For my first Sci-Fi TV show review, I’m choosing the show that inspired my (work in progress) book the most: Almost Human.
*** This review is rated SF for Spoiler-Free ***
So here’s what happens.
In year 2048, the rapid advance in technology has caused crime rates to skyrocket. The police force is overloaded and in need of more manpower…fast. Someone comes up with the brilliant (!?) idea of pairing every police officer with an android, who’s essentially a butt-kicking super computer with high-bandwidth Wi-Fi hotspot (good connection to “the database” is a must).
Enter Det. McCoy John Kennex. He’s not a fan of androids, crazy ex-girlfriends, and cats. He “accidentally” dropped his android partner on the freeway, and now in need of a new partner. *shrug*
Alright, so what do you do when your best detective hates androids? Captain Maldonado has an awesome idea – give Kennex the “crazy one,” the DRN’s.
DRN-0167, or Dorian, is full of useful life skills. When you really really watch to catch someone who’s running away in a van, trust me when I say you want Dorian on your team. What makes the DRN model unique is that they are programmed with a “synthetic soul” – emotions. All of the other androids in this show are shown to be lacking emotional range, creating contrast with Dorian. If I had to pick one humanoid robot buddy, it’s going to be Dorian. Since other options are T-X’s and Cylons, I’d say with Dorian, my chances of getting robot-murdered is smaller in comparison.
Kennex and Dorian goes on to solve the “case of the week” as well as some overarching mystery that’s…never solved because a certain network canceled the show after 13 episodes. WHY!?!?!?!?!? 😭
Okay…here’s my take on why.
- It should be a widespread knowledge that Sci-Fi show is cool. Unfortunately, the general trend is still that Sci-Fi shows don’t get as much viewership straight off, which puts it on a one-way trip to the chopping block. *sigh*
- It took until episode 9 for the series-level mystery/arc to be introduced. It had potential, but it may have lost some viewers. *sigh^2*
- It had awesome effects. Awesome effects means $$$. $$$ means first to get cut off when there are not enough viewers. *sigh^3*
And now why you should watch this:
- The tech! The gadgets! The androids! (Translation: Lots of cool stuff)
- The writing and acting are both pretty good, especially the Kennex-Dorian banters. So many one-liners that I want to write here…but I can’t since that would spoil your LOL-moments.
- The supporting characters are also very well written, especially RUDY! (aka that pirate who kept losing his fake eyeball in Pirates of the Caribbean, aka that jealous-warg-wildling guy who really hated Jon Snow in Game of Thrones)
While I love this show, there were some things I wish were done differently
- The “young” female cop character who’s (obviously) a love interest for Kennex ends up just being an eye candy. I love Captain Maldonado as a strong female character, but because Capt. Maldonado was so well-written, the lack of substance of the other female character just stood out. A LOT.
- So. Many. Questions. Would’ve been nice to be given clues now and then on the “syndicate” or “the Wall” (which doesn’t seem to an effective one).
- Full. Season. Pickup.
LLAP🖖