Remarkably well done. I ventured into this production not really knowing what to expect, there was no preconceived vision of what this should be, or adapted from. Are there some vignettes that are so far out into the fringe, that suspension of disbelief is simply not possible? Yes . . . I'm not going to describe those particular scenes as such might be interpreted as spoilers.
But, even with those fringy parts injected every so often, the overall concept parallels much of what the current transhumanist culture cites as elements of an inevitable future world; consciousness injected into recycled human "skins", AI avatar nano-entities, co-evolution with the enhanced quasi humanoids, and so on.
Is this production perfect? No, of course not. But is it interesting and entertaining to watch and experience? Absolutely yes.
As for the production quality, definitely first rate. This is a big budget production, as the quality of the sets, visuals and CGI clearly indicate. At the very least, just as a visual art piece, this is something to look at. The world building template that this story evolves into is richly constructed and detailed.
Some might argue a bit on the quality of the script writing in some of these scenes, perhaps in the context of taste, as what fits well for some viewers may be unsatisfactory for others, but I had no such troubles with this. The story and its myriad subplots moves quickly, there isn't much filler or dead space content, as is often the dilemma facing other episodic productions.
Even if you're not a sci-fi fan per se' there is enough here which goes far beyond the boundaries of that particular definition to be thoroughly engaging. This is a high end risky venture, which could have turned out badly (as other such episodic sci-fi productions have), but in this case they pretty much got it right. At the very least, a lot of credit for even attempting such a production.
The casting is superb, but if I had to pick a "favorite" from this crew, that would have to be Dichen Lachman. She is remarkably unique, has a presence you will notice immediately as she enters her first scene, and that memory will last long after you've watched this entire series.
I could go on, but the short version is, this deserves 10 stars, which is a rating I very rarely grant any production. Partly for quality of production and thematic content, and partly for the effort it took to create such an unusual and risky production, and actually have it work.
I doubt anyone will lament the time spent to watch this.
But, even with those fringy parts injected every so often, the overall concept parallels much of what the current transhumanist culture cites as elements of an inevitable future world; consciousness injected into recycled human "skins", AI avatar nano-entities, co-evolution with the enhanced quasi humanoids, and so on.
Is this production perfect? No, of course not. But is it interesting and entertaining to watch and experience? Absolutely yes.
As for the production quality, definitely first rate. This is a big budget production, as the quality of the sets, visuals and CGI clearly indicate. At the very least, just as a visual art piece, this is something to look at. The world building template that this story evolves into is richly constructed and detailed.
Some might argue a bit on the quality of the script writing in some of these scenes, perhaps in the context of taste, as what fits well for some viewers may be unsatisfactory for others, but I had no such troubles with this. The story and its myriad subplots moves quickly, there isn't much filler or dead space content, as is often the dilemma facing other episodic productions.
Even if you're not a sci-fi fan per se' there is enough here which goes far beyond the boundaries of that particular definition to be thoroughly engaging. This is a high end risky venture, which could have turned out badly (as other such episodic sci-fi productions have), but in this case they pretty much got it right. At the very least, a lot of credit for even attempting such a production.
The casting is superb, but if I had to pick a "favorite" from this crew, that would have to be Dichen Lachman. She is remarkably unique, has a presence you will notice immediately as she enters her first scene, and that memory will last long after you've watched this entire series.
I could go on, but the short version is, this deserves 10 stars, which is a rating I very rarely grant any production. Partly for quality of production and thematic content, and partly for the effort it took to create such an unusual and risky production, and actually have it work.
I doubt anyone will lament the time spent to watch this.