{"id":2612,"date":"2013-11-17T23:18:15","date_gmt":"2013-11-18T05:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geekgoesrogue\/?p=2612"},"modified":"2013-11-18T10:34:48","modified_gmt":"2013-11-18T16:34:48","slug":"ggr-reviews-almost-human-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geekgoesrogue\/2013\/11\/ggr-reviews-almost-human-pilot\/","title":{"rendered":"GGR Reviews Almost Human – “Pilot”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

From Geek Goes Rogue TV Editor Zach W. Lorton, as told to by the electronic-sprinkled alternative music coming from his Spotify stream\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When I first saw the trailer for the new Fox action\/drama\/comedy\u2026 SHOW\u2026\u00a0Almost Human<\/em>, I was immediately intrigued. \u00a0My first thought was, \u201cLooks like\u00a0RoboCop<\/em> meets\u00a0Alien Nation<\/em>.\u201d \u00a0Still, the premise may not be the most original, but I\u2019m very excited about the two leads that are going to carry the series, Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings\u00a0<\/em>trilogy,\u00a0Star Trek Into Darkness<\/em>) and Michael Ealy (Think Like a Man, FlashForward<\/em>).<\/p>\n

And now, I bring to you my review of the pilot episode of this new show from Fox. \u00a0Which is premiering less than 2 weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday. \u00a0For whatever reason.<\/p>\n

========================================<\/p>\n

\u201c2048. \u00a0Science and technology evolve at an uncontrollable pace. \u00a0Unknown drugs and weapons flood our streets and schools. \u00a0The contraband is controlled and distributed by violent, faceless, criminal organizations. \u00a0And the crime rate rises an astounding 400%.\u201d<\/p>\n

Point of information: \u00a0400% from what? \u00a0Over what kind of time period? \u00a0Is this 400% per day? \u00a0400% per year? 400% per person? \u00a0Writers, if you\u2019re going to be vague, be less specific. \u00a0Continue\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cOutnumbered and overwhelmed, law enforcement implements a new strategy: \u00a0every police officer is partnered with an advanced, combat-model android.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to point out that if the folks proofing the exposition cards knew how to work with commas, my hopes would be higher. \u00a0Thankfully, I won\u2019t be reading the show. \u00a0Regardless, there\u2019s your premise. \u00a0Upwards and onwards, boys.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Cut to a POV shot of a grenade launcher doing what it does best \u2014 launching a grenade. \u00a0Officer John Kennex (Urban) is with a group of police officers in a run-down warehouse area (natch) where bad dudes are in a firefight with the police dudes. \u00a0One thug gets shot, and Kennex notices a large barcode-looking tattoo on the back of his head. \u00a0It makes him think.<\/p>\n

Right away, we get a sense of the series. \u00a0Kennex has an argument with one of the police androids, who seems to be very Sheldon Cooperesque in his assessments of their current situation. \u00a0Kennex finds one of his human colleagues has been shot, and after arguing with another android about the statistics of his partner\u2019s chances of survival, he tries to get the wounded cop out himself. \u00a0As he does, he gets shot in the leg. \u00a0Dazed, wounded, and helpless, he sees one of the bad dudes toss a grenade in his direction. \u00a0Kennex tries to get away, but it explodes.<\/p>\n

In the next scene, Kennex is plugged into a machine designed to help him remember the events that put him there. \u00a0By this time, he has come out of a coma that he had been in for 17 months, and he\u2019s trying to get himself to remember the events that put him in the coma in the first place. \u00a0After the treatment, his nose is bleeding.<\/p>\n

The future is sleek, no doubt. \u00a0And John\u2019s about to get back on the horse. \u00a0It\u2019s probably a very tall, very shiny horse. \u00a0Shiny like his new prosthetic leg.<\/p>\n

Ooohhh, I get it. \u00a0Almost human.<\/p>\n

From the get-go, this show boasts its sleek, technology-heavy premise, but still can\u2019t get the androids to walk smoothly. \u00a0And one of the characters actually uses the phrase, \u201cWe\u2019re rounding up the usual suspects.\u201d \u00a0Okay, a little hokey, but I\u2019m willing to give this a full shot. \u00a0Who knows, it might hit a nerve.
\n\"\"<\/a>After giving this show a chance to go through its paces, I can forgive some sloppy writing. \u00a0Sure, it\u2019s not going to be the next great groundbreaking series, but it will be entertaining. \u00a0I think Fox usually does a great job of putting together series that grip people\u2019s curiosity \u2014\u00a0The X Files, Fringe, 24,\u00a0<\/em>and the like. \u00a0This one will turn the heads of people who want to see a technologically advanced picture of our future, as opposed to the bleak landscapes of\u00a0The Walking Dead<\/em> and\u00a0Revolution<\/em>. \u00a0And while it may not be the sharpest product on the screen, the pilot episode sets up a decent premise for the series.<\/p>\n

There are other flaws, though. \u00a0The geek audience probably would have been better served by taking the events of the pilot and expanding it into a 2-hour premiere. \u00a0This would have given them a chance to dive further into Kennex\u2019s psychology, the development of the nearly-scrapped DRN model of androids (whom Michael Ealy plays with great ability), or perhaps Kennex\u2019s relationship with the rest of the cops in his precinct. \u00a0You know, all the things that story buffs love, but seemed to have barely been touched on in this episode. \u00a0Either way, there should be ample time to explore the further themes of whether machines can have a soul, if the writers and producers are so inclined.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s not the greatest show to hit the airwaves,\u00a0Almost Human <\/em>is worth a look to anyone that\u2019s looking for an escapist action cop show that looks bright, shiny, and more advanced than those other future-tense shows. \u00a0I\u2019ll be watching more.<\/p>\n

Almost Human<\/em> airs in its regular slot on Fox Mondays at 8pm\/7pm Central.<\/p>\n

Zach W. Lorton<\/a>\u00a0is a media producer and professional DJ\/MC by trade, and a comedian, actor, and musician by default. \u00a0His debut music project is set to begin recording in 2014, and will likely take the world by storm, possibly in the form of a Sharknado.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From Geek Goes Rogue TV Editor Zach W. Lorton, as told to by the electronic-sprinkled alternative music coming from his Spotify stream\u2026 When I first saw the trailer for the new Fox action\/drama\/comedy\u2026 SHOW\u2026\u00a0Almost Human, I was immediately intrigued. \u00a0My first thought was, \u201cLooks like\u00a0RoboCop meets\u00a0Alien Nation.\u201d \u00a0Still, the premise may not be the most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1636,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nGGR Reviews Almost Human - "Pilot"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From Geek Goes Rogue TV Editor Zach W. Lorton, as told to by the electronic-sprinkled alternative music coming from his Spotify stream... 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