The Nevers

Maybe this show had the misfortune of happening during the pandemic. It was one of the most inventive shows in the past several years. Really crisp, sharp writing, excellent acting, and a highly entertaining story. They never took the easy way out. Laura Donnelly, Ann Skelly, Olivia Williams, James Norton, Amy Manson... all brilliant. Maybe the show was too female-centric and too progressive for these times. Too many strong women in one show? Not enough men doing manly things for the wider audience? It's really a shame, because this was a stunningly good show. That they pulled it after six episodes, not even airing the full 12, is just a crime and doesn't bode well for other shows that aren't afraid to be this compelling with so many powerful women at the centre.

Ye gads, the critics really came down on this series because of Joss Whedon's involvement. But give it a chance. It's got an interesting storyline, steampunk influences, and a really great cast. Yes, the storyline is mostly about women, but they are all shapes, sizes, ages, etc. There are male and female heroes and villains. People with unnatural abilities, yes, that's been done before. And will be done again and again. There's nothing wrong with using that as a base. The show is great!

Quirky and rife with mystery (based on the 1st episode), it drew me in. Fine performances by all the leads; lots of fun details and invention. I'll be watching more. And BTW, could someone please tell the reviewer who rated it "1" that this is a steampunk-infused fantasy/SF series? It's no more a rewrite of Victorian history than "Lovecraft Country" was a rewrite of American race relations in the 1950s, or "Penny Dreadful" an historical documentary about this same era.

I am astonished at the negative "professional" reviews for this series. It's well-produced, well-written, well-acted, and overall a very engaging series. Four episodes in and I find myself looking forward to the next installment. All of the criticisms I've seen are petty and/or absurd. "The super powers are unrealistic." That is a near verbatim line. "All the bad guys are rich white men." Another near verbatim criticism from the same review. Irony levels of an Onion article.

My review: it's fresh, it's fun, and better in every category than 95% of the modern super-hero / sci-fi genre.

I was on the fence for the first episode but it quickly won me over. The finale was alright. Interesting idea, not totally sure what that looks like for season 2, if it gets renewed. Whedon has been outed for pretty deplorable behaviour, who knows what that means.

As is though, the Victorian super hero and Other narrative feels like it's well done. Clearly a lot of good casting and a pool of good writers to pull off something that's a bit tropey yet also niche and weird. I like having this in tandem with all the nihilistic "realistic" super hero shows lately. These questions are more interesting, imo.