Cassandra

I find the storytelling smart, two timelines, one being the origin and one being the present. Even though usually AI robots turning evil is predictable and whatever, but I find the backstory and motivation of this particular one unique. It's not exactly as predicted and even the last episode reveals information that were forgotten/unexpected, and that deserved a written review from me.

I find this tv series underrated. I saw the trailer on instagram and thought nothing big of it, but as I let it play beside cooking, I learned to appreciate the details in the story and found it intrieguing.

Definitely worth a watch, as it is not even long. It's different from other AI robotic thrillers.

The premise had potential. The design of the robot was interesting to look at. The writing was terrible: again, yet another show where people don't do anything normal people would do, make the most terrible choices at nearly every turn, don't say the things normal people would say. There were a few times where it seemed the writing got better, maybe that episode was written by different people, then everything went downhill yet again, then right off a cliff into absurdity. It's one of those shows where we sent most our time yelling at the screen, "Oh my god, why would anyone do that??!!" "That's so stupid, what an idiot!! Over and over. By the last episode we were begging for it to end. Please end.

I was skeptical at first... Another AI robot vs the hose, family, husband... whatever.. Not a M3GAN, SUBSERVIENCE or T1M.. Not quite on a Black Mirror level, but more Jetsons meets The Hand That Rocks the Cradle... meets Frankenstein.. I like the 70's appeal, decor and style, at first it didn't make sense, based in a iPhone era time.. but it comes together well.. kind of keeps you guessing.

But it actually has an engaging storyline... And the acting is good.. Dubbed sound and speech is good.. Definitely worth a multi-day binge.. but the episodes run together smooth and easy to keep the next one playing..

Overall the plot was fairly interesting and unpredictable, at least as much as this idea of out of control AI house can get. It's basically two sub plots that intersect, and the real plot is the Cassandra's back story.

My main issue was how much I had to suspend disbelief. The 70's vibe is cool but just don't make sense. I'm not sure why this couldn't take place further in the future. I also think the power of the AI was unrealistic in that the humans should have easily been able to overcome it. Basically most of the characters are just really dumb and you need to buy into that for it to work. Technology aside, you know the situation that is unfolding would never happen in real life and that inner voice is telling you that the whole time.

Cassandra has a visually appealing retro setting and is well-executed from a cinematographic perspective. The production design and atmosphere are certainly highlights.

Unfortunately, the series is dragged down by exhausting and unrealistic dialogue. The acting is also quite poor, with the all-too-familiar overacting that many German actors tend to deliver. As a German myself, I found it difficult to watch at times.

The way the story unfolds feels forced and unnatural. The fact that no one believes the mother and instead sympathizes with the house AI to an almost absurd extent is simply unrealistic. The plot, dialogues, and many sequences feel artificial and detached from reality, making it hard to stay engaged.

A missed opportunity, given the strong visual potential.