No one else has mentioned it so maybe a generational thing but it was the first thing I thought of. VR.5 was way ahead of it's time and was slow to pick up the pace, but this is a thinking persons program, no shoot outs, no car chases, it is supposed to make you think, and as a person who is more than a little leery of technology, this is right in my wheel house
75 Reviews
very promising opening for a new SCI-FI concept
spasticfreakshow31 May 2018
Shockingly good casting on the lead, Shahi, who demonstrates a versatility here that one couldn't have imagined from her time on PoI. The sci-fi choose-your-own-virtual-reality theme is inriguing and the visuals are stunning. There are some unlikable characters, a few predictable plot points, and I already fear an episodic save of the week feel (which I hope the producers/writers can overcome), but I want to see more of other people's dream worlds! Is there drama to this? Sure. But it's incorrectly categorized, though I've tried to add sci-fi to the genre on IMDB. Leaving the main genre out of this show's IMDB page and marketing is an absurd tactical error. Marketing hacks must have gotten stuck in their own reveries, and phoned this in, bc there should be a lot more hype online for this premise and pilot.
Interesting!
annamariaangeli3 June 2018
I loved the Pilot episode and the theme, I enjoy my world but there are many including myself that does wish they could go back and be with loved ones and get some closure or change things. I've read the other reviews and respect their opinions, mine are I will be watching, only sorry Jim Caviezel wan't involved.
Engaging - think about the possibilities
jim-man31 May 2018
What if we could go back and correct our mistakes? What if we could prolong our happiness forever, or re-visit whenever we needed a boost?
Like Westworld, this show is about fantasy. To create a fantasy around ourselves, and the pitfalls inherent.
Sarah Shahi plays a role very different from the assassin in Person Of Interest. Does well in the first episode.
The narrative is slick, the CGI is convincing and the storyline requires empathy.
The only negative is the quick and easy way that the problem was resolved in Episode One.
That said, the show has promise, and I do hope that it will remain interesting.
Like Westworld, this show is about fantasy. To create a fantasy around ourselves, and the pitfalls inherent.
Sarah Shahi plays a role very different from the assassin in Person Of Interest. Does well in the first episode.
The narrative is slick, the CGI is convincing and the storyline requires empathy.
The only negative is the quick and easy way that the problem was resolved in Episode One.
That said, the show has promise, and I do hope that it will remain interesting.
Can't mix Sci-Fi and melodrama - by definition
Zen-2-Zen3 September 2018
I know that Spielberg signed his name under this and I can't hold it against him, who's going to produce Sci-Fi if he won't? But when he signs his name he also needs to exercise some actual creative control, slap that stupid guy and send him back to do a rewrite instead of being an absentee landlord. He made the same mistake with that nonsense show in which dinos "liked to eat nickel" by a "great mind" of that Braga creature.
Sci-Fi is a genre of ideas, genre for smart people. Melodrama is genre for stupid people to wipe their tears on stupid "oh so emmo" concoctions. They don't live in the same universe and if you mix that you lose all audience. Melodrama lovers can't understand even a single word of Sci-Fi and Sci-Fi lovers puke when they see sappy "designs". Every character has a "sad backstory" which stinks on PVC and formaldehyde beyond endurance and destroys what could have been a decent average show.
In this show every episode is a steaming pile of sap concoctions. What was supposed to be the Sci-Fi "part" was spent in 16 min of the 1st episode, 8 of the 2nd, 4 of the 3rd 2 of the 4th, 1 of the 5th. Then it flatlined but didn't awake as The OA :-)))
Seriously, if he wants to do something really good he needs to stand behind a show like "The OA". I'm sure Brit Marling wouldn't have refused extra budget :-) and a better distribution channel and he'd have something he'd be proud to show around instead of having to hide his name (literally in this case).
The sole bright spot of this show is Sarah Shahi. She's in that class that can make a wooden pole look alive at the other side of the frame but she can't revive brainded scripts - even gods have their limits :-))
So, Steve, be nice, next time, give Brit this budget and you can ask Sarah to join her latter :-) At least she'll get to practice some good non-verbal acting and to learn text that is worth something.
Sci-Fi is a genre of ideas, genre for smart people. Melodrama is genre for stupid people to wipe their tears on stupid "oh so emmo" concoctions. They don't live in the same universe and if you mix that you lose all audience. Melodrama lovers can't understand even a single word of Sci-Fi and Sci-Fi lovers puke when they see sappy "designs". Every character has a "sad backstory" which stinks on PVC and formaldehyde beyond endurance and destroys what could have been a decent average show.
In this show every episode is a steaming pile of sap concoctions. What was supposed to be the Sci-Fi "part" was spent in 16 min of the 1st episode, 8 of the 2nd, 4 of the 3rd 2 of the 4th, 1 of the 5th. Then it flatlined but didn't awake as The OA :-)))
Seriously, if he wants to do something really good he needs to stand behind a show like "The OA". I'm sure Brit Marling wouldn't have refused extra budget :-) and a better distribution channel and he'd have something he'd be proud to show around instead of having to hide his name (literally in this case).
The sole bright spot of this show is Sarah Shahi. She's in that class that can make a wooden pole look alive at the other side of the frame but she can't revive brainded scripts - even gods have their limits :-))
So, Steve, be nice, next time, give Brit this budget and you can ask Sarah to join her latter :-) At least she'll get to practice some good non-verbal acting and to learn text that is worth something.
A good show in need of some polishing to become a great series
rmullen-3473314 July 2018
First....it's a great plot and concept, whether it's based upon 'The Cell' or not and it's clearly well cast, specifically utilizing a very under-rated actress Sarah Shahi.
I'm a sci-fi geek to begin with and find myself struggling to watch most series and movies of that genre because of poorly conceived plots and assemblence of poorly casted actors/actresses out of their elements. Yet this one has all the special effects, characters/personalities that mesh, believable and well-conceived story-lines, etc....and comes close to really pulling off a great series.
I think NBC has a winner here and look forward to this show developing and growing into the potential it has....it'll be interesting to see how they can keep the underlining concern and issues of the main character, who has some deeply set issues of her own to deal with outside of her admirable instinct to preserve the lives of others first.
I'm a sci-fi geek to begin with and find myself struggling to watch most series and movies of that genre because of poorly conceived plots and assemblence of poorly casted actors/actresses out of their elements. Yet this one has all the special effects, characters/personalities that mesh, believable and well-conceived story-lines, etc....and comes close to really pulling off a great series.
I think NBC has a winner here and look forward to this show developing and growing into the potential it has....it'll be interesting to see how they can keep the underlining concern and issues of the main character, who has some deeply set issues of her own to deal with outside of her admirable instinct to preserve the lives of others first.
Wonderful new show
celestekent12 July 2018
The main character Mara, a former hostage negotiator, takes people out of the dream like settings of their computer simulations they get trapped in. This is a densely psychological thriller, with surprising implications. While there is little physical action, the psychological and mental anguish is compelling. There usually is a motivation in the real world that pushes what action there is.
Warning: there is a hook, still undiscovered, something in Mara's background which will eventually lead to her own personal issues coming out. So far only hints of it and probably related to her history in police work.
This could turn into some rather mushy gooey mess if it wasn't being rooted in proper and carefully constructed mental imagery. This is a gem of a show and I hope it lasts a long time.
Warning: there is a hook, still undiscovered, something in Mara's background which will eventually lead to her own personal issues coming out. So far only hints of it and probably related to her history in police work.
This could turn into some rather mushy gooey mess if it wasn't being rooted in proper and carefully constructed mental imagery. This is a gem of a show and I hope it lasts a long time.
Boring and repetitive
summerkmoore22 August 2018
It is a great concept, but poorly executed. I feel disappointed. I was expecting better. It feels too repetitive, not really building on the story. I'm was just bored by the 3rd episode. I realized my eyes had glazed over, and I had lost interest before the first commercial of the 3rd episode! Hoping it gets better, not yet giving up on it.
MY FAVORITE NEW SHOW!!!!
nipper-3742615 August 2018
So... I binged watch this show over the weekend. After the first episode I could not get enough. Thank you for such a creative, suspenseful, imaginative series. I pray there will be a Season 2. Already have 2 other friends sucked in too.
Ripe for development
skc195728 June 2018
Weak
pietclausen14 June 2018
Having now seen 3 episodes the only conclusion one can draw is that this series is nothing but a filler without development to make it interesting. It's just a show within a show, where the negotiator has only one task: to convince the participant in Reverie to get out as he is wanted back at home in the real world.
The production is good but the stories are not worth watching. I am exiting from Reverie too . . .
The production is good but the stories are not worth watching. I am exiting from Reverie too . . .
Addictive
sammedginton19 February 2019
Modern day Fantasy Island
jennwaldvogel7 June 2018
Dreadfully unimaginative
zomboide7 June 2018
Ok, I resisted just two (whole!) episodes, so it's fair to take my review with a grain of salt.
This show has many problems, from the formulaic structure, to the very generic setting, to the not that good performances of the actors, but the worst part, for me, is that for a show that explore virtual reality is just too bland.
It's like it was made by someone who heard of this virtual reality thing the day before yesterday, and is yet to figure out that the possibilities are indeed infinite. There's no imaginations, no creativity, nor sign of something truly particular or eccentric, everything is so "already seen a thousand times" that ultimately the virtual reality aspect seems useless.
I understand that TV budget has its limit, but I also know that a pinch of inspiration can take you miles away, and that's exactly what seems to be missing here.
The story is ok, not the worst but not that good either.
Wanted to like this show.
ZigZagHelios3 August 2018
I really like sarah for her energy even though she isn't the best actor. I really wanted to like this show because the concept is kinda cool although not new. The problem here is it's just kinda boring and i assume its because the overall idea is hard to put into the reality of tv. I also don't see this show lasting due to not being sustainable long term.
Part sci-fi, part melodrama. Worth a watch.
davek2831 March 2019
I initially watched the first two episodes and gave it 5 out of 10 - not intending to watch any more. Then one day I felt in the mood to watch the third episode and ended up binge-watching the rest of the season in one go!
I have to say that there's a lot of crying involved. Top marks to both male and female actors for being able to cry on camera, but I did feel sorry for them having to go through the mill of emotions in order to serve the melodramatic aspects of the series.
There's a Rescue of the Day in all episodes prior to the last two. These rescues tend to be very introspective and emotional. Reverie should really be shown on Really rather than SyFy in the UK. But I remained intrigued by the psychological and science fiction aspects, which turned it into more of a thriller towards the end.
I've always been a big fan of Sarah Shahi, and she puts in a great performance in this series. The supporting cast is also pretty good, including some convincing per-episode guest casts.
Overall, I enjoyed it and was kept pretty close to the edge of my seat throughout. I'm still worrying about that final, unsettling, scene. It tends more towards therapy than science, but managed to tread a tightrope between the two quite successfully.
I'd love to see a second season but, sadly, I believe it's been cancelled.
I have to say that there's a lot of crying involved. Top marks to both male and female actors for being able to cry on camera, but I did feel sorry for them having to go through the mill of emotions in order to serve the melodramatic aspects of the series.
There's a Rescue of the Day in all episodes prior to the last two. These rescues tend to be very introspective and emotional. Reverie should really be shown on Really rather than SyFy in the UK. But I remained intrigued by the psychological and science fiction aspects, which turned it into more of a thriller towards the end.
I've always been a big fan of Sarah Shahi, and she puts in a great performance in this series. The supporting cast is also pretty good, including some convincing per-episode guest casts.
Overall, I enjoyed it and was kept pretty close to the edge of my seat throughout. I'm still worrying about that final, unsettling, scene. It tends more towards therapy than science, but managed to tread a tightrope between the two quite successfully.
I'd love to see a second season but, sadly, I believe it's been cancelled.
Dreamscape
Ridgeback0815 June 2018
This pilot episode takes me back to the movie "Dreamscape" which depicts a near future (1980s era) where psychic individuals from a government funded agency can enter people's dreams. While visiting people's dreams and changing their outcomes (to help their waking lives) they discover a conspiracy. Some other agency is also entering people's dreams.
it gets better
SnoopyStyle7 November 2018
Alexis Barrett (Jessica Lu) is testing her new virtual reality computer program Reverie but a few users have started falling into comas. Former police chief Charlie Ventana (Dennis Haysbert) hires his former hostage negotiator Mara Kint (Sarah Shahi) to retrieve these users lost in their own minds. She is still struggling with a personal lost. Paul Hammond (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is the program designer. Monica Shaw (Kathryn Morris) is the greedy suit who pushes for more nefarious uses.
The pilot makes this seems like a limited sci-fi procedural. Its limitations make it dull. The virtual reality world strains to be imaginative when it can't be more than a TV projection. The weak pilot basically sinks the show before it has a chance. It does get better with some espionage intrigue and a darker conspiratorial villainy. That stuff needs to be pushed earlier into the pilot or at the latest, the second episode. It needs the dark antagonist to give the show the narrative propulsion. It's missing that drive in the first few episodes. The characters are fine and the actors are solid. It just needed to start with a bang rather than a fizzle.
The pilot makes this seems like a limited sci-fi procedural. Its limitations make it dull. The virtual reality world strains to be imaginative when it can't be more than a TV projection. The weak pilot basically sinks the show before it has a chance. It does get better with some espionage intrigue and a darker conspiratorial villainy. That stuff needs to be pushed earlier into the pilot or at the latest, the second episode. It needs the dark antagonist to give the show the narrative propulsion. It's missing that drive in the first few episodes. The characters are fine and the actors are solid. It just needed to start with a bang rather than a fizzle.
Not based on "The Cell" at all
sanclan5 June 2018
The Cell with Jennifer Lopez was based on a lady kidnapped and kept in a water tight cube/cell with water slowly filling throughout the movie. This is not that, the reviewer that mentioned it must not have gotten past the first 5 minutes in the pilot. One thing similar happened, but was then over.
I thought this was a good pilot and I think it will be a good series. Interesting and refreshing for a summer premiere.
I thought this was a good pilot and I think it will be a good series. Interesting and refreshing for a summer premiere.
Deserves a second season.
timb589 August 2018
So so show until episode 8...then I stopped watching.
anacasaux4 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This is a predictable but somewhat entertaining show. The premise is excellent, the writting mediocre. In spite of everything, we kept watching it with my daughter ... up until episode 8. The ignorance they showed in this episode about chilean culture was unspeakable... do they think that all latin american people look, dress and speak like mexicans??? Why would they write an episode about chilean 1973 coup d'etat without any real reference?! The kids manage to cross the border? Where? USA?! Because they end up all there in the end, right? Don't they know any geography? (It is in southern South America) They spent thousands of dollars making a show but couldn't bother googleing anything about the country? Why even bother to write a show about Chile if you know nothing about it!! I am not even chilean and I felt it was a disgrace.
Just found this hidden gem
didiguire15 August 2018
Has potential (especially after Episode 6, Pas de Deux)
random-user12345612 July 2018
Pros
Cons
Themes: Technology, Psychology, Addiction, Redemption, Ethics
More & more this show reveals itself to be about humanism & how technology may be used to reconnect people back to a sense of purpose in their non-virtual lives. As a result, this series appears to be on the hopeful & optimistic end of the 'spectrum of edginess' that we tend to see on today's screens about tech.
Further, many viewers may feel Reverie lacks a sense of realism or risk - but if there is any truth discussed, it is the way in which the audience, through Mara's (Sarah Shahi) eyes empathizes with incoming patients who are unable to cope with the difficulty in their lives and who turn to technology destructively. This topic parallels concerns that reflect recent issues such as Internet Gaming Disorder and how people tend to turn to virtual to cope. Therefore, Reverie poses questions in a discussion that looks at the next step on how technology may be used to help rather than to forget.
Watch this if you're: Bored & don't want to get too depressed/confused
- new Sci-Fi concept (virtual reality)
- chemistry between characters
- diverse cast
Cons
- writing is a bit stiff & cliche
- science is bad
Themes: Technology, Psychology, Addiction, Redemption, Ethics
More & more this show reveals itself to be about humanism & how technology may be used to reconnect people back to a sense of purpose in their non-virtual lives. As a result, this series appears to be on the hopeful & optimistic end of the 'spectrum of edginess' that we tend to see on today's screens about tech.
Further, many viewers may feel Reverie lacks a sense of realism or risk - but if there is any truth discussed, it is the way in which the audience, through Mara's (Sarah Shahi) eyes empathizes with incoming patients who are unable to cope with the difficulty in their lives and who turn to technology destructively. This topic parallels concerns that reflect recent issues such as Internet Gaming Disorder and how people tend to turn to virtual to cope. Therefore, Reverie poses questions in a discussion that looks at the next step on how technology may be used to help rather than to forget.
Watch this if you're: Bored & don't want to get too depressed/confused
Kind of Boring
AngelsAngel1 June 2018
I don't really have a better headline for my review, this was not a promising pilot episode and that's pretty much most of what I can say for it. Everything was grey, there were tons of tragic backstories for literally every character, which are hard to care about off the bat. It all felt kind of plain, failing to capture my interest in any way except with their special effects, which were amazing, in my opinion, for what appears to be an otherwise lower budget TV show. I found myself wandering through the guide looking for something better to watch.
The plot itself could have been interesting. Entering your dreams through virtual reality? Hell yeah! People getting trapped in there and the main character having to save them? Hell yeah! But the filming, acting, and execution makes it fall flat. What should be a magical, action, sci-fi, whatever, is simply a lame full out boring drama. The characters in their debut are not very interesting, they should come to life right away, but they're just kind of there. The plot is complicated at best, confusing at worst.
Basically, it wasn't what I expected it to be, and it left me disappointed.
Promising Sci-Fi fumble
matthijsalexander30 October 2018
Lovely concept, which could be great. But will be a fumble to most after two episode
Each episode has such a clear structure that one notices the repetitiveness of it.
1) Troubled person in the reverie, stuck 2) lead actress Enters reverie 3) lead actress Exits Reverie 4) lead actress Enters Reverie again 5) Problem Solved due some 'uninteresting exception' 6) Troubled person wakes up 7) Everybody happy
I have just written a spoiler that is technically not a spoiler. Unique being able to do that.
Furthermore, it lacks dept, it's very flat and doesn't seem to have a subliminal message, or a strong character development.
Each episode has such a clear structure that one notices the repetitiveness of it.
1) Troubled person in the reverie, stuck 2) lead actress Enters reverie 3) lead actress Exits Reverie 4) lead actress Enters Reverie again 5) Problem Solved due some 'uninteresting exception' 6) Troubled person wakes up 7) Everybody happy
I have just written a spoiler that is technically not a spoiler. Unique being able to do that.
Furthermore, it lacks dept, it's very flat and doesn't seem to have a subliminal message, or a strong character development.
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