Humans: Season 1/ Episode 1 [Series Premiere] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Introduction

Humans dives into the familiar world of androids, called synths in the series, having human emotions and that being quite scary to the average human. Though, alongside the fear of what synths can become, there is also the constant subject of fearing what they can replace, which is humans.

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Characters & Story (with Commentary)

Topic 1: Anita (Gemma Chan), Joe (Tom Goodman-Hill), Sophie (Pixie Davis), Matilda (Lucy Carless), Toby (Theo Stevenson), and Laura (Katherine Parkinson)

It seems the main focus of the show is the Hawkins household. Within it we have Joe, the father; Laura, the lawyer mom who is often absent for days at a time; Matilda, the oldest daughter who feels like her future is threatened by the rise of synths; Toby, who is your average teenaged boy; and Sophie, the cute child Laura is trying to spend as much time as possible bonding with before she becomes like Matilda. However, being that Joe figures having a synth would mean more time with his wife, and his wife being with their family, he gets Anita. Someone who, thanks to flashbacks, we learn is really named Mia and is one of the few synths who seemingly have become sentient.

Well, at least at one time she was sentient. As of now, it seems she has been reprogrammed, or is in deep hiding, in order to survive. Issue is, though, between Laura and Matilda, who both don’t appreciate her presence, and Anita’s need to be some sort of parental figure toward Sophie, it seems she may slip out of character one day.

Though, Anita aside, while I understand Matilda’s hatred of all things synth, I’m not sure of why Laura distrusts them. Granted, she is a lawyer so maybe she has seen cases of them doing something horrible, but there is the slightest question of maybe one killed her parents, or perhaps something else entirely. Either way, there is a bit of mystery in the Hawkins household.

Topic 2: Odi (Will Tudor) and Dr. George Millican (William Hurt)

For those who have watched Plastic Memories, that almost fully sums up what we know of the relationship between George and Odi. Well, maybe not completely, since I haven’t really watched much of Plastic Memories since the 2^nd or 3^rd episode, but the gist seems the same. Dr. Millican is an old man with an outdated machine he just can’t let go of for it holds so many of his memories. The most important being of his family which, seemingly, are mostly gone. However, like with the Hawkins household, there seems to be some secrets floating about. Which I say solely because when it seemed like Odi would have to be recycled, rather than continued to be hidden for when the government inspector comes, it seemed George would rather destroy Odi than let him be taken. Leading to the question of: what has Odi witnessed which could lead George to do such a thing? Unless it is one of those “If I can’t have you, no one can!” type of scenarios.

Topic 3: Leo (Colin Morgan), Fred (Sope Dirisu), Nishka (Emily Berrington), and Max (Ivanno Jeremiah)

From what it seems, Leo is one of the major forces, and protectors, of the sentient synths. However, it isn’t clear whether or not he was part of what made them sentient in the first place. Such recognition is given to one David Elster, which could very well be Leo’s original name, or perhaps an entirely separate person. All in all, it is rather hard to say. What are the facts though is Leo is a leader toward them, he is injured, and he and the synth are being hunted.

As for by who? Again, not much is said but we do have the names of Salim Sydik, the original kidnapper/ threat, and then Silas Capek who seems to have taken over after Salim got out of the game. But, as of now, it seems of the group only Fred isn’t safe. For, what I assume is Silas, has him in his lab and his sponsors are itching to do test on him. As for Leo and Max, they are on the run, and the only reason Max is free is because he is unable to adept to synth like behavior so Leo keeps a special eye on him. As for Nishka, she, unfortunately, is a sex synth and is hating every last minute of it. Though, in Leo’s head, while she may hate where she is, she is safe.

Overall

I’m already on episode 2, and will likely watch and review episode 3 tomorrow, and I don’t know if it is because I love a good non-American sci-fi series, or because the show’s concept seems like what I would find in a anime, but something is just drawing me to this. I mean, it could be the racial diversity, among other things, but overall I just believe that this show has laid the right type of foundation for a season which is only 8 episodes. The characters are mostly set, and each interesting in their own way, except for the detective whose wife seemingly enjoys their synth a bit much; the culture in which synth are taking over is filled with multiple possibilities dealing with paranoia and of course the possibility of more and more sentient beings; and whether it is little mysteries like with Laura’s work, the question of what Odi knows, or how these synths ended up sentient, and who is hunting them, there is a lot to tickle the brain on the journey the show has planned.

Things To Note

With Anita/ Mia’s actions, it does make me wonder if it is possible for synth’s to be implanted human with memories.