Upamanyu Biswas
‘Kaos,’ the Netflix dark comedy show about the gods of Olympus, spans across a multitude of exotic locations that tie the mythological story with its modern setting. As such, The Cave, a club in the middle of nowhere, plays an integral role in the narrative as it hosts the sisters of Fate, who pass judgment on those seeking entrance into the Underworld. The club is a recurring setting in the show, often visited by mortals and gods who wish to know their fortunes from the Fates themselves. Its whimsical and absurd interiors seem divorced from reality, yet they play an essential role in the grander stories in the works, which are happening beyond the wits of the mortals and the gods who avail the facilities of The Cave.
The Origins of The Cave
The Cave is a fictional club in ‘Kaos’ created by Charlie Covell. Its tall manager, Polyphemus, runs it and regularly organizes a quiz to allow those who want to reunite with their dead loved ones a chance to enter the Underworld and bring them back. In the show, Orpheus and Dionysus arrive at the club seeking a passage of entry into the Underworld so that the former can reunite with his great love, Eurydice. There, they run across the Fates: Atropos, Lachesis, and Clotho, who try to test Orpheus on his love for Eurydice and whether he is worthy of gaining entrance. The place is regularly frequented by customers who look to be entertained by the next contestant seeking to bring back their loved ones from the dead. It is also where the entrance to the Underworld is located.
While The Cave is a fictional establishment located in Heraklion, Crete, the actual origin of the building lies in classical mythology. According to lore, Polyphemus was a Cyclops who lived in a cave on a remote island when Odysseus, the great Greek hero, landed on his shores. Subsequently, Odysseus defeated the Cyclops by using his blindness against him. For the uninitiated, Cyclopes are mythological creatures in folktales, often depicted as having one eye. Therefore, the manager in the show, Polyphemus, is a one-eyed man with a patch covering his other eye, and his club is known as The Cave – in direct allusion to his shelter in the mythical stories. Both The Cave and its manager are inspired by Greek mythological stories and have no connection to reality.
Although ‘Kaos’ is primarily set in Greece, the filming for the show took place in Spain, particularly in the autonomous region of Andalusia. For shooting the scenes featuring The Cave, the production crew either utilized a real-life establishment or built a set from scratch. The fantastical club captures much of the tone and atmosphere of the show’s blend of absurdity and social drama as it delves into myth and legend to provide a complex tale of humanity. Despite its impact on the story’s overarching plot and its prominence as a resting ground for the Fates, the place is a fictional creation that cannot be found in real life.
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