What's it rated? TV-MA
When? 2020
Where's it showing? HBO Max
Inspired by the Ridley Scott universe (Alien, Prometheus), this intriguing sci-fi series has a complicated but very interesting premise. Earth has been all but destroyed by human activity, and the human race is near extinction as atheists battle the religious. Both groups have plans to leave Earth and colonize Kepler-22b, the closest habitable planet. The atheists send two androids and 12 human embryos in stasis in a fast-moving craft, where they reach the planet first and begin gestating the surviving embryos. Six are born and they're raised on the planet. Several years later, the religious group, the Mithraic, arrive in their slow moving arc, intent on populating Kepler-22b, and setting up a conflict between the androids and them. That's the setup.
The planet is barely hospitable, and the androids unearth some terrifying-looking fossil relics. It also turns out there's some life on the planet—strange-looking creatures. Meanwhile, one of the surviving atheist children, Campion (Winta McGrath) begins to question if he's safe with his android protectors, Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim).
Then there's the leader of the Mithraic, Marcus (Travis Fimmel), who's got secrets and a very tenuous grasp on power. The story becomes increasingly convoluted and abstruse as it goes along, and a lot of viewers have expressed dismay at season 1's convoluted and somewhat cliffhanger ending, but there's another season scheduled for next year, and if you like Scott—who directed two of the early episodes—you'll no doubt enjoy this series. (11 42- to 55-min. episodes) Δ
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