NetflixWhen the Duffer Brothers made Stranger Things’ final season, every question was about what was going to happen in the end. Who would live, who wouldn’t, and what would happen to the Upside Down? The answer was definite, but it was still disappointing for a non-negligible part of the fandom. Now, only a few months later, the Duffers are back as executive producers of Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, a show that takes a very different tactic — the ending is built right into the title. But despite spoiling its own tragic ending, this series still finds a way to provide the shock and awe that Stranger Things fans expect, with a decidedly grown-up twist. The synopsis for Something Very Bad is Going to Happen claims that it will do for matrimony what Carrie did for womanhood and Rosemary’s Baby did for motherhood, and while that’s usually just grandstanding, this series actually delivers on it. It preys on the terrifying feeling of committing yourself to someone — and their family — forever, and adds a supernatural twist that brings buckets of blood to this perfect day. The series follows Rachel (Camila Morrone), a young woman with a quirky sense of humor and a tragic backstory. She’s driving with her fiancé Nicky (Adam DiMarco) through the snowy countryside to his family’s vacation cabin, where they plan to get married in a small ceremony with just family (like most weddings, the guest list turns out to be a lot bigger.) But as Rachel arrives at the cabin and meets Nicky’s family, it becomes very clear that everything is not as it seems. But don’t worry about this being derivative, it’s way more I’m Thinking of Ending Things than “Get Out for white women,” and there are plenty of red herrings along the way. Nicky’s family is the perfect cast of likably off-putting family members. There’s the mom, Victoria Cunningham (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a classic upper-middle-class matriarch; her husband Boris (Ted Levine), a devoted doctor; and their three kids. Jeff Wilbusch plays the eldest son, Jules, and while the actor’s foreign accent peeks through a little too much, he plays a crucial role in the proceedings. His wife, Nell (Karla Crome), becomes Rachel’s closest ally as the only other person who has married into the Cunningham family. The Cunningham family becomes a little more than Rachel can handle. | NetflixBut the standout character is Portia, the ditzy little sister played by Gus Birney. Birney’s nasal voice and Paris-Hilton-blonde hair makes her the perfect stand-in for the true villain of the entire piece — the wedding industry. It’s Portia who wants to make sure the rehearsal dinner is perfect, the bachelorette party is full of matching outfits, and the ceremony goes off without a hitch. She’s haunting, perky, and everything Rachel seems to detest (and the feeling is mutual).Anyone who has committed themselves to the wrong person — or worries about doing it — will have the “don’t go in there” horror movie feeling throughout the first four episodes. But at the halfway point, something shifts. Suddenly, the problem isn’t the pressure to perform the rituals of adulthood or overbearing in-laws, but something a lot more devious. Basically, Something Very Bad. This is definitely not an easy watch, but by the final ceremony, I found myself caring about whether or not this couple will say “I do” at the altar than I did in 10 seasons of Love is Blind, and by the time we find out, there are still even more twists in store. If this is what the Duffer brothers’ post-Stranger Things portfolio looks like, then I’m ready to commit. Something Very Bad to Happen is now streaming on Netflix.