The Mance Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 IGN review Humans takes place in a world where robotics has all-but taken over the work force, eliminating a vast amount of jobs and careers, creating resentment among some but relief to many. These robotic servants, referred to as "Synths," are designed to look human and are utilized for everything from picking up trash to tearing theater tickets to running and organizing busy households. I quite enjoyed the first episode and plan to keep watching. Its an interesting premise, and they seem intent on exploring it in some interesting ways; human/AI personal interaction protocols, the morality of AI, as well as the political, financial and social ramifications. The Singularity was explained right off the bat, and I expect we'll hear about Turing tests, and other relevant nerdisms. 7/10 eta: grammar, links, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveSumm Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I've been watching the series (I think we've had 3 episodes in the UK?) but I discovered it was based on the Swedish series Real Humans so I've started watching that. Really struggled to find it with English subtitles, I'm watching it in low res chunks on Vimeo as none of the Netflix that have it are with subtitles and the DVD's are pricey, hard to come by, and also often don't have English subtitles. But anyway, the Swedish series is generally better, it doesn't take itself as seriously and embraces a kind of dark humour. The main family that Anita is with aren't grating on me like the English version, I find the son and eldest daughter in the English version pretty flimsy cliches. I can't say either version has really done anything profound with the general philosophical point of what it means to be human, but I've only just started so I'll give it time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mance Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 I find the son and eldest daughter in the English version pretty flimsy cliches. I can't say either version has really done anything profound with the general philosophical point of what it means to be human, but I've only just started so I'll give it time. Well, i'm slightly less hopeful then. I kind of agree about the son and daughter characterization. They were a bit cliche, but then not so out of the realm of believable that they bothered me. There are just so many different ways that personal AI robots would effect people that I think the show is just throwing out a broad net of possible personal interactions/reactions to see which of them end up being worth developing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveSumm Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Oh yea, it wasn't really a criticism yet being so early an all. There's just so many sci-fi stories (books/shows) that think they're being cleverer than they are by positing these questions but not really offering anything new, I'd be surprised if this show turns up anything new. But I don't mind, it's entertaining enough in its own right. It certainly gets bonus points for demonstrating that if there were realistic robots, there'd be a huge sex industry along with it. The Swedish version actually has a variety of female characters in different stages of a relationship with Hubots (as they're called in that version). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEyedGhost Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I've been watching the series (I think we've had 3 episodes in the UK?) I was going to make a thread about this show last night, but then I thought about the spoiler thread issue because of this and then got busy and didn't. I'm really enjoying the show, even though it is highly clichéd and I think I've seen every single plot point played out on other shows/movies. Episode 2 (I think)What's up with Leo (Merlin)? It looked like Max was repairing him after their raid, not like he was just stitching him up. Is he human, red blood and all, or is he an even more advanced synth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterKing Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 I'm really liking it so far, feels Asimov-y to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Has this show started yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEyedGhost Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Has this show started yet? Last Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commodore Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 in the UK the show is a couple weeks ahead of the US (a switch from the usual arrangement) and it's very well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEyedGhost Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I really enjoyed episode 4 Damn, that is a stupid high school kid though. I am even more of the belief that Leo is a synth, although they tried to throw out some evidence that he's not, they also put out some pretty convincing evidence that he is. The reveal at the end was... interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kindly Old Man Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I really enjoyed episode 4 Damn, that is a stupid high school kid though. I am even more of the belief that Leo is a synth, although they tried to throw out some evidence that he's not, they also put out some pretty convincing evidence that he is. The reveal at the end was... interesting. I'm thinking he might be some kind of hybrid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEyedGhost Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I'm thinking he might be some kind of hybrid. Cyborg? Reanimated corpse through the use of synth tech? (Dr. Millican did say Dr. Elster's son had died, and Leo replied with "yeah") More advanced synth that incorporated his son's DNA to try and "bring back" his dead son? My thinking is the last. It also looked like Millican went to give Leo the below the chin power down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kindly Old Man Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Cyborg? Reanimated corpse through the use of synth tech? (Dr. Millican did say Dr. Elster's son had died, and Leo replied with "yeah") More advanced synth that incorporated his son's DNA to try and "bring back" his dead son? My thinking is the last. It also looked like Millican went to give Leo the below the chin power down. I was thinking cyborg but your idea is cooler and fits the facts better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kindly Old Man Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 [spoiler] Another solid episode this week. RedEyedGhost, you nailed the reanimation thing. I like how the show manages to keep everyone's reactions to the various goings-on with the synths realistic. I hope we get some more background on the 5 synths in Leo's group and how they all developed such different personalities. Oh, and poor Max! He was my favorite synth, He must come back at some point, or they won't have the full sentience code. [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pepper Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 [spoiler]I just knew the father was going to ruin everything. Arsehole. Also, is the cop synth related to the other ones? Has that been mentioned? [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyoshi Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 [spoiler]I just knew the father was going to ruin everything. Arsehole. Also, is the cop synth related to the other ones? Has that been mentioned? [/spoiler] [Spoiler] I was wondering the same thing about the cop. I also wonder how old she is. Was I the only one who thought Leo and Anita were lovers? I don't like the guy who created them. Guy sounds like a class-A creep. [/spoiler] How long do we have to use spoilers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kindly Old Man Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 [Spoiler] I was wondering the same thing about the cop. I also wonder how old she is. Was I the only one who thought Leo and Anita were lovers? I don't like the guy who created them. Guy sounds like a class-A creep. [/spoiler] How long do we have to use spoilers? I've been using spoilers b/c they've only shown through episode 4 in the US, but it seems like most people here are caught up through episode 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEyedGhost Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 [Spoiler] I was wondering the same thing about the cop. I also wonder how old she is. Was I the only one who thought Leo and Anita were lovers? I don't like the guy who created them. Guy sounds like a class-A creep. [/spoiler] How long do we have to use spoilers? Episode 6 [spoiler] You weren't alone in thinking that Mia and Leo were a couple. I was thinking that the Robocop was one of "them" that was hunting for Leo and crew, but I would have thought she would have been with the group at the end if that were the case. Now I'm thinking she might just be a random "defect" and is hunting for others like her. She's definitely not one of Ellster's original group (did he really kill himself, or is he still out there making more?), because Max said he has two brothers and two sisters - Fred and Leo, Mia and Niska. That was a sad ending with Max, but I doubt that that's the last we'll see of him. I like the conflict in the guy who was holding Fred.[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyvasse Khal Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 My favourite 'off-season' show right now. I'm a sucker for shows that are set in a not-so-distant future, just out of reach of reality type scenario. Gemma Chan as Anita/Mia is particularly strong, if it wasn't for her performance I'm not sure how engaged I'd be with the family's story. William Hurt as George Millican is another really good performance, he's a very warm sympathetic character. [spoiler]Anyone else think that David Elser didn't commit suicide, and that he was most likely murdered? I just don't see him going to all the trouble of recreating his dead son from the memories preserved in his brain, then creating these 4 other artificial masterpieces before deciding he's had enough of living. I can't remember what reason Leo gave, but I remember thinking he glossed over it pretty quick and it seemed a bit flimsy.[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ithanos Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Episode 6 [spoiler]Damn, Max was my favourite too. Gotta say, Gemma Chan poses a convincingly beautiful synth in Anita, but add all the human nuances and she's stunning as Mia. That human touch. Started watching Real Humans and I like it too, The kids a definitely better.[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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