Netflix’s mystery series Below follows fisherman Calvin Penney, played by Josh Hartnett, and Dr. Fonda Howander, played by Mackenzie Davis, as they investigate a local mystery involving dirty ice and a giant sea monster in the Newfoundland town of Snook’s Arm. Creator and showrunner Jesse McKeown and executive producer Jessica Rhoades spoke with Variety about the creative choices behind the six-episode first season’s ending, the cast’s accent work, and the visual design of the series.
Developing the Newfoundland setting and accents
McKeown, who has visited Newfoundland for many years, wanted to capture the drama of the location in a major project. To achieve authenticity, the cast worked extensively on regional dialects. Hartnett prepared by listening to Newfoundland talk radio, including the long-running call-in show The Fisheries Broadcast.
Rhoades noted that while subtitles help audiences navigate regional dialogue, the production aimed for accuracy in establishing the Penney family’s specific accent, modulating it based on how long characters had lived on the mainland versus the island.
Bringing the giant squid and sea hag to life
For the series’ creature design, the production consulted experts such as Dr. Annie Mercier at the Ocean Sciences Centre in Newfoundland. Drawing on the history of the North Atlantic giant squid in the area, the team worked with experts to extrapolate a previously undetected, mysterious ancestor of the creature, utilizing a complex combination of visual effects, special effects, and production design.
The show’s “sea hag” sleep paralysis visions drew from McKeown’s personal experiences with the phenomenon, which he noted shares a mythology across multiple cultures and is a familiar part of local vernacular in Newfoundland.
The finale and a potential second season
Season 1 concludes with a mix of resolution and lingering peril as Calvin and his family secure a temporary reprieve, followed by a final shot of approaching icebergs hinting at more deep-sea beasts headed toward Snook’s Arm. While the creators kept the ending open rather than neatly wrapped, McKeown stated that a second season has not yet been seriously planned. Regarding the unexpected chemistry between Calvin and Dr. Fonda, Rhoades and McKeown explained that the connection emerged naturally between Hartnett and Davis during filming as both characters stepped out of their isolation.
