Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
There are a lot of things that feel odd about AMC in a post-Mad Men world. With both of the channel's premiere shows now in the reruns yard, they need to find new ways to remain as relevant and interesting to subscribers. While there are now two shows about The Walking Dead to keep fans of the zombie series in check, the transition hasn't favored too well yet with anyone. Of course, there are quality programs such as Halt and Catch Fire, which in its second season has improved vastly on most fronts. Even its quasi-documentary series Making of the Mob somehow shows the channel trying to find a new area to grab. While it isn't as ridiculous and forgettable as the 2013 run of reality and comedy shows, the channel is maybe reaching some light with its first major new show of 2015.
I am talking about Humans, which follows a fictional present in which humans own obedient robots that serve as maids to their every need. They don't look like Rosie from The Jetsons, but more like you or me. Their programming is complex and the way that they interact with their masters have interesting follies. While the premiere episode does a solid job of establishing the world and basic rules of their creations, it also sets up an interesting conflict that will hopefully build to more interesting ground: can a robot forget?
The basic relationship of a robot in Humans far exceeds that of labor. In the various cases shown in the episode, they can be servants as well as sexual releases and company for the lonely. Our reliance on them becomes complicated as we become more intimate with their every reaction. They may not be as dynamic as a human, but their ability to adapt to our desires, whether innocent or impure, is at a terrifying level. What will happen when they rebel? Will they divulge our private moments in an extortion act to keep us in their lives? What is going to happen with them when this is all through?
The idea of technology uprising is nothing new. Some would even make fair comparisons between this series and the recent film Ex-Machina. Of course, robot uprising is nothing new, even appearing in the 1926 silent film Metropolis and more recently in The Terminator films (which was ironically also referenced in this week's Halt and Catch Fire). An uprising is nothing new and leaves room for question as to what will have to happen to make this show different. Thankfully, AMC has already had a brand for innovative original programming. The only question is if their first bounce into sci-fi will have rewarding payoff. The show opens strong, but can it deliver on something more fascinating?
While I don't find robotic culture to be an interesting topic, I do think that Humans may work int he long run largely because it isn't specifically about the literal nuts and bolts. We don't care about the mechanics yet of how these robots will factor in. Right now, it is about a deeper connection to how they influence our basic needs as humans. For all I know, the show will dive into harder sci-fi and become as isolating as Sense8. For now, the level of realism and connection to the real world definitely helps to make it a compelling show. It is even acknowledged in the show what the basic tropes of robots are.
There is truth in acknowledging that AMC is more needing of trust than they used to. Mad Men and Breaking Bad both premiered with phenomenal pilots. They were done in a time when the network needed immediate gratification. Thankfully, both paid off. Most shows since haven't been nearly as successful because they have been more reliant on the long term goal. In a society built on binge viewing culture, the slow build is more acceptable since episodes can be consumed in one sitting. It's how Breaking Bad became a phenomenon. I am not suggesting that Humans fails to appeal on immediate viewing. It has plenty of good moments, but there's nothing immediately striking about it, likely because of the oversaturation everywhere else that wasn't there for Mad Men. As stated, you may think of Ex-Machina going into this.
Yet Humans is a show that could actually be interesting overall. Compared to most new shows this summer, it actually has promise. There's already a strong dynamic among its cast and while there's plenty of sci-fi present, it is done in an accessible manner that keeps it from being too off-putting. That may be its biggest strength in the long run. For now, we have a pretty good show that if nothing else will serve as far more entertaining summer programming than Wayward Pines or Sense8, whose own mythology and slow builds immediately damaged their appeal. Yet here, there feels like a palpable mystery at the center that should have a better payoff than escaping a mysterious place or whatever Sense8 is about. For that alone, AMC will hopefully have another hit on their hands that prove that they can do sci-fi just as good as they can do period dramas and meth cooking shows.
I am talking about Humans, which follows a fictional present in which humans own obedient robots that serve as maids to their every need. They don't look like Rosie from The Jetsons, but more like you or me. Their programming is complex and the way that they interact with their masters have interesting follies. While the premiere episode does a solid job of establishing the world and basic rules of their creations, it also sets up an interesting conflict that will hopefully build to more interesting ground: can a robot forget?
The basic relationship of a robot in Humans far exceeds that of labor. In the various cases shown in the episode, they can be servants as well as sexual releases and company for the lonely. Our reliance on them becomes complicated as we become more intimate with their every reaction. They may not be as dynamic as a human, but their ability to adapt to our desires, whether innocent or impure, is at a terrifying level. What will happen when they rebel? Will they divulge our private moments in an extortion act to keep us in their lives? What is going to happen with them when this is all through?
The idea of technology uprising is nothing new. Some would even make fair comparisons between this series and the recent film Ex-Machina. Of course, robot uprising is nothing new, even appearing in the 1926 silent film Metropolis and more recently in The Terminator films (which was ironically also referenced in this week's Halt and Catch Fire). An uprising is nothing new and leaves room for question as to what will have to happen to make this show different. Thankfully, AMC has already had a brand for innovative original programming. The only question is if their first bounce into sci-fi will have rewarding payoff. The show opens strong, but can it deliver on something more fascinating?
While I don't find robotic culture to be an interesting topic, I do think that Humans may work int he long run largely because it isn't specifically about the literal nuts and bolts. We don't care about the mechanics yet of how these robots will factor in. Right now, it is about a deeper connection to how they influence our basic needs as humans. For all I know, the show will dive into harder sci-fi and become as isolating as Sense8. For now, the level of realism and connection to the real world definitely helps to make it a compelling show. It is even acknowledged in the show what the basic tropes of robots are.
There is truth in acknowledging that AMC is more needing of trust than they used to. Mad Men and Breaking Bad both premiered with phenomenal pilots. They were done in a time when the network needed immediate gratification. Thankfully, both paid off. Most shows since haven't been nearly as successful because they have been more reliant on the long term goal. In a society built on binge viewing culture, the slow build is more acceptable since episodes can be consumed in one sitting. It's how Breaking Bad became a phenomenon. I am not suggesting that Humans fails to appeal on immediate viewing. It has plenty of good moments, but there's nothing immediately striking about it, likely because of the oversaturation everywhere else that wasn't there for Mad Men. As stated, you may think of Ex-Machina going into this.
Yet Humans is a show that could actually be interesting overall. Compared to most new shows this summer, it actually has promise. There's already a strong dynamic among its cast and while there's plenty of sci-fi present, it is done in an accessible manner that keeps it from being too off-putting. That may be its biggest strength in the long run. For now, we have a pretty good show that if nothing else will serve as far more entertaining summer programming than Wayward Pines or Sense8, whose own mythology and slow builds immediately damaged their appeal. Yet here, there feels like a palpable mystery at the center that should have a better payoff than escaping a mysterious place or whatever Sense8 is about. For that alone, AMC will hopefully have another hit on their hands that prove that they can do sci-fi just as good as they can do period dramas and meth cooking shows.
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