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(Image credit: Netflix)

The chances of us flying to Paris are rather slim, but sulking can wait – Netflix has just released its latest mini-series, The Eddy. Set in the city of love, The Eddy is a Parisian club that holds many talented jazz musicians who have mastered their craft to perfection. To crank it up a few notches, the jazz club’s house band, also named The Eddy, actually perform live every single time they show up on screen. Who needs a plane ticket anyway when you can just press play and dive into a virtual world of romance, drama, and all that jazz?

“When you start doing jazz in Paris, there is a tradition and a history that you’re drawing from, but I think trying to make it modern at the same time is really important to us,” said director Damien Chazelle in a featurette, who currently holds the Guinness World Record as the youngest ever to win an Academy Award for Best Director for La La Land (2016).

(From right to left, director Damien Chazelle and actor André Holland via Netflix)

The plotline follows renowned virtuoso and previously celebrated jazz pianist, Elliot Udo (André Holland), who not only owns the club but also writes music for The Eddy band. His personal relationships nearly affect all aspects of his professional life. It starts with his on-again-off-again girlfriend Maja (Joanna Kulig), frontwoman to The Eddy band, and the tension that hangs in the air between them. The tension ramps up further after his daughter, Julie (The Hunger Games’ Amandla Stenberg), opens a can of worms from his divorce with her mother when she moves to Paris and shares his tiny apartment.

After Elliot’s business partner, Farid (Tahar Rahim) gets murdered because of under-the-table exchanges with dangerous people, the events of the series unfold with Elliot’s struggle to juggle a seemingly endless slew of crises that life throws his way. We sympathised with his dilemmas and misfortunes, which reminded us of how our own lives can similarly spiral out of control – sans the jazz superpowers. As for the much-anticipated appearance of Dhafer L’Abidine, the smouldering Tunisian actor shows up near the end as the mysterious crime lord, Sami, and steals the show with his impeccable charisma.

(Via Netflix)

The Eddy band is made up of lead vocalist Maja, keyboardist Randy (Randy Kerber), saxophonist Jowee (JoweeOmicil), trumpeter Ludo (Ludovic Louis), bassist Jude (Damian Neuva Cortes) and drummer Katarina (Lada Obradovic). As episodes fly by faster than intended, the band members become our best friends as we’re subtly introduced to their intricate backstories. Their undying love for jazz music and high hopes of releasing an album tie their tales together and string us along with a yearning to hear more.

“The music really has to be the lifeblood of the show,” said six-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer, Glen Ballard, in a featurette. He has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Christina Aguilera, and Idina Menzel. “It’s so important, and kind of groundbreaking for television to get this many great musicians together, and go through the trouble of actually recording it live.”

The ending makes it seem like the series was just a fantasy, and we had awoken from our dreams to find ourselves back in quiet self-isolation. So, we’ve decided to keep re-watching the show until the makers announce a second season!

You can stream The Eddy on Netflix here.