J.J. Abrams Almost Human

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by yenny, Jun 10, 2013.

  1. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    "He's a prehistoric bipedal hunter who can make fire. She's a wolf whose keen senses can detect approaching predators. Together, they fight crime. And mammoths."
     
  2. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    This premieres tonight and tomorrow on my local channel. Looking forward to it.
     
  3. Ensign_Redshirt

    Ensign_Redshirt Commodore Commodore

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    No, Almost Human is Total Recall 2070... in daylight!
     
  4. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Ten to one, Urban's character is an android himself and doesn't know it.

    Shaka...

    (puts on sunglasses)

    ...when the walls fell.

    MIRABWITHSAILSUNFURLED!!!!!!!!!
     
  5. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    And now I'm picturing a CSI style investigation scene with all the characters describing everything with Darmok style metaphors. "Temba, his arms closed, his eyes covered." "Zinda, his face black, his eyes red."
     
  6. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    I doubt it.
     
  7. Captain Kathryn

    Captain Kathryn Commodore Commodore

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    Ok even though I have my qualms about JJ, I think this looks watchable. I'll tune in and judge later.
     
  8. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    He has a bionic limb that he isn't happy about having (much like Will Smith's character in I, Robot). Presumably he and his doctors are able to tell the difference between it and his organic parts.
     
  9. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

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    Minka Kelly is in this. yay

    Not a great show so far, but I like the aesthetic. It is indeed reminiscent of I, Robot and Minority Report. And I did like that scene where Urban threw the android out of the car. Reminded me of Mal kicking the guy into the engine on Firefly. It also looks like an arc is developing but I'm still indifferent.
     
  10. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Not great but not bad. I'm not sold on Michael Ealy or his rapport with Urban, but yeah, Minka Kelly is gorgeous, and so is Mekia Cox. (I'm also not sold on Urban's attempt at an American accent. I wish they'd just let his character be a New Zealand native.)

    I like the premise of a world made more dangerous by the rapid emergence of powerful new technologies; it reminds me of my own Only Superhuman. Although it looks like it's going to be more of a violent, shoot-em-up cop show than I'd prefer. And I am so sick of scenes of protagonists beating up prisoners to interrogate them. Torture is not an effective means of interrogation, and I wish TV and movies would get that through their heads.

    I like the ethnic diversity in the casting, and the suggestions of cultural diversity in the setting. I hope the show keeps it up. The futurism is interesting so far, but it has some credibility issues. For instance, I have a very hard time believing that combat-model androids wouldn't be hardened against EMP, or whatever kind of signal was used to shut them down. The explanation about Dorian being on a different "frequency" made it even more implausible; presumably you'd build combat androids to have individual operating "frequencies" so that a signal couldn't shut them all down simultaneously.

    I noted that the pilot was credited solely to J.H. Wyman, both as scriptwriter and creator. Usually Abrams co-creates Bad Robot shows and co-writes and directs the pilots -- or at least he used to -- but here his only credit seems to be executive producer. I guess he's so busy with movies now that he's not as involved with BR's TV productions.
     
  11. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    The show has lots of potential. Very evocative of Robocop and Bladerunner in production style.

    Sadly, like most niche genre shows, it will most likely get canceled. I will enjoy it while I can.
     
  12. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

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    It was ok. If I remember to watch it, I'll watch it. If I don't, I won't. I'm not entirely sure the point of an emotional robot. It makes me wonder what the point really is.
     
  13. Data Holmes

    Data Holmes Admiral Admiral

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    I liked what we've seen so far. Looks like a well developed world in concept and the execution was good. I too was getting evocations of Science Fiction classics like Alien/s, Blade Runner, etc.

    I've set the tivo to grab the season.


    :guffaw:

    I'd watch it.

    It's near the same voice as his McCoy, I'm thinking they wanted to keep that voice as the "average viewer" will most likely know him from the two new trek movies.

    That was sort of the point. His enhanced interrogation was ineffective, and clearly demonstrated to be more about his anger and wanting revenge than wanting any info. That is why his partner stepped in, because he could see it was about hurting the guy and not getting answers.

    I think it was to show that the criminals are way ahead of the cops/government, who are blinded by arrogance and typical government bureaucracy. The new partner synthetic was an older and more well built model, with increased shielding, more features, and higher cost.


    I think between Trek and Wars, he's way to busy to be involved in the day to day of any of bad robots tv productions.
     
  14. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Actually, contrary to popular belief, it has a better chance on FOX than it would have on another broadcast network. Last year, NBC, ABC, and The CW cancelled quite a few new genre shows within the first 3-4 weeks, but FOX hasn't cancelled a genre show with episodes unaired since Tru Calling over eight and a half years ago. Odds are, the show will at least get to complete its initial season order.


    Not really. McCoy is Urban doing a DeForest Kelley impression (including a Southern accent), while this is Urban trying to do a neutral US accent. It's just that he's not really that good at accents so his New Zealand drawl leaks through and makes them sound similar. If anything, his voice for Kennex sounds pretty close to his Judge Dredd voice to me.


    Maybe. I hope so. But it gives a really bad first impression of Kennex and does not endear me to him.


    Maybe. It still felt too easy and contrived. I mean, the premise of this show is predicated on the idea that the MX androids (or whatever they called them) are actually effective enough that partnering with them was made mandatory. But so far they seem pretty useless. That doesn't help to sell me on the premise.


    Probably. But I was thinking of the person above who said they had "qualms about JJ." I thought it was worth pointing out that this is really Wyman's show more than Abrams's.
     
  15. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Is it on FOX? I hadn't noticed. I was making a comment on the survival rate of genre shows in general. Which, as you pointed out, is not that good. I also did not comment on whether it would get canned with unaired episodes.

    To be honest, these days I DVR everything so rarely notice what network a show is on.
     
  16. Saga

    Saga Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    i really enjoyed the first ep. felt like shades of Blade Runner combined with Robocop and Alien Nation.
     
  17. Samurai8472

    Samurai8472 Admiral Admiral

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    Nowadays he just slaps his name on things and basically walks awe

     
  18. Ensign_Redshirt

    Ensign_Redshirt Commodore Commodore

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    Yeah, the title of this thread is therefore a misnomer too.

    This is a J.H. Wyman show, not a J.J. Abrams show.

    Abrams merely owns the studio which produces Almost Human. He provides the money, but not any creative input.
     
  19. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    What are you basing that on? Usually, as the head of the production company, he (or the equivalent person at another production company, like Spielberg or Bruckheimer) does have creative oversight over its projects and the various showrunners answer to him. I'm sure he has some input, it's just not particularly hands-on. It would probably be the sort of thing where the showrunners like Wyman meet or talk on the phone with him regularly and say "We're doing this and this and that on the show" and Abrams thinks about it and says "Okay, that sounds cool, but what about adding this to it" or "Hmm, I'm not sure that'll work, how about going this way instead" or the like.
     
  20. ATimson

    ATimson Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The same thing happened with Person of Interest, so it's not the first time.

    (In addition to co-writing and directing the pilot, J.J. also usually writes the main title theme, too.)