HBO has ordered an eight-episode limited series adaptation of Adrian McKinty’s thriller “The Chain,” with Damon Lindelof returning to the network as showrunner for the first time since “Watchmen.” The question nobody at the network seems to be asking: will this be another prestige drama centered entirely on straight characters, or will Lindelof’s expanded mythology make room for anyone else?
The novel’s premise is admittedly propulsive: a divorced mother undergoing cancer treatment receives a call that her daughter has been kidnapped and is now part of “The Chain”—a scheme requiring her to kidnap another child and pay a ransom before her own daughter is released. The cycle continues with each new victim’s family. According to The Wrap, Lindelof plans to expand the source material’s mythology, though plot details remain under wraps.
Lindelof’s track record on queer storytelling, however, is complicated.
“Watchmen” delivered a genuinely radical vision of American history and featured compelling queer characters. “The Leftovers” explored grief with devastating precision but kept its focus squarely on heterosexual protagonists, while Lindelof’s earlier work on “Lost” occasionally gestured toward queerness without ever committing to it.
“We are honored by our continued partnership with Damon Lindelof, one of the most singular and distinctive creators of our time,” said Francesca Orsi, HBO’s executive vice president of programming. The network signed Lindelof to a two-year overall deal beginning last September; this is his first project under that agreement, produced with Media Res.
Carly Wray co-writes the pilot with Lindelof, with Breannah Gibson contributing to the pilot story. Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer executive produce for Media Res, alongside Shane Salerno. McKinty serves as co-executive producer.
We know that HBO continues to bet big on prestige thriller adaptations, but whether “The Chain” will break from the network’s default mode of centering straight or white protagonists — or simply delivers another well-crafted drama that treats queerness as an afterthought — remains to be seen.
One thing remains clear for now: Lindelof’s expanded interpretation of the source material will reveal everything about who we’ll see onscreen for this project.
