Humans product reviews

Anyone who has followed my reviews would know that I am quite the fan of films and television series that revolve around the idea of the singularity; that point where AI & robots can learn, and become equal to, if not superior to humans. It always makes me think a lot of my own conflicted ideas on ethics and becoming the inferior species.

This series is (unlike most other films and series) rather unique. It doesn't go rogue. While there are still action-packed moments, the series doesn't "go terminator". There is never a real aggressive tone to any of it. We finally have a show that shows an AI that acts like a human, conflicted and confused, capable of breaking rules to both good and bad ends.

It is quite strangely done, however. The pacing is odd. I'd almost consider it to be more appropriately categorised as a subtle drama, than science fiction, as it seems more embedded in family issues, than placing emphasis on the technological advances. In fact, if it weren't for the "synth" AI characters, one would struggle to find any form of advanced technology within the entire series (Okay, there were taser shotguns, and they were awesome).

The characters are quite well done. Originally, they were a bit disagreeable, but as the series progressed, they all began to fulfil a role. The Synth characters were well cast. A pleasing variation of ethnicities and appearances. Emily Berrington and Gemma Chan (who played Niska and Anita/Mia respectively) were the most compelling characters in my opinion, though all characters were well done. Nearly every single character had a change of heart at some point; which was both pleasing for those people that I initially disliked, and annoying for those that I initially liked. But it made the show more realistic.

Quite a mature and unflinching rendition, but very slow. In reality, it could make a great fast paced film, but as a complete series (7+ hours of content), it drags on quite a bit. It began to accelerate and speed up towards the end once the background and storyline had been put in place, but it definitely took a long time to get to that point. That being said. Now that it has gotten to where it has, I am curious to see the flow of the next season. If you are a patient person, then you will certainly enjoy the series.