Written and Directed by David Ash

Incompleteness (Season 1) is an 8-part series of eight 45 min. episodes written and directed by local Twin Cities filmmaker David Ash, whose previous feature was aptly named Twin Cities (2018). Set in MN and filmed pre-Covid and post-lockdown, the season was completed in June of last year with hopes of streaming distribution. The series welcomes back Bethany Ford Brinkley and Clarence Wethern, the main actors of the Twin Cities film.

According to the series’ website, the concept of the title comes from Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem: Every closed system such as mathematics, or the universe, must assume the existence of a variable outside of itself to explain itself. This fits in with the series’ variable methods of exposing the inner and outer realities of its protagonists’ lives. The show focuses on 3 main couples: Filmmaker Alex (Matt Bailey) and his pregnant wife Jodi (Bethany Ford Binkley), barista Kayla (Katie Willer) and screenwriter Paul (Clarence Wethern), and fledgling actors John (Juan Rivera Lebron) and Emily (Christine Weber).

All three couples are going through extreme existential crises and this is the foundation of the series. Filmmaker Alex is dying of cancer and is struggling to find meaning in his life. In the middle of directing an indie feature with Paul, he is stuck creatively, emotionally estranged from his wife Jodi, and clinically depressed about impending death. Paul, a coding genius and screenwriter, is hounded by a mysterious Chinese organization bent on acquiring his AI algorithm, as well as dealing with childhood trauma. He connects with Kayla, a local musician and barista, but she is going through strange happenings that mirror his own experiences. Meanwhile, Emily and John are going through their own emotional upheavals in establishing a relationship and artistic growth. Incompleteness combines all of these characters in a blend of melodrama, science fiction, and comedy.

I was asked to review this show completely cold without knowing anything about the premise, the filmmaker, or the actors which is a rare opportunity. I’m glad to say that Incompleteness sports big concepts/ideas, good performances (some brilliant ones), and respectable production values. This indie series is indeed ‘Indie’ so it does have that slightly 90s/2000s vibe with a nod to DiCillo’s Living in Oblivion (1995). The episodes are made up of small vignettes of these characters’ lives with shifting realities between making a film within a film or even a film within a film in a character’s mind. That sounds a bit crazy and absurd but absurdity is most definitely an ingredient in this series.

There are elements of science fiction and surrealism that keep the premise rolling along and it works for the most part. As a dramedy of sorts, it has intense scenes of melodrama but can shift effortlessly into comedy. Incompleteness can’t be accused of taking itself too seriously but some overly long, confessional sequences make those moments a hard watch. Besides its imperfections, I was impressed by the cast as a whole – their determination comes clearly through the screen. Bethany Ford Binkley’s performance stands out to me as a very believable performance.

Even with its shortcomings, it’s easy to see the ambitious framework director Ash has created and it’s a compelling one. With a valiant supporting cast and solid production, Incompleteness will be a decent watch and rewarding to those who want to see excellent Minnesota talent.

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So have you seen the Incompleteness series? Well, what did you think?

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