The Head

One of the best mystery series I've seen this year so far. As I started watching, I thought it was just going to be the usual antarctic sci-fi horror rip off the The Thing. Only when I kept watching it, I realised this is a different beast all together. The way they kept revealing secrets slowly, peeling off the true mystery; it was just absolute brilliant. It made me keep guessing & second guessing myself.

I do urge the people here to keep watching till the end to find the real mystery, this show had so many layers to it. If you're one of those people who just watches the first episode & think I've seen it all before, trust me you're so wrong. This is one of those shows you just have to watch it till the end to get the twist. I'm not gonna give away the twist but I'll say this, it's only by the sixth episode you start to see the whole picture.

Verdict - Brilliant.

I just completed S1-E3 and have to get this out of my head.

I'll probably watch the whole series because it's an interesting enough drama/mystery. The acting is fine. The directing seems at least mediocre. The writing is reasonably good drama, but did anyone on this project consult an expert or two.

There are immense issues with the way the arctic winter environment and the tools, clothes, skills, etc. Necessary to function are portrayed. Literally every character seems like a theater kid's conception of their functional stereotype. People, particularly skilled intelligent outdoors-people and scientists do not behave this way...AT ALL. The outdoor wardrobe choices are ridiculous.

Having worked outdoors at -20 to -30+ degree F, I may be a bit judgmental. At 10-20 below or beyond you do not go out without face protection and goggles. If you're spending significant time, you're also wearing arctic boots, mittens, and down pants. Your hood is definitely up and pulled tight around your face. And that's the tip of the iceberg. The writers blew it on loads of cold related details.

That said, it's an interesting enough mystery drama to continue watching. I'll try to revise this review after watching the rest of the series.

For now I'd say this series is entertainment junk food. Not exactly filling or wildly delicious, but tasty enough to nibble while having a beer on the sofa.

I can understand why a lot of people like this show quite a bit. It had a lot of potential - decent acting, an intriguing Agatha Christie + John Carpenter setup - but ultimately is two episodes too long, with a resolution which, while somewhat surprising and engaging, is too preposterous. I'm not sure it was worth the wait of 6 hours of viewing time. If you do watch it be sure you do so right up until the closing credits.

A reworking of the classic mystery theme of an isolated trapped group of multinational people, most of whom have a shared past, begin to be killed off one by one. Add the 6 month polar night, the deadly temperatures, polar T-3 syndrome ( a real behavioral affliction of polar explorers), interpersonal issues, loss of communication, planetary ecological implications, and attempting to reconstruct events from the traumatized memory(?) of a person who might be a victim or a perpetrator makes for an interesting mystery. Yes there are physical events that require a suspension of disbelief and some questionable decisions made by various people. You might at first think that it is just another formulaic plot that you have seen before but it is well worth watching to the satisfying conclusion.

I guess there is nothing more I can say to describe yet another TV series.

I knew people are stupid and selfish. But I did not know that scientists were that stupid and that selfish. This idea of isolated humans and a murder mystery has been done before, right? The script is confusing, the dialogue is irritating, or in other words, typical TV fare.

Also, nothing in the show makes sense. One day the sky is blue, the next day,the sun is gone and the dimwits in the Polar Station are immersed in the deepest winter night walking outside with their faces exposed to the Antarctic freezing air. I would not be surprised if at the end of the series it is revealed that the killer is a rogue Polar Bear.

Amundsen and Scott must be turning in their graves.