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Almost Human, the new JJ Abrams show starring Karl Urban (1 Viewer)

DaveF

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Learning about the XRN made for one of the better episodes so far. The story was a focused sci-fi action story. It was self-contained, but sets up a larger story. And there was some nice arm-chair philosophizing about the worries of coming from a Creator who sometimes produces terrible creatures.
 

Matt Hough

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No, I don't think it has much chance of a renewal. If it were a Fox-produced show, they might be willing to give it more of a chance, but since it isn't, I think they'll look elsewhere for a show to fill the 8 p.m. slot next fall (if they don't just let Bones stay there).
 

jcroy

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Matt Hough said:
No, I don't think it has much chance of a renewal. If it were a Fox-produced show, they might be willing to give it more of a chance, but since it isn't, I think they'll look elsewhere for a show to fill the 8 p.m. slot next fall (if they don't just let Bones stay there).
With the cancelation of "The X Factor", wonder how much this would affect the renewal likelihood for Almost Human.
 

Matt Hough

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It's true that there will now be three hours per week for them to fill losing the X Factor. And Fox was very vocal last month that they don't go in for pilots any more, so they're going to have to look for three one-hour series of some kind: either reality shows or dramas. Their comedy attempts haven't amounted to much (though I do like Brooklyn Nine-Nine). I'll be very curious to see what they come up with for the fall.
 

Jeffery_H

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Matt Hough said:
It's true that there will now be three hours per week for them to fill losing the X Factor. And Fox was very vocal last month that they don't go in for pilots any more, so they're going to have to look for three one-hour series of some kind: either reality shows or dramas. Their comedy attempts haven't amounted to much (though I do like Brooklyn Nine-Nine). I'll be very curious to see what they come up with for the fall.
Please for the love of pete, NO MORE "reality shows"!

I can't abide hardly any of them unless you count American Idol (the early years only, not now) and The Voice as such. Those I would classify as talent shows. But I value my time, IQ and education level far more than to sink to the gutter trash that's referred to as "reality shows".
 

Matt Hough

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I agree completely. But they're tempting for networks because they're cheap to produce, and if you happen upon one that catches the public's fancy, the ratings can be astonishing, especially in the prized 18-49 age bracket so prized by advertisers.
 

Walter Kittel

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I think it (Almost Human) is a toss up for renewal / cancelation; but I do admit to a certain bias as I enjoy the program.

Monday's broadcast was another solid episode with some interesting themes. (Now we know why Detective Stahl is so smoking hot. :) ) I enjoyed the exploration of another aspect of augmentation (biological vs. technological.) Since the show has established both methodologies I wonder if it will take a page from Bruce Sterling and establish a rivalry / competition between the two trains of thought. (Sterling created an SF framework known as the Shaper/Mechanist universe in which two competing entities employing methods of augmentation exist and fight for power and influence. Shapers use genetic manipulation to improve the human species. Mechanists augment the human body via technology, implants, and advanced software.)

I kind of got wrapped up in the story and didn't play my usual spot the Bladerunner reference game; but I do recall (maybe?) someone calling one of the 'chromes' perfect which I suppose could be loosely tied to J.F. Sebastian's observation of Roy Batty and Pris.

- Walter.
 

Matt Hough

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Really enjoyed tonight's episode. The show seemed more futuristic than ever before, and I really got into the story.
 

Citizen87645

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The season is nearing its end with only two episodes remaining. There seems to be an impending cliffhanger with Dorian's mystery memories, as well as the loose thread of Dr. Vaughn operating outside the wall. If the series is not renewed, it will be unfortunate to see those elements unresolved, but I can't say the writers didn't try. According to TV Line, renewal could go either way.
 

Steve Berger

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They could have alternatively offered us a 13 episode coherent story line (presented in the proper order) and earned a renewal or extension based on merit rather than leaving open ends and blackmailing us and the Network with cliffhangers.

Of course, the Network didn't help by assuming the viewers couldn't handle normal story and character development and shifted episodes around to "entice" early season viewership.
 

Charlie Campisi

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I look forward to this show every week. I'll be disappointed if it's not renewed. I think the buddy cop dynamic between Kennex and Dorian works well, and I really like Karl Urban in this role. The supporting characters are pretty well filled out with Maldanado, Stahl and the IA guys giving good performances and being important to the story lines. The lab guy is funny and the not so subtle hints to his sexual perversions are amusing, though they do seem like they are directly taken from Joss Whedon scripts (not a bad thing). The bits and pieces of the deeper background in the chromes, outside the wall and the plot by Kennex's ex girlfriend and the Insyndicate (sp?) also indicate that there is some long range planning going on.

I can't help but compare it to the other buddy cop/tech show, Intelligence, and IMO Almost Human is much more enjoyable. I hope it sticks.
 

KevinGress

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Charlie Campisi said:
I look forward to this show every week. I'll be disappointed if it's not renewed. I think the buddy cop dynamic between Kennex and Dorian works well, and I really like Karl Urban in this role. The supporting characters are pretty well filled out with Maldanado, Stahl and the IA guys giving good performances and being important to the story lines. The lab guy is funny and the not so subtle hints to his sexual perversions are amusing, though they do seem like they are directly taken from Joss Whedon scripts (not a bad thing). The bits and pieces of the deeper background in the chromes, outside the wall and the plot by Kennex's ex girlfriend and the Insyndicate (sp?) also indicate that there is some long range planning going on.

I can't help but compare it to the other buddy cop/tech show, Intelligence, and IMO Almost Human is much more enjoyable. I hope it sticks.
I agree about Intelligence; like both shows, but like Almost Human better. I also hope it sticks around but wouldn't miss it if it went away.

I think it's got the capacity to be an edgy, can't miss show, but it too often plays it safe and resolves thngs too tidy/neatly. This is one show where I think it would benefit from being a little 'messy'; not depressing like BSG, but a little darker tone would help.
 

Rhett_Y

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Crap, I hope WE are all wrong and this gets picked up for a second season. This is one of my favorite shows!!!!!!!
 

DaveF

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I can't make sense of Almost Human. But mostly I'm losing interest. Four episodes ago, I enjoyed it; XRN was an interesting development. Three ago, the Chroma show, I thought was lousy. And we didn't actually learn anything useful about Chromas; as a sci-fi element they were devoid of content. Except that Minka Kelly's character is an underachiever.Last week's, on the home security system, reminded me why I don't like Kennex. He's an asshole. The kind of person who spreads malicious rumors about coworkers around the office is toxic. And his glib, jokey approach shows that he's a deep manipulator; he's just kidding so why would anyone get upset?And I still don't know why the kid was killed. He was visiting the outcast girl; but it wasn't her house. Who's house was it? Why was he there? Why did the security system kill him? I'm lost on a simple story.I keep hoping for a good sci-fi show. But instead it's a buddy-cop procedural with poorly constructed stories. And while Kennex and Dorian have great chemistry, Kennex is becoming despicable. I think I will be done when the season is over, regardless of renewal.
 

mattCR

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Yeah, this show is VERY uneven. As though they've got an interesting concept but it doesn't really know where it's going; you just get a feeling it's struggling to find out what it wants to be about.
Sad fact is, there is decent Science Fiction on.. I'm waiting for more Orphan Black, there is room for Continuum... despite people who bashed it, SyFy's "Defiance" had a better storyline then Almost Human does, and certainly more enjoyable characters.

The problem I'm running into with Almost Human is that it is a show with tons of benefits.. it obviously has a decent budget, some good actors.. but the show is unfocused and what we learn about the outside world is all a pish posh that doesn't necessarily fit together. On one hand we have the Chromes, who are apparently super rich genetically engineered people with long life spans. That's great, but why did we see none of these people in earlier episodes like in the hostage taking or at the bank robberies? And that difference also doesn't create a clear lower class, which is now implied, that we haven't really scene either.
They introduced 'The Wall' and what's on the other side of the wall and then.. what? Nothing. It's as though they have spent these episodes just chumming the waters for potential concepts to see what might catch on and then they will run with whatever strikes a writers fancy. As a result, the world these characters live in is just a mess. I still can't get over the giant plothole created by the fact the guy who designed all these robotics went on the run after years ago inventing a psycho robot.. so, production of these new ones is by a different company I guess? Who knows, they didn't address that, or why if there is a different company that has been working on it for years they've developed nothing new.

The whole show just seems like a mess.
 

DaveF

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I'm looking forward to Defiance S2! And Orphan Black is on my wish list, having heard nothing but great comments on it.
mattCR said:
Yeah, this show is VERY uneven. As though they've got an interesting concept but it doesn't really know where it's going; you just get a feeling it's struggling to find out what it wants to be about.... The whole show just seems like a mess.
Yep.
 

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