Extant

Extant has an interesting premise but the execution feels clumsy and overworked. While it is still a good Sci-fi show I think it still needs some time to develop and find it's stride. The positives include the great production values and that it has a blockbuster movie feel. I also think it has the potential to be better it just needs to up the excitement level.

Personally, I'm not thrilled with the casting and find Halle Berry's performance to be quite weak. She needs drama roles to shine but doesn't fare so well with "everyday/normal" roles. It just feels too bland and forced. The rest of the cast are fine, not fantastic, but they do their job.

Overall I think as the story unfolds it will keep me interested. I have noticed that each episode is slightly more interesting than the last so that's a good sign.

I'm writing this review initially because my fear, with all the controversy over the series continuing, was whether the first season resolves itself sufficiently to stand alone. It does. In fact I found the ending to be the most satisfying part of the very fast and convoluted plot. The special effects throughout this series were also wonderful, and worth watching as a sci fi fan. There are comparisons with the robot series Humans (English and European versions both) which if looking to watch this show one should understand, as that is at least 40% of the story. Despite having an alien, this show does not compare with the Alien movies, but has more in common with Carrie. It's very good TV, but a little complicated.

It has a good developing story line and I have found the early episodes built up a level of suspense.

The actors have done a good job to get you trapped into it but I have found it a bit confusing having Hiroyuki Sanada playing yet another inscrutable Japanese hate character so soon after Helix.

The series is definitely work watching but I am concerned at the very slow pace. You get to the end of each episode feeling that not much progress has been made. I can only hope that this is not due to a lack of story direction.

I am starting to feel like saving the rest of the episodes of this series and watching them all in one hit to get some sense of pace.

In all, not a bad bit of SciFi and, hopefully, it will start to progress a bit quicker as the plot broadens.

"Extant" can go in either the nonsensical direction of shows like "Lost" and "Under The Dome", or it can deliver. It is too early to say which.

The show takes place in a future similar to that from "Almost Human".

It also appears to be influenced by Stanislav Lem's "Solaris".

The episode sparked my interest in just the right ways. It was competently written, acted, filmed, scored. It didn't go for bombast or cheap scares, but rather for a subdued sense of unease.

It really could go either way from here, and it is impossible to tell just yet, because shows built on an overarching mystery often de-evolve into ramblings of a lunatic as the writers thrash inside the web of inconsistencies they spun from one episode to the next.

But the pilot gives me hope. This review will be updated when more episodes come out.

A vision of a not too distant future, slow to start but some interesting things start happening in the later episodes. Give it a chance please as we are lacking good Sci-Fi at the moment.

Characters are good but they need more to work with. Interesting concept with Ethan and Molly's child but don't want to give anything away about that.

I like the understated technology uses in the everyday environment, it is used well in order to improve everyday tasks (which is why we make things in the first place).

This is not Sci-Fi on an epic scale, it's about the human condition - it's not perfect but it's got potential.