Why I Turned off Netflix's East of Eden (2026)

East of Eden (2026) Poster

This week I finished John Steinbeck’s masterpiece East of Eden. There’s so much about the work that resonates with me–from its setting in California to its rich exploration of father-son relationships to its deep dialogue with the biblical story of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel.  

For those who have never read the book, I encourage you to do so. It’s a generational story of two families: the Hamiltons and the Trasks. The characters are rich and well-developed and Steinbeck explores good and evil. It’s gritty in its portrayal of evil; at many points I was disturbed and uncomfortable. Yet, I kept reading because Steinbeck actually believes good and evil are real, and they’re not just perspectives of looking at the same thing. 

It's Trending - That's Good and Bad

Perhaps due to the Netflix adaptation, many people are talking about the novel. “It’s trending,” a friend told me. Which is a good and bad thing. It’s good because more people are reading the original text and bad because, well, Hollywood is behind the 7-part series adaptation available now. 

Zoe Kazan is the series writer and creator behind the show. She is the granddaughter of Elia Kazan, the director of the film, East of Eden (1955), starring James Dean. I’ll be the first to tell you that the quality of the acting, cinematography, and writing is superb. Zoe should be congratulated for that. And except for Florence Pugh (Cathy), the show utilizes relatively unknown actors, and they are strong. 

Why I Won't Continue

I must be honest with you. I’m in episode three, and I don’t think I’m going to continue. 

The main reason is something you could have guessed from the Netflix trailer, or even the poster. Kazan has made the monstrous and wicked villain–Cathy Ames–the central character of the series. It’s been a while since I read or watched a character as malevolent as Cathy, a character that Steinbeck, arguably, wants us to see as an embodiment of Satan in the novel. And now her face is highlighted on all the posters. 

Episode two is dedicated to Cathy, and Kazan offers a psychologically and emotional backstory to her, offering a sympathetic glimpse into what drove her to be evil, something she even admits may have been foreign to what Steinbeck was thinking. In an interview, Kazan explains, “I grew up in a body that was sexualized and targeted from a very young age. . . and I cannot help but read that differently than I think he [Steinbeck] intended.” Sexuality becomes the lens through which the show lets us view not only Cathy but also the brothers, Charles and Adam. 

Episode two lingers on the evils done to Cathy as a young girl, including her father who whipped her. Cathy’s abuse, not just from her father but from other men, drove her to a life of deception, murder, and prostitution (something the show portrays gratuitously and graphically). And yet, Kazan admits, “She [Cathy] is absolutely deceptive in so many ways, but she is almost always saying something that is true.” 

Evil is Attractive and Deceptive

Of course evil carries elements of truth in it–it’s what makes it attractive and deceptive. Evil is corruption. It is rust on chrome. I’m not saying that we should hide evil from our stories. That’s not realistic. Steinbeck didn’t do that. The Bible didn't do that. And I’m not saying good people are without evil or evil people without good. 

I’m simply saying that when we lose the categories of good and evil, blur them through a compassionate understanding of the why behind the acts, we get adaptations like Kazan’s “East of Eden,” and it should make us pause and mourn. I do not believe Zoe has captured the heart of what Steinbeck was arguing about good and evil. He strongly wove through the novel the idea that we choose to do evil. Kazan, whether purposefully or not, makes evil a matter of our past and our circumstances. Something that is done to us. 

If you’re a fan of Steinbeck’s masterpiece, you may choose to give the adaptation a chance. I won’t deny the production quality is high. But I warn you that there’s gratuitous scenes of sexuality that come unannounced–and that’s only from having watched episodes 1-3. 

My recommendation: if you love East of Eden or John Steinbeck, save the seven hours watching the show and just re-read the book. 

---

Dane Bundy

Dane Bundy is president of Stage & Story and Director of Fine Arts at Regents School of Austin.