Real Humans (100% Humain)

What do you do when you want to make Science-Fiction like Blade Runner, set in the future, with replicants and all, but you don't have Ridley Scott's money ? You make a science-fiction series set in a future that looks exactly like our present, but that has replicants in it. Except here they're called Hubots. Apart from the name change, they are pretty similar. And the blade runners in Real Humans are called EHURB, less stylish policemen in charge of arresting any hubot that would create trouble. Humans use their hubots as modern slaves, in factories, at home, or in brothels. Need a cook who will also clean your house and take care of your children ? Want an improved inflatable doll ? Or just a companion that is more talkative than your dog ? Try the hubots. They are pleasant to be with, they never get tired, they always smile, they always agree. Some humans even start to like them better than their human partners. The problem is, hubots are machines under the law, not worth more than your car or your bike. So you can't go to a club with them, and human-hubot couples are not well considered. Fortunately, Inger Ergman, who at first was a bit reluctant about having a hubot at home, finally grew quite fond of her Anita. And as she has friends who date hubots, she's going to use all her skills as a lawyer to alter the law. Of course, hubots are not all obliging and slavish. Anita, for instance, used to be an independent robot in love with Leo, who leads a group of autonomous hubots determined to be and remain free. But if some hubots want to be free, if they can fall in love, it means that they can have feelings, and a conscience. So should we still assign them the same values as a that of a car, and throw them away when their bug can't be fixed ? Should we consider them as humans ? Should human-hubot couples still be considered an abomination ? In these tense times of debate about gay marriage, Lars Lundström's questions about what love is and about the power of feelings, are definitely well-timed.

Social story

I found this show very original for the narrative angle it adopted. The show focuses on a Swedish family and starts by showing how the "hubots" (humanoid robots) are pervasive and accepted in society. The depicted future is a future where machines have become humanoid but they are not yet intelligent like human beings, they are just functional and social robots. From that setting the leading story takes place in the background showing a group of free hubots who have become intelligent and who want to integrate human societies as "real citizens".

The show is extremely intelligent in that it shows with a lot of consistency what the presence of hubots would imply in society. Groups with different points of view would form, the "real humans" group against hubots and the pro hubot group. It would also provoke some behaviors in human beings themselves, such as sexual attraction towards robots or the willingness to become a robot. People who love robots are called T-H-S (transhuman sexual) and the phenomenon looks very plausible and understandable from the way it is realistically shown. Those are innovative concepts that are realistic considering the nature of humans. The show also brilliantly includes justice in the frame, and asks the question "should hubots have human rights?"

It challenges our thoughts about what allows human beings to be "special" and brings good arguments on the table. For example, if the hubots can't be as special as humans just because they're not made of flesh and blood, then why animals are not as special as humans either? If intelligence is the criterion to be considered as a real life form, then hubots are already intelligent, why can't they have rights? It will really help you make yourself an opinion about how you would react if hubots really existed. The narrative is not opinionated so you are really only confronted to the facts and you can forge your own point of view without being too influenced.

Quite funny

SF fans will love this show because the writers thought of everything. Some situations are really hilarious, like the hubot saying "I need to defragment", or sighing of pleasure while she is recharging. Also, as the family hubot starts working, her boss wants her to have holidays. You also see a religious robot, which is hilarious but sadly really possible, or the robot who wants to "get married and live a happy life". To some extent, it is clear that the writers projected all the human ideals in the robots minds, so you can't help yourself but think, "gee, she's a robot and yet she is so incredibly stupid, why?!".

This is maybe why I didn't rate the show 10, because it still idealizes human beings as if being human was an ideal for the machines. The show clearly states though that for machines humans are idiots, but I found regressive that the machines would really like to become human. I don't get why a machine would want to be like a human. Also the show focuses on social robots, when real intelligent machines will probably not be social at all, but I guess this would happen in a later future.

Fantastic acting and great characters

All the characters are great. A big cudos for the actors and actresses who played the hubots because it is really really well played. Also, none of the characters are clichés. This show is very refreshing for that reason. For example, you don't find the "programmer genius" who is usually an ingredient for this kind of story, and you don't find the evil mysterious puppet master either, two clichés that are becoming very annoying in SF stories. Instead, I honestly loved the story from the point of view of the family, I liked seeing the dad caring for his girl, the mom caring for her hubot, the teenager coping with his T-H-S condition, his sister caring for him.

Advanced social norms

Because it is Swedish you also see the advanced definition of gender roles where each gender is active. The women are confronted to violence but they fight back, not like in the usual western productions where they are just victims. You also see advanced social norms where the father role is very positively depicted, and the man is something else than the "warrior" figure. You also see different layers of society, the young, the elderly and the middle-aged persons, it is not just about the young people. I particularly loved the mother character that I found very "real" because she brought something really human to the show.

Very advanced compared to American shows

For all the reasons cited above, I think this show is really advanced compared to American shows. It is very innovative. If this was an American show, the story would probably be told from a policeman's point of view. And the whole story line would be about fighting the hubots and showing the fighting scenes to add action. It is the case for example of the "Almost human" show that I stopped watching exactly because of that, boring fighting scenes succeeding each other that don't make you think at all.

The beauty of "Real humans" is that it focuses on the philosophical and social questions, it makes you think, and there is still room for suspense and action. The production of this show was really excellent and I admire the Swedish for once again innovating before everyone else.

Oh... I was so into this 1st season. I thought it was damn good, given all the possibilities with such a subject to give us a too-usual bad sci-fi TV program. But wow, it raised great questions, the acting is really good, the plot not simplistic and predictable: what a pleasure! ...Until the last three episodes... WTF?! It's like they suddenly realized that they needed to close the first season and panicked to have to do so in such a short time. The pace changes drastically and I felt we were back to the "usual" (lame) shortcuts used by any sci-fi US TV series... How disappointed and enraged I was! How could they do that? The first episodes reached such a level, it can't be by accident! What happened?! Did they need to tick all the commercial boxes and absolutely close "neatly" but poorly at the end of 1st season? Trying to make all the story lines come together in such a short period of time, come on!?! Take your time, don't rush!!! Believe in what you've manage to create to keep us interested! Doesn't make me want to see the next season, what good can come out of this now that they destroyed the good work...? Special thoughts to the actors that kept bravely doing their job, which showed even more that the problem lies in the turns the story has suddenly taken. They kept their acting to the best, but it cannot work. (Forget about the nice subtle transitions always sustained by great insight in "human" condition, and welcome to the usual so called "entertaining" messy story telling) Guys, you had something unique and now it simply feels like the merging of all the US clichés the genre is polluted by! I'm so disappointed... Thanks anyway for the beginning.

This series is the first I know of to seriously examine and comment upon the potential reality of a world where humans and androids – robots that look just like you and me – exist together in a master-servant relationship.

This is a daring and dramatic fiction which examines the many societal, legal and human implications of living with human robots called Hubots. Significantly, this multi-layered story intelligently examines robot issues that Hollywood generally avoids like the plague: Hubot sexuality, Hubot pornography, Hubot rights, Hubot sex slaves, illegal trafficking in Hubots, Hubot freedom fighters, humanity's backlash, murder of humans by Hubots, and more.

Sure, that sort of narrative has been touched upon in The Stepford Wives (1975), Blade Runner (1982), Alien (1979), I,Robot (2004) and others. Real Humans is fresh, however: it looks in depth at the effect of androids within the family and work settings in AnyCity in AnyCountry. There are some comical moments for light relief, but the tone is usually deadly serious or seriously deadly as the different groups of humans and Hubots interact; and during the course of which, the famous Three Laws of Robotics are totally trashed. Humans and robots fight and die.

For the most part, the different narrative threads are well woven together so that viewers keep up with the many plot twists. But be sure not to miss any episode. The action is well paced, suspense is appropriate and believability is up there with the best. In fact, it's a realistic picture of what could happen when – not if – humanoid robots become commonplace in the future, and perhaps even this century.

I'd recommend seeing this series for that final reason alone. That said, it's a quality Swedish production also, with a fine cast of actors – particularly those who play the part of Hubots.

My only critique is that some of the many flashbacks are a bit abrupt, as are some of the cuts between scenes. But don't let such minor irritants stop you from seeing this series. Because, it can only get better, I think – the finale obviously leaves room for Real Humans, series 2.

Give this effort nine out of ten.

February 4, 2013

Tired of the plethora of unimaginative and often shallow sci fi drama's coming out of the USA? Then take a look at the Swedish sci fi series Real Humans.

This very original, highly intelligent drama is both engaging and deep with elements reminiscent of Blade Runner but in a contemporary urban setting.

The central question the series raises as per Blade Runner is what does it mean to be human? Are humanities humanoid robotic creations any less real than the human biological creations that brought them into existence?

I wont say much more as it may spoil the pleasant surprise this series represents but suffice to say as a die hard sci fi fan this is one of the best series I have seen in a long time and comes highly recommended. Don't miss out.Nine out of ten from me.