As the Netherlands-set
Netflix series shows, initiation rituals lie at the heart of secret societies
![Behind TV drama Ares is chilling reality of student fraternities](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/63ea6c886519ce7a139cde51d39fe7935b81655c/0_329_6720_4032/master/6720.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdG8tZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=f6e6aef8caa59a5a8da9e3c0db72cfa6)
“Have you ever wondered how a country as small as the Netherlands became so rich and powerful?” The question is posed in the first episode of Ares, the first Dutch original series made for Netflix, released earlier this month.
The show draws on the mysterious world of student fraternities, telling the story of undergraduates Rosa and Jacob as they are seduced into the secretive society Ares, a cruel and elitist world where evil deeds are rewarded with power.