Almost Human

After Revolution was a complete disaster, i was cautious watching another J.J. Abrams branded show. But this one was good right from the beginning. The chemistry between Dorian and John Kennex is great. Its fun to see a robot with a better sense of humor than his human partner, and Dorian is a really lovable character. I'm sensing there's going to be some grand conspiracy revealing itself with Insyndicate and the synthetics, but we'll have to see. So far there has been some cool science, a lot of playful banter from Dorian as he annoys John, and a ridiculously hot female cop who i can't wait to see John hook up with.

The VFX are pretty great and impressive for a episodic TV show. They've definitely got a cyberpunk-ish feel thats almost a mix between i-robot, minority report and continuum. Despite the show featuring future sciences, its nothing implausible and they use a lot of hypothetical sciences scientists are just beginning to test the potential of today; like graphene or IR camera disruption. The show is about future technologies spreading way too fast for law enforcement to keep up with, and they paint that note really well.

I want to see a bit more about where society is outside of the station and the way gang warfare has changed over the decades. Getting a steady recurring antagonist the audience can become familiar with could definitely take this show to the next level. So far i'm really liking this show and i'm glad to see more.

Almost Human is a classic police drama infused with beloved science- fiction tropes. The crux of the series is right there in the title. It is asking what it means to be human in a world overwhelmed by technology. Often the most effective way to reveal what something is, is by examining what it is not. Android Dorian is in many ways more human than the flesh and blood men and women that surround him. Are the themes overly subtle? No. But the pilot is both impressive and enjoyable to watch. Ealy and Urban are charismatic leads, with great chemistry. Taylor is equally dynamic as their soft spoken, but stiff spined captain. It's easy to say, "This isn't Fringe." And it's not, that's true. Almost Human is its own animal. But lest we forget, Fringe wasn't Fringe either - not at first. It evolved, it grew into something truly special. It's still finding its feet, but this series has all of the elements, all of the potential to do just that.

I just seen the first episode and I gotta say I'm really hooked on this show that's filled to the brim with human drama, action, humor, suspense, and mystery. But it's the human interactions between the two leads that makes the show very interesting and really thought provoking as well. Karl Urban(of Star Trek, Lord of The Rings, and of course, the utterly stellar "Dredd" fame) is really great in the role of a hard-as-nails cop who doesn't take too kindly to synthetic androids; one in particular, played by Michael Ealy, who is the complete antithesis of Urban. Ealy's character, Dorian, despite being an android, is very believable and convincing; conveying emotions that are(no pun intended) almost human. It'll be really interesting to see how their relationship plays out in subsequent episodes.

There's a lot of mystery and intrigue going on in this show so much, thankfully kept at the minimum to keep the audience guessing at the true motives of some of the characters while also giving the proceedings a heavy dose of suspense in a fantastically realized world and though it draws heavy inspirations from classic science fiction films, it weaves it's own plot and twists to keep things interesting and fresh. There are some plot points that I felt were rushed, but overall, this was a great episode to kick off the entire series. Be warned, there are some bloody scenes that are really intense, but the special effects, for a TV series, are really good and has a sense of hyper verisimilitude that, ironically enough, isn't too far-fetched. How long will it be before life-like androids begin to roam among humans in everyday life? If you don't think it's possible, then check out Raytheon, or DARPA, which are actively researching and developing this cutting edge technology. More importantly, there are lots of moral issues that should be discussed such as technology being too powerful, being replaced by androids, and as well as finding out what it means to be human and what separates man and machine.

I'd say "Almost Human" is an intelligent and thought-provoking series that within it's narrative, raises lots of questions, and though there's really no easy answers, the journey to find them is an exciting ride for those willing to undertake. I'm already anxious to see what's gonna happen next. Here's hoping that the show is successful for an entire season.

Almost Human, Almost there.

They're almost there, but not quite yet. This show is a great mix of first and foremost action! Great action, Karl Urban is pretty much the most spot on cast for this role they could have ever made. The same is entirely true for Michael Ealy as Dorian. They make a perfect duo, and the humor they share is hilarious. It's great to watch. The other cast members are fine to watch too. Credit must also be given to the people who play the MX's. They are just as regular as our main stars :)

Those are the things I like, if not love about this show.

There are some things that could be done better though, some in the writing department, some in the character development department.

First, I would like to know some more information about some of the side-characters. Another agent called Richard Paul, played by Michael Irby is constantly trying to discredit Dorian, and I would like to know why. Maybe he blames an android/MX for something that happened in his past, that would be a nice concept. I'm not going to cover all the other cast members, but it would be nice to see something like that for them too. Special mention goes out to MacKenzie Crook as Rudy. I love that guy, great character actor.

My second point is the way in which they catch the bad guys. I like the parts where they confront the villain a lot, don't get me wrong. They are always entertaining to watch, although some bad guys, and i do say some, because there are just as many good ones, do feel a little bit on the lightweight side when it comes to the intimidation factor. The bad guys usually get caught through a simple phone pinpoint, shipping manifests, some crap like that. It really bothers me. It's 2048 and technologies can no longer be regulated. Yet when it comes to a simple phone scramble they haven't made that much progress, obviously. It feels as a convenient plot-device to move the story along. Other than that there is not a lot else I can think of.

Every week it is a pleasure to watch Almost Human, the action is great, the weapons and technologies are great, A bomb necklace, cool guns, Robot cops (MX's), insanely strong explosive devices, drones and so forth. And the civilian technologies are fun to watch too, IPad A'la 2048. Every day stuff of the future. They are well integrated into episodes. It does a good job of making it take place in 2048.

The makings of a great show, off to a very strong start and it can only get better. They've almost nailed it, and I eagerly wait to see what becomes of this show.

I want to give this an 8.5, but I will round it up to a 9, because I have the feeling it will definitely live up to it's potential.

Both the production values and script are excellent. Strong character interplay reminiscent of Alien Nation (so many years ago) If compared to any other shows or movies, think Blade Runner , Minority Report. I hope they can maintain both the production levels and build on the intrigue established thus far.

Do yourselves a favor and enjoy Almost Human for what is it and will become, and don't look for to many comparisons. Yes, it will be compared to so many other genre shows, as I have seen already in this forum, but the strength is in the portrayal of the characters. It is wonderful that FOX (of all networks) and generally free to air television are committing to such well written and produced fare for us all to enjoy

Not sure when this is coming to Australia, but I think it will be a success.