When Baba Yaga’s name is first mentioned in Kat Sandler’s series “Yaga,” the reaction is the one you’d expect from any 30-something man in 2026: “Wait, the one from ‘John Wick’?” The response doubles as an acknowledgment and explanation for a title that, in itself, seems strangely incomplete: “Oh, OK: they couldn’t call it ‘Baba Yaga’ because then everyone would think it’s a ‘John Wick’ series. So it’s just called ‘Yaga’.” Because they are actually witches.
But “Yaga” is also strangely incomplete in its execution, mainly because it’s not strange enough. Adapted from Sandler’s play of the same name, the eight-episode series reimagines the myth of Baba Yaga as a detective mystery — not the myth of Keanu Reeves’ unkillable assassin, but the historical myth from Slavic folklore about a witch who, depending on the storyteller, is either a kind, good-natured older woman or a child-kidnapping, child-eating monster.
Sandler’s story has a taste for teasing both potential interpretations, presenting its wizard characters as both suspicious and helpful in ensuring that one or the other explanation remains plausible for as long as possible: they’re there to prey on the townsfolk, or they’re there to help our investigators solve the case. Or maybe it’s a bit of both.
But “Yaga” never reaches its potential as a horror or mystery series (nor can I say whether its feminist underpinnings pay off, since only seven of the eight episodes have been made available for review). It’s not scary enough to be called first or bewitchenough to support the latter. Instead, it relies on traditional, less exciting crime drama tropes while stretching out a whodunnit that spends far too much time pretending to have the answer. won’t involve double, double toil and trouble, burning fire and cauldron bubbles. As fun as it is to watch Carrie-Anne Moss play with different fuckers, it would be nice to know why she’s doing it much sooner (if at all).
Things come to a head with the disappearance of Henry Park (played by Hudson Williams of “Heated Rivalry” in another Crave production). Henry is the heir to his family fishing empire, but he is better known in their small coastal town as a brother who throws big parties. He lives in a giant mansion with one (1) roommate: a friend named Logan who, although unrelated, looks exactly like Henry. Both roles are played by Williams, and while neither takes up as much screen time, the actor does an excellent job distinguishing the entitled playboy from his quiet, flattering sidekick.
Our leads, of course, are our detectives: There’s Carson (Clark Backo), a cop with the Whittock Police Department whose personal life is largely underdeveloped, and Rapp (Noah Reid), a private detective flown in (literally) by the Park family who sucks up too much oxygen. When Rapp is dropped off at Henry’s house by helicopterCarson glances at his outfit and laughs: skinny black tie, black leather jacket, brown leather duffel bag. He’s not dressed for Canada’s rainy countryside, but another cop says exactly what Rapp hopes to say: “I think he looks pretty cool.”
Rapp’s first impression turns out to be correct: he’s incredibly full of himself. Confident and brash, Rapp is paired with Carson by the local chef, but he doesn’t work well with the others. He pursues his own theories while researching Henry (which conveniently involve many drug-fueled parties and women susceptible to his charms) and follows as he pleases (or if he feels like it, in case he has moved on to another compliant woman). If that means a little illegal search and seizure, so be it. If that means sleeping with a suspect (or two, or three), well, that’s just a perk of the job.
Rap presents itself as such a cliché bad boy, you can’t wait for Carson to burst his inflated ego, and “Yaga” recognizes that desire almost as quickly as it establishes the need. When Rapp steps out of the helicopter to introduce himself, straightening his hair after the swirling blades shift his sleek, faux-casual style, he slips and eats dirt. Great! Get it, “Yaga!” This guy sucks, and he could only be coded as an idiot if he put crypto on the side and smoked cigarettes for health benefits.
But then… he… just sticks around? Unchecked and encouraged for reasons still unknown? Rapp’s scheme goes on for so long, working its “magic” on so many Whittock women, that I wondered, “Is Noah Reid the Canadian version of Ryan Gosling?” » No, of course not! Ryan Gosling is the Canadian version of Ryan Gosling! Plus, if anyone in the “Yaga” cast should be treated as the most irresistible man in the northernmost part of North America, it’s Hudson Williams. After “Heated Rivalry”, no one would think twice about it guys sleep with whoever he wants, even if he also played the worst game in town.
“Yaga” offers delicious payoff in the form of attractive, empowered suspects like Katherine (Carrie-Anne Moss), a professor who loves bones so much that she wrote a book called — I kid you not — “Sexy Bones.” And there are a few sexy scenes here and there, though they’re usually spooky by eerie narration from an as-yet-unseen witch, disturbing hallucinations, or Rapp’s involvement.
“Yaga” feels like it’s hitting a welcome point — about centuries-old persecution and distrust of women, about the appropriate response to tolerated oppression, about bad men with good hair — but the subtext isn’t enough to sustain eight episodes, even when they’re about 30 minutes each. It doesn’t help that our de facto protagonist, Carson, is completely blank. If she were able or willing to balance Rapp’s toxic energy, perhaps “Yaga” could cast a convincing spell. As it stands, it’s a lot of incantations without the enchantment that follows.
Grade: C
“Yaga” will air Friday, October 23 on AMC+ with two episodes. New episodes will air weekly during the two-episode finale on Friday, November 27.
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