Humans

From the beginning, the premise of this show, the writing, the acting, the twists and the human message were engrossing, and they have remained more so over the last three seasons, and by the way, very relevant: the stakes feel real and relatable to today's issues throughout.

Certainly, there is no evading comparisons to Black Mirror, as both shows are explorations of technological advances of the near future. Whereas Black Mirror is more of a warning of the potential pitfalls of technology, HUMANS is more about society's adjustment to human displacement not only in the economic realm, but also in other intrinsically human dimensions: sharing with -or relinquishing to- our own creations our place at the top of the totem pole is a struggle full of pain, fear, contradictions, inspiration and hope. Furthermore, unlike Black Mirror, HUMANS has a continuous story line with recurring characters, which allows more emotional engagement with their cause. Even the villains in HUMANS aren't black and white and their motivations do make sense, even when their actions are reprehensible.

This is a show every Political Political Science, Sociology or Philosophy courses should make young people watch and talk about. And for your average Sci-fi fan out there, this is a smart show with a lot of heart, in more ways than one.

Highly recommended.

Another fantastic show canceled while reality rubbish keeps on spewing.

First, this is the kind of series the Brits have shown a knack for, riffing off normal life situations into something creepy and unexpected. (See for example UTOPIA, the original UK version, also reviewed by this scribe.) So even though this is a clone of a European show, it is a natural for English audiences.

Second, the casting of Bill Hurt suggests to the cynically-minded that series was done with a pre-sale to the US market already in the works, with Hurt's job to make the transition more comfortable and discourage yet another "forced cloning" of the show in the US market, a move that more often than not wastes money and creates an inferior product.

Third, the casting is to die for. Gemma Chan is perfectly cast as the main "bot" and reminds this cranky old reviewer of what happened when Barbara Eden first appeared as a family "genie" in the US decades ago. It is now agreed by TV historians that subliminally this appealed to many male viewers who stayed loyal to the show for reasons well beyond the story arc.

And Colin Morgan, once the Merlin of legend, is an under-rated actor who can only make the show better over time.

Looks like a winner to me.

This is an excellent series, with great scripting, terrific acting and lots to think about. The focus is totally on the humanity and morality aspects, and not the sci-fi aspects.

Analogies may be drawn between the synths and any other minority you care to name (anything with the label 'different' or 'other'). And that is the show's strength - how do we as a community react to outsiders entering our world? Do we accept and embrace, or do we fear and reject?

Having an average middle-class family being the central focus of the story keeps everything grounded, rather than dealing with leaders and renegades. Everything keeps gravitating back to them.

If you are looking for whizzy special effects and explosive action pieces, go elsewhere. If you are looking for thoughtful storytelling and an exploration about what it means to be human, you have come to the right place.

Humans was such a great show! I really got into it, great rounded characters and a believable future. I was really looking forward to the next series. So disappointed.