Mars

So don't go into this show expecting a Hollywood-style drama series.

The focus here are not character development or some plot twists, it's about something humanity has dreamed forever and bringing this in a realistic and at the same time entertaining way to the screen.

The documentation parts also really fit the fictional mission and are mostly on point and not too long. Many emotional goosebump-moments, at least for me.

Don't watch it if you don't care about space or deep questions and are only looking for easy entertainment, for everyone else this show is a 10/10

I was really looking forward to this series. Like "Red Planet" and "Mission To Mars" but without the fictional hooey. Like "The Martian" but in grander scale, with many scientists doing their thing, not just one. Bah; I was quite wrong.

Apparently, in the year 2033, we've completely run out of scientists, and instead sent a bunch of backstabbing, whiny hipsters to Mars. If they had any formal training in science, they forgot it all. They certainly don't mention anything scientific in their dialogue with each other. They do not even appear to be doing any scientific work once they arrive - just bickering over their mission, and passive-aggressively hiding useful information from each other, causing bonehead accidents.

What can you do, when you see great frontiers being explored, and cool hardware brought to bear, and you want to smile and enjoy it ... but the people doing it are always upset, depressed, or appallingly unobservant?

Three episodes in, and I quit, because I realized I was actually _dreading_ the next episode, not anticipating it. I was just waiting for them to have their next unnecessary argument or make their next totally avoidable mistake.

How could man's next great frontier be so ... joyless??

I have enjoyed this hypothetical drama of the exploration of Mars. Season one was very enjoyable. At the time I gave it an 8 out of 10. I was very excited for season two, only to find that the amount of preachiness was significantly amped up. I can't get past the preachy aspect of season two, so I have dropped my review down to a 6 out of 10. Hopefully season 3 goes back to the glory of season 1.

The new mini-series MARS is not like most science fiction films or TV entries. Instead it is more like "science future" rather than science fiction – an extension of existing knowledge and techniques to the near future. More specifically, the authors envision what it would be like to travel to Mars in 2033. Because it is "science future" and not science fiction, most of what we're watching seems familiar.

Each episode looks like a documentary made in 2033 about the pioneers of the Mars movement. So we see interviews of people like Elon Musk and they talk about the Space X program. Then it switches to real time and we see the trials and tribulations of the first people to land on Mars.

As clever as the science future element is, there is a fictional story here as well, concerned with troubles that happen on the approach to Mars and the landing and the subsequent attempt to colonize the planet. This part of the series is lacking, not merely in character development, but also in action. It is slow going, but probably not unlike what it would be if you were there.

Among the most interesting elements are the decisions that have to be made about the program and comparisons between this future project and major exploratory projects of the past.

This series is definitely worth watching.

This new series has definitely caught the attention of millions of people, I believe. As a National Geographic Series, it's obvious that the series is scientifically accurate. And the adventure part is really intriguing. Everyone will enjoy these parts. The Mars environment, the astronauts looks really awesome. I would give it 8.0 based on that.

Wait, there's more to it. The series has the decades-long history behind Mars Exploration. Who, where, how, why - all things are there. The documentary lovers like me will definitely appreciate this part for sure.

Overall, I would suggest everyone to try the show. It really does showed the struggles of the astronauts/ relevant people in these explorations.

Thanks to National Geographic.

However, I think sometimes, they are showing too much history. Most of the times, it's okay. But, I do not really understand why you have to go into history, when a dramatic "tension" moment is building up. It really change the mode of the audience. After all, it's a adventure/sci-fi drama, right? not a history documentary?

All in all, although I loved the history part here, my overall rating would not go beyond 7.0, for bad timing of the history parts.

Good luck :)