Don't trust reviews from people that didn't finish the show. If you're debating on whether to watch the show or not, give it a chance! What do you have to lose? There's a lot of violence and you have to suspend your disbelief but if you can do that it's a lot of fun. This is the most important part of the review so you don't have to read on unless you're interested.
This show really keeps you on your toes. There are a lot of flipped expectations. Some are very on the nose but were still shocking. For me at least, it was a very fun and wild ride, so much so I watched the whole thing in one sitting. It's not exactly a character driven show. I mean, I like the characters and some are super interesting but the mysteries and motivations in the show are what's really intriguing and I'm genuinely interested in knowing what happens next. It all feels much bigger than the characters and I like that aspect of it. Just like in life where there's shadowy uncontrollable people and plots that run our society. We don't get to choose what happens on an individual basis, we're just along for the ride.
I work in film and television and I think many viewers have become hypercritical and hardened. We're so used to getting high quality entertainment on streaming sites now, people expect every show to be a masterpiece. This is not a perfect show but it might not get a chance to get better if people that watched less than 2 episodes keep bombing it. Helpful criticism is good but saying stuff like it's not as good as the original or it's too violent isn't helpful. This show is not the original, it's something else and even though it's a ripoff they're trying to do something different with it. Also yes, it does have a lot of violence but so do many other shows people like, The Boys and Game of Thrones. That's right, I'm talking to you AMY. I agree that the violence is gratuitous and definitely uncomfortable but it does serve a purpose, it's not completely meaningless.
DECAF SPOILERS: The eye thing is to show you the true nature of the show. It's dark and gritty and shocking. It tells the viewer the show you are watching isn't actually what you thought you were watching. When Jessica shoots that unexpected character it was confusing and made me question my attachment to Jessica and that's BRILLIANT. The character that died was what the audience thought the main character for the show should be like. Smart, compassionate, beautiful, the ideal leader and they destroy that. Jessica is very hardened and has to have a large character arc to become likable. Also I really love the villain in this show. All the other violence and death is to show you the lengths the villain will go to to serve his purpose. It's also confusing because he claims to value life but his treatment of people as being easily disposable constantly refutes this. He may not be super well portrayed by Cusack but his persona and motivations are so interesting. The scariest type of villain is one you realize makes a lot of sense. This is a very underrated aspect of the show. Also the story has you constantly questioning the truth and I really like that.
It's understandable if you genuinely don't like the show but so much hard work and time goes into making entertainment like this. People that love their jobs and work really hard. Sorry, it's just kind of sad for me to see people tear it apart so easily. No one profits from 2 sentence 1 star reviews. There are so many amazing shows that got cancelled before their time and we, the viewers, are the ones missing out because of this. Please watch it for yourself and make up your own mind about the show. It really would be a shame if it doesn't get a season 2.
If you want to know about the British vs the US version keep reading. I watched the original right after I watched this one and thought it was also very good. This is just an opinion, but I liked the pacing of the American version more. This does not make or break a show but the set dressing and costume design also felt right for the story they were trying to tell. The shots, colors, and compositions feel more ambitious in the American version but the soundtrack for the original fits very well with the story. Some story beats are the same but the characters, general plot, and other important details are very different. The American version is certainly more extravagant but I think it's part of the charm. Another underrated aspect is the comic art. It was gorgeous in the American version. I could see why people would be interested in the symbolism and collection of the comic. The writing in the British version was very smart and the American version less so but it has the potential to get better. The character Jessica Hyde is generally more likable in the British version but I think it's okay to not have a likable main character. She's learning to be likable and will be I think, if she's allowed to continue her character arc. Arby in the American version is my favorite character. He has a great arc and I love his soft voice and childlike nature. It was quite chilling but ultimately appealing. Personally, I like the American version more but I'm not going to say the British version wasn't good. I like the british office and the us office but they're like oil and water. It's the same with this show. Take it all with a grain of salt these are just opinions and if I sound like a fanboy, it's because I am, just like the fanboys of the original. What I don't understand is people feeling the need to tear down something that they barely watched for not being like the show it's based on. It is a different show. The original premiered in 2013, it'd be very difficult for them to create another season. They are trying to go in a different direction and that doesn't automatically make it unwatchable. It'll be a shame if it doesn't get picked up for another season. I think people will have missed out, just like with Dirk Gently and Man Seeking Woman.
This show really keeps you on your toes. There are a lot of flipped expectations. Some are very on the nose but were still shocking. For me at least, it was a very fun and wild ride, so much so I watched the whole thing in one sitting. It's not exactly a character driven show. I mean, I like the characters and some are super interesting but the mysteries and motivations in the show are what's really intriguing and I'm genuinely interested in knowing what happens next. It all feels much bigger than the characters and I like that aspect of it. Just like in life where there's shadowy uncontrollable people and plots that run our society. We don't get to choose what happens on an individual basis, we're just along for the ride.
I work in film and television and I think many viewers have become hypercritical and hardened. We're so used to getting high quality entertainment on streaming sites now, people expect every show to be a masterpiece. This is not a perfect show but it might not get a chance to get better if people that watched less than 2 episodes keep bombing it. Helpful criticism is good but saying stuff like it's not as good as the original or it's too violent isn't helpful. This show is not the original, it's something else and even though it's a ripoff they're trying to do something different with it. Also yes, it does have a lot of violence but so do many other shows people like, The Boys and Game of Thrones. That's right, I'm talking to you AMY. I agree that the violence is gratuitous and definitely uncomfortable but it does serve a purpose, it's not completely meaningless.
DECAF SPOILERS: The eye thing is to show you the true nature of the show. It's dark and gritty and shocking. It tells the viewer the show you are watching isn't actually what you thought you were watching. When Jessica shoots that unexpected character it was confusing and made me question my attachment to Jessica and that's BRILLIANT. The character that died was what the audience thought the main character for the show should be like. Smart, compassionate, beautiful, the ideal leader and they destroy that. Jessica is very hardened and has to have a large character arc to become likable. Also I really love the villain in this show. All the other violence and death is to show you the lengths the villain will go to to serve his purpose. It's also confusing because he claims to value life but his treatment of people as being easily disposable constantly refutes this. He may not be super well portrayed by Cusack but his persona and motivations are so interesting. The scariest type of villain is one you realize makes a lot of sense. This is a very underrated aspect of the show. Also the story has you constantly questioning the truth and I really like that.
It's understandable if you genuinely don't like the show but so much hard work and time goes into making entertainment like this. People that love their jobs and work really hard. Sorry, it's just kind of sad for me to see people tear it apart so easily. No one profits from 2 sentence 1 star reviews. There are so many amazing shows that got cancelled before their time and we, the viewers, are the ones missing out because of this. Please watch it for yourself and make up your own mind about the show. It really would be a shame if it doesn't get a season 2.
If you want to know about the British vs the US version keep reading. I watched the original right after I watched this one and thought it was also very good. This is just an opinion, but I liked the pacing of the American version more. This does not make or break a show but the set dressing and costume design also felt right for the story they were trying to tell. The shots, colors, and compositions feel more ambitious in the American version but the soundtrack for the original fits very well with the story. Some story beats are the same but the characters, general plot, and other important details are very different. The American version is certainly more extravagant but I think it's part of the charm. Another underrated aspect is the comic art. It was gorgeous in the American version. I could see why people would be interested in the symbolism and collection of the comic. The writing in the British version was very smart and the American version less so but it has the potential to get better. The character Jessica Hyde is generally more likable in the British version but I think it's okay to not have a likable main character. She's learning to be likable and will be I think, if she's allowed to continue her character arc. Arby in the American version is my favorite character. He has a great arc and I love his soft voice and childlike nature. It was quite chilling but ultimately appealing. Personally, I like the American version more but I'm not going to say the British version wasn't good. I like the british office and the us office but they're like oil and water. It's the same with this show. Take it all with a grain of salt these are just opinions and if I sound like a fanboy, it's because I am, just like the fanboys of the original. What I don't understand is people feeling the need to tear down something that they barely watched for not being like the show it's based on. It is a different show. The original premiered in 2013, it'd be very difficult for them to create another season. They are trying to go in a different direction and that doesn't automatically make it unwatchable. It'll be a shame if it doesn't get picked up for another season. I think people will have missed out, just like with Dirk Gently and Man Seeking Woman.