 5 million mark. However, with her brash personality and dedication to finding her brother, his sister Pia stops at nothing, keeping the investigation going regardless of the cost. Regarding the continuation of the investigation, social media plays a role in finding him, a geo-tracking app, and finding more about Nick to the point of question who he was. Although a moment in the series, you discover that Nick is dead, you still are left with the questions of who and what the video had meant. In digging for more information, you learn of supposed affairs, hatred, and secrets that had been kept in the dark, hindering the reputation of those present.

Regarding the show, Clickbait produced by Christian White and Tony Ayres had some disagreement, and some points lost interest but were pulled along by my remaining curiosity. The show’s structure kept me pressing me to play in melodramatic acting by some individuals and their roles. I was shocked in the last episode, titled “The Answer,” because I was caught by surprise when knowing who the killer was.