tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post3938704725160263551..comments2024-03-28T17:08:01.559-04:00Comments on Doux Reviews: Extant: Re-Entry (Pilot)Billie Douxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-42299972084210596112014-09-18T08:09:02.570-04:002014-09-18T08:09:02.570-04:00Note from later: In case you're thinking you m...Note from later: In case you're thinking you might try <i>Extant</i> at some point, let me add this postscript. I got bored halfway through the season and just stopped watching. After reading <a href="http://tvline.com/2014/09/17/extant-series-finale-recap-ethan-dies/" rel="nofollow">this recap of <i>Extant</i>'s final episode at TV Line</a>, I'm glad I stopped when I did. Please note that the link itself is spoilery.Billie Douxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-83938441754207025092014-09-05T08:30:30.081-04:002014-09-05T08:30:30.081-04:00I just now finally watched the pilot and then head...I just now finally watched the pilot and then headed right over to Doux Reviews. Great review, Billie, and I'm sad there's not more :(<br /><br />TRULY enjoyed your comment and thoughts, Paul Kelly. Maybe you'd like to step up to the reviews for Extant? ;)<br /><br />DebDebG.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15535778897976326759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-3274924301571290942014-07-14T20:48:10.435-04:002014-07-14T20:48:10.435-04:00@Kayne: This is not the Real Humans (Akta Mannisko...@Kayne: This is not the Real Humans (Akta Manniskor) adaptation, which I believe is still in the works.<br /><br />I'm currently watching Akta Manniskor, which has become one of my favourite SF series ever. It's just superlative. So I wasn't sure there was any point in watching another show about replica humans given that Akta Manniskor does that so well, but I gave Extant a go anyway. I actually really enjoyed it. Like you say, Billie, I feel I've seen much of it elsewhere, but it's definitely engaging enough to keep me watching. Gavriellenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-14054316855905894182014-07-14T19:26:28.836-04:002014-07-14T19:26:28.836-04:00Is this the US version of the swedish "Real H...Is this the US version of the swedish "Real Humans" show? Or something else?Kaynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-9324991445830807902014-07-14T19:15:08.639-04:002014-07-14T19:15:08.639-04:00I suppose the other issue is, will the human exper...<i>I suppose the other issue is, will the human experience truly make the humanics 'human'? Should this even be a goal?</i><br /><br />Excellent question, Paul. When John was talking about how robots can provide companionship and connection, I was really confused: is that their purpose? Can't we just keep using other humans for that reason? Are the robots meant to be humans with gears instead of organs? If so, why? Or are they supposed to provide caregiver and other low-wage job care to humans? In that case, treating a robot like a human then saying, "Hey, congrats! Now be a slave!" seems like an excellent recipe for a robot uprising. <br /><br />Billie, I'm really glad you encouraged me to check this show out. It's very interesting. <br /><br />Fun Fact: Yasumoto is played by Dogen from the sixth season of <i>Lost</i>. Josie Kafkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17892717530356699008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-47118843048578133202014-07-13T14:14:45.403-04:002014-07-13T14:14:45.403-04:00They seem to be trying to escape the traps of the ...They seem to be trying to escape the traps of the "Demon Baby" plot by introducing a creepy child *before* the actual baby is born. It may work!Paulo Brabohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01201187183106200537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-56032881082445865272014-07-12T13:12:43.514-04:002014-07-12T13:12:43.514-04:00I liked this. It was, as you say, rather derivativ...I liked this. It was, as you say, rather derivative -- at times it felt like a mishmash of half a dozen different sci-fi films -- but if it does something original with those ideas, I think I'll probably stick around.<br /><br />I do like the idea of them bringing up humanics the same way they bring up regular children. The question of what to do if they run amok was a valid one, but in the context of giving them a human upbringing, then what about the potential of humans running amok? It's unthinkable that we'd kill children just because they start acting out, so why implement a kill switch for humanics? Do the humanics have no rights simply because they're created things? It seems as if Yasumoto Corp are already trying to assume the god mantle. <br /><br />I suppose the other issue is, will the human experience truly make the humanics 'human'? Should this even be a goal? Although John has fashioned his creation in human form, shouldn't they be allowed to become their own thing? Do they have superior strength? At the moment, Molly's assessment of Ethan seems valid – he looks and acts like a human – but is that because he has a 'soul' or because he's a simulacrum of humanity. Molly has already noticed changes in Ethan, changes that John perhaps can't see because they've been gradual. Just because Ethan started off 'human' doesn't mean he'll evolve in the same way a regular human would. <br /><br />The dead bird/ice cream business was freaky, but regular kids do that, too. Of course, some of them grow up into fucked-up adults like Dexter. Should Dexter have been put down when he started to go wrong? If the show deals with these sorts of questions on a regular basis, I think I'm going to like it. <br /><br />The other thing that drew my attention is the show being called Extant -- usually meaning something old which still exists. Do we know what that's a reference to? Is it a reference to extant beings? Is Ethan simply the product of complex algorithms and machinery, or is his 'soul' coming from another source... perhaps the same source animating the show's returning dead characters?Paul Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02927027468227544676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-16285383338040800542014-07-12T12:56:05.392-04:002014-07-12T12:56:05.392-04:00I was underwhelmed. While I thought the acting an...I was underwhelmed. While I thought the acting and the production were first rate, the story didn't grab me as much as I thought it would.<br /><br />I'll wait to see how you like it going forward before I commit to more.ChrisBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10843864158239536750noreply@blogger.com