Diksha Sundriyal
Created by Jean-Yves Arnaud & Yoann Legave, Netflix’s ‘Furies’ follows the life of a girl named Lyna, whose parents belong to a crime family in Paris. She knows what her parents are involved in, but she tends to stay away from all that, enjoying her student life elsewhere. It is for her birthday that she comes back home, and on the same day, her parents are killed. This leads Lyna down a path that pits her against the syndicate of the crime families that run Paris. She also crosses paths with The Fury, a woman whose task is to keep the peace between the families. Considering that the show delves deep into the criminal underbelly of Paris, it is bound to make one wonder if the show is inspired by any real people or events.
Furies is an Entirely Fictional Tale Set in Paris
‘Furies’ is an original story created by Jean-Yves Arnaud & Yoann Legave, and has no connection whatsoever to the real criminal world of Paris. In fact, the story finds its inspiration in other fictional action thrillers, specifically influenced by the ‘John Wick’ series, in which Keanu Reeves’ character also embarks on a murderous path after his beloved dog is killed by a criminal.
One of the many things that make ‘Furies’ more interesting than other shows in the crime-thriller-action genre is how it references the mythology and creates parallels with it to give more meaning to the story. The “furies” that the show refers to come from Roman mythology, where the three Furies (Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera) are known for exacting their wrath on the ones who have sinned. The Furies live in the underworld, which is fitting with the Netflix series as Lyna and the Fury also navigate the inner workings of the criminal underworld in Paris.
The three Furies and their wrath are also defined by the functions attributed to each of them. Alecto is known for bringing justice and wreaking havoc upon the ones who have committed crimes against their own. This is pretty much the job of The Fury in the Netflix show: to maintain peace between the criminal families in Paris by punishing anyone who goes out of line and to keep everyone working in peace with each other. When that peace is threatened, the Fury comes into the picture.
The second sister, Tisiphone, is known for “avenging murder.” Anyone who has committed a homicide would be punished by Tisiphone. Lyna’s character in the TV show is a clear reference to Tisiphone, who wants to punish those who killed her parents. The third Fury in Roman mythology is Megaera, who is tasked with punishing those who have committed lies, adulteries, or betrayals. The show also incorporates her into the story through the cops’ characters.
Considering all this, it is clear that the creators of ‘Furies’ were more influenced by the mythological beings and used them to concoct complicated and well-fleshed-out characters like Lyna and the others. Of course, there must have been some research involved into the workings of the criminal world, but the writers used the creative license to create a world of their own that works under specific rules, breaking which would bring consequences to every party.
To bring the story and the characters to life, the actors, especially Lina El Arabi and Marina Foïs, did a lot of physical training to get into the skins of their characters, as it required them to do a lot of action scenes. Their preparation and dedication to the craft, with a well-written story, brings ‘Furies’ to life and, even though fictional, makes it feel like it is carved out of the real world.
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