The new Apple TV+ series, Roar, like many of the streamer’s other offerings, takes some creative risks in its exploration of the lives of women. Told through eight individual stories that have no connection with one another, it seeks to excavate women’s experiences in various aspects of their lives. While some deal with grief and aging, others contend with the pervasive and pernicious influence of the patriarchy.
What allows it truly succeed, however, is the essential dynamism of its characters, and so it is worth taking a look at them through the lens provided by the zodiac.
Aries - Anu
In her story, Anu is a woman who grows weary of her husband’s unwillingness to take her own needs seriously or to do anything to change.
As an Aries, she is fierce and stubborn, and she isn't the type of person who is willing to let things happen to her. Instead, she's very willing to change what needs changing in order to make her life feel more fulfilling. What's more, she also shows Aries' sense of loyalty since, in the end, she realizes she does love him and wants to resume their relationship.
Taurus - Bobby Bronson
Hugh Dancy has been in a number of notable roles, and in this series, he plays Bobby Bronson, a bitter and jaded detective tasked with investigating the murder of a young woman.
He has all of the signs of a Taurus. He has a no-nonsense approach to the world of police work, and he is quick to decide on what the evidence signifies. While has a dogged determination to see a crime solved--and though he has clearly reached some level of professional achievement--this also means he can be a bit stubborn, refusing to see that which doesn't necessarily accord with his own worldview.
Gemini - Larry
One of the strangest vignettes is the one that focuses on the odd relationship that emerges between a young woman and a duck, Larry.
Larry is very much a Gemini, in the sense that he has two very different personalities. On the one hand, he can be very kind and comionate toward Elisa. There are many times when he seems to see her for who she is, rather than what she represents. At other times, however, the darker side of the Gemini comes out, and he can be difficult and selfish.
Cancer - Robin
Nicole Kidman has been in many great roles, and she brings her considerable charisma and star power to the role of Robin, a woman who has to deal not only with the fact that her son is moving away for college but also that her mother is suffering from dementia.
Like many other Cancers, she is someone who is very much in touch with her own feelings, so much so that she literally devours photographs in order to live in her memories. More importantly, however, she has Cancer's profound sense of comion, as she demonstrates in her willingness to take in her mother, whose memory has started to fail because of dementia.
Leo - Amelia
In Amelia’s story, she marries a man who, in due course, puts her on a shelf so he can ire her. However, he soon loses interest, and so she sets out on a path of self-discovery.
As a Leo, she is the type of person who enjoys being the center of attention but, at the same time, she also has a fierce and independent spirit that doesn’t like it when it is contained or curtailed by others. When it comes down to it, she will do whatever she has to in order to live her own life.
Virgo - Ambia
Of all of the characters that appear in Roar, Ambia is arguably the most driven and the most logical. She is the type of person who is determined to have it all: family, money, and a job she enjoys. However, like all Virgos, she also tends to drive herself too hard, in this case until she starts to have a breakdown, and her internalized guilt begins to literally eat her alive.
Fortunately for her, her Virgo rationality also allows her to change her behavior once it’s clear just how much of a toll it’s taking.
Libra - Wanda Shepard
Issa Rae is most famous for starring in best HBO comedies to date. In her story, she is a young woman whose memoir is optioned by Hollywood but is soon sidelined to such an extent that she literally becomes invisible.
Throughout the episode, it's clear that she is very much a Libra, especially since her work and her life are committed to social justice. And, like a true Libra, she ultimately realizes that she has to take her destiny into her own hands, and the episode ends with her preparing to take ownership of her life and her work.
Scorpio - Jane
Of all of the zodiac signs, the Scorpio is the one that has the most vengeful tendencies. One crosses their path at one’s own risk. That is what makes this sign such a perfect fit for Jane, who sets out to destroy the man who killed her father in cold blood.
However, this is not to say that Jane is all vengeance. In fact, she shows a softer side, as well, which is also very much in keeping with the Scorpio. Her boldness and her willingness to push past boundaries are precisely what makes her such a compelling and charismatic character.
Sagittarius - Rebecca Moss
Alison Brie is most famous for appearing in one of the best Netflix series. Here, she brings all of her powerful charisma to bear as Rebecca, a young woman who cannot move into the afterlife until she discovers the man responsible for her death.
From the moment she appears it’s clear she is a Sagittarius. She is bubbly and full of fun, with an honest, open, and frank demeanor (the fact that no one can see or hear her doesn't deter her from sharing her opinions). However, she also has an iron determination to make sure that the person who killed her is ultimately brought to justice.
Capricorn - Rosey
Like many of the other of the cast, Judy Davis has been in many great roles. Here, she plays the character of Rosey, a woman who is gradually losing her memory to dementia.
Given that she is a Capricorn, it's not surprising that she can, at times, be a bit cold and prickly. At the same time, it’s also clear that, like other Capricorns, there is a deep well of feeling that her caustic exterior cannot quite disguise. Indeed, as she shows when she bonds with her grandsons, she can be deeply sensitive to the needs of others.
Aquarius - Elisa
Elisa is the center character of the vignette focusing on a woman’s strange relationship with a duck. She is a little hard to pin down, given that she is an Aquarius.
However, while there are times when she shows that sign’s malleability and willingness to go along, it’s also true that she gradually becomes aware of her own worth and her own intelligence, which is precisely what allows her to extract herself from a relationship that has become toxic. Once she uncovers the self-reliance that is a hallmark of this air sign, there's nothing that can stand in her way.
Pisces - Millie
Of all of the characters that appear in Roar, Millie is arguably the most sensitive. She is the one who acts as something of a moderating influence on Jane, keeping her from indulging in the darker impulses to which she almost falls prey.
And, like all Pisces, Millie has a keen understanding of human nature, which is what allows her to not only see the good in Jane but also to overcome the man who murdered her father. What’s more, she clearly cares deeply for her friend, and she truly wants what’s best for her.