What I’m Watching: Almost Human (Season Finale)

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 13 “Straw Man” (C+)

I didn’t even realize that this episode was the season finale until I went online and saw that it was in fact the show’s thirteenth and final outing this year. Whether the show returns for a second season remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t point to this hour as a strong recommender for its future. This season ender could have featured more about Kennex’s ex-girlfriend Anna or about Syndicate, which seemed to be the main villain for the season at the start of the season. Featuring a serial killer who abducts people and then creates duplicate bodies stuffed with straw to be found by the police might be decent fodder for an ordinary episode, but it’s hardly worthy of being the meat of a season finale. Tying in Kennex’s father and his last case makes it considerably more impactful, but only to a certain degree. There wasn’t much about this storyline that had a lot to do with the future, which is also regrettable given the immense potential of this show. Featuring Dorian’s review was, I suppose, a way to assess the show so far and the relationships its characters have with one another. It may have been overt and a little too focused on the show’s comedic qualities, mainly Rudy babbling about wanting Dorian to raise his children if he had any, but I guess it had its virtues. I wish this show was much more even that it’s been so far, and I also wish that I was more excited about the possibility of a second season. The pilot was strong, but little after that lived up to it.

Season grade: C+
Season MVP: Michael Ealy as Dorian

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 12 “Beholder” (C+)

It’s hard to believe that we’re almost at the end of the season of this almost sure-to-be-cancelled show. I was so happy with how it was going and presenting the future at the start, and now I’ve all but lost hope. This episodes continued to deliver with a fresh idea about how technology plays into the criminal landscape in the future, showcasing a man so obsessed with perfection that he was willing to kill a number of people to steal a flawless feature from each of them. I didn’t find the villain of the hour all that compelling otherwise, and wasn’t too thrilled with the big twist, that the woman he had tried so desperately to be beautiful four was actually blind, meaning that his entire quest was for naught. It is intriguing to see Stahl’s status as a Chrome play into her investigation, and to see her talk her way into a private club for Chromes only. Kennex flirting with her and essentially asking her out at the end of the episode led to better disappointment, as her new Chrome date arrived at just that moment to pick her up. It’s been a long time since I was rooting for Kennex since I think he’s just too grumpy for his own good, and I’d more enjoy seeing him display even an ounce of personality that didn’t involve telling someone else to shut up. Dorian is holding his own well, but the rest of the characters on this show just aren’t quite cutting it.

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 11 “Disrupt” (C+)

After a generally decent episode last week, this one got half of it right and then sort of fizzled out by the end. A Smart House with a self-sufficient security system is an intriguing concept, and the opening with Sam’s cool malfunctioning and the rather bloody deaths of the two inhabitants of the house was definitely chilling. Cyberterrorists are a cool notion, but all they really did was cause a blackout. What it all led to wasn’t terribly compelling either, and soon it was all about the hackers and the fact that, for some reason, Stahl was the first choice to go undercover with Kennex by her side. I hardly think that a popped collar, British accent, and pink hair constitute as proper disguises, and that was backed up by the hacker who responded in the affirmative when they sarcastically responded, “Do we look like cops?” I wasn’t too thrilled to hear Karl Urban’s accent since I remember when Michelle Ryan spent an entire episode of “Bionic Woman” using her real British accent for no reason, and my only real problem is I don’t buy Kennex as having the patience to put on a fake accent. It ended up all just leading to a game of hacker-and-mouse, which didn’t result in anything too exciting. The news that Dorian is being implanted with someone else’s memories is interesting, though whatever Kennex and Rudy think they’re doing by trying to hide it from him is definitely not going to have positive consequences.

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 10 “Perception” (B-)

This was a big improvement over recent episodes, though still not a complete home run. This installment took on a topic that is extremely future-facing yet not entirely removed from our current society. Genetic enhancements and modifications are an intriguing subject, and finding out that Stahl is a Chrome is interesting as well. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make her a compelling character, and this episode didn’t do anything to address her nervous romance with Kennex. He’s having plenty of problems of his own, of course, busy with flashbacks to the woman who betrayed him during the ambush in the pilot episode. The show had forgotten all about her, but clearly she has an important role to play. I’m actually in favor of the Syndicate being featured again because I think it has the most potential out of most of this show’s plotlines. It’s intriguing to see Maldonado meet Kennex at a bar to discuss the issues she’s noticed, in attire not so suited for business. It’s good to have her given a bit of a personality since, like many of the non-robots on this show, she’s rather stiff and unemotive. Kennex letting Dorian drive after he blacked out and crashed the car was fun, and keeping tabs on Kennex’s mental state is making Dorian a bit more serious, since he’s now the one who gets to take the high road since Kennex is not doing a good job of taking care of himself. Now let’s see just who was spying on Kennex and what’s to come as a result.

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 9 “Unbound” (C)

I think the only compliment I can give this show regarding this episode is its casting of Gina Carano. The actress, who appeared in “Fast and Furious 6” this past summer, is the perfect person to play a renegade police bot whose wiring got messed up and who turned out to be a killer soldier instead. It wasn’t her storyline that left all that much to be desired, but rather the way in which all the policework on this show plays out. I also knew that John Larroquette’s Dr. Nigel Vaughn was actually supporting the endeavors of Danica the whole time rather than trying to stop them, and therefore the eleventh hour twist of him disappearing after Kennex’s needle-stabbing didn’t work was far from satisfying. Maldonado’s only function seems to be to complain about how she can’t see anything, and that doesn’t speak too well to the reliability of non-robot technology in this show’s imagined future. Rudy as a character is a huge embarrassment, and the requirement for awkward comic relief from the tech guy was more than fulfilled during his first appearance on the show. When Kennex’s grumpy antics are the least irritating part of the episode, you know something is wrong. Dorian taking issue with the idea that the same person built him and Danica and that he might be subject to the same malfunctions as she had was a slightly redeeming notion, but there’s a self-contained nature to this show that makes its universe seem impossibly small.

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 8 “You Are Here” (C+)

I’ll give this episode a partial markup for at least being future-facing in the development of its plot. A weapon designed to fire and without fail take down a target no matter what might be in its way is an innovative concept, and it’s certainly a dangerous one that would present enormous obstacles to law enforcement and crime prevention. A memory-wiping clinic is also an intriguing technological idea, and prompted the very superb idea of this episode’s would-be victim to go have her memories erased in order to convince those hunting her that she didn’t need to be killed if she couldn’t remember what she wasn’t supposed to know. Those two pieces aside, this episode’s plotting was rather basic and uncreative, which is a shame given that it was a true step up from recent episodes. What I didn’t like, however, was Kennex’s blistering frustration with the MX and his decision first to comically (not in a good way) cover the MX’s mouth and then shoot in it the face because it wouldn’t stop badgering him about how inferior Dorian was. That there are no consequences from Maldonado for something like that is both reprehensible and unbelievable, and detracts from this show’s credibility. It also doesn’t track that the MX would be so argumentative and negative when we’ve only seen them to be purely robotic and logic-oriented previously. I suppose the sexual tension between Kennex and Valerie is helpful to the show’s overall tone, but it seems a bit too drawn out and unrealized as of yet.

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 7 “Simon Says” (C)

I’m becoming increasingly disenchanted with this show. Initially, it was all about using its futuristic landscape to its advantage, and now it’s imploding in a bad way. That a flare would be able to cause such disruption to force certain robotic companions to be able to charge less is miserable, and that said androids would be left to their own devices to decide whether or not they were fully charged is completely ridiculous. Seeing Dorian in a more relaxed mode was decently entertaining, but hardly worth the jokes that came with it. Watching him scale a wall as his charge level was draining each moment only to have him manage to execute a perfectly-calculated electrocution before fully powering off was excessively dramatic, and that was the whole nature of this episode, as the first attempt to save Alessandro Juliani’s banker failed, the flower girl was saved with seconds to spare, and Kennex cut his wires moments before he would have been killed. I’m never a fan of a delusional villain, and this guy seemed to be awfully cunning to be able to set up so many cameras in all directions and then be so dependent on the number of people watching his snuff film to boost his ego. Something like “Darknet,” an online community that looks no different than a chat room from a decade ago, is an example of the kind of plotting that’s not worthy of this series. This show has only six episodes to go, and I’d love to see it shape up during that run.

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 6 “Arrhythmia” (C+)

I’m not feeling confident about this show’s enduring nature, and it’s really a shame considering I was so sure that this would reverse the trend of those sci-fi shows that got strong starts only to reveal that they couldn’t top their first episodes. Dorian finding another version of himself who had been downgraded to a less glamorous position was somewhat interesting, but I think it makes this all too small a world. Kennex is annoyed enough with Dorian as it is, upset at him in this case mostly for guilting him into donating to charity and driving his car remotely, and he doesn’t need a less competent duplicate to antagonize him. The pratfalls that the other Dorian sparked were regrettable, and he’s probably a character better left forgotten, which the episode resolved to do when Dorian reset his memories at the end of the episode. This show is fiercely committed to addressing many modern-day issues through a futuristic scope, but there was something about this heart transplant business that just didn’t enthrall me. The same can be said for the quality of the policework on this show. Having a partnership where one is human and the other is an android is great, and why ruin that by making the minute-by-minute nature of their cop work overly procedural and relatively boring? Maybe a few weeks off for the holidays will be just what this show needs to reboot in a more productive and impressive manner in 2014 with the back half of this season.

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 5 “Blood Brothers” (C+)

I’m saddened to see where this show is headed, but I’m hopeful that it’s just a case of a few less than stellar plotlines and not a greater indication of the show going downhill. The first three episodes were full of cool technology and emphasized the differences and similarities between Kennex and Dorian. Now, there’s too much casual banter about Dorian having to live with all the MXs and unzipping his fly so that Kennex can see his unnecessary “appendage.” I understand that Stahl is attractive, but their flirtation is bordering on extremely childish. I’m much more interested in the idea of how technology plays a role in all of this future-set policework, like the fact that Stahl was located because of her MX and that they can now use holograms to have people appear in court where they won’t have to be put out in the open on their way to testifying. Maldonado using that same trick to fool Avery’s clones into thinking that she was delivering him to them was clever, though it didn’t hold up quite as long as it needed to. Getting a glimpse into Maldonado’s psyche after Avery, who didn’t even know her or anything about her, taunted her was somewhat intriguing, and she’s one of the characters I’d like to see more developed. I think that going forward it would be nice to see the Syndicate featured more and mediums less so, and to get back to the partnership at the core of this show that was barely noted in this episode at all.

What I’m Watching: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 4 “The Bends” (B-)

This was a very disappointing episode, but I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I understand the need to spotlight supporting characters, and while I’m sure that Minka Kelly will have her chance soon enough, it seems too soon to put Mackenzie Crook in the driver’s seat. His character, Rudy, is not meant for stardom, and he works much better as a quirky supporting player. His prominence also means less of Dorian, who continues to be the show’s most magnetic character, and that’s a shame considering we still don’t know him all that well. The prevalence of bots is quite interesting, however, and it’s fun to see Dorian square off against one and use his abilities to take down a far larger opponent. The notion of an extremely dangerous drug in the future makes a lot of sense, though I’m less taken with the concept of a police captain actually being the Bishop. It’s always great to see Benito Martinez if only as a reminder that he was once part of one of the greatest ensembles in TV history on FX’s “The Shield,” where he also played a police captain with considerably more integrity. It’s no surprise that Kennex is a loyal friend, defending the deceased cop and going to great lengths to prove his innocence. Though it’s relegated to jokes about embarrassing him in a bar in this episode, it’s clear that he feels just as close to both Rudy and Dorian, which is sure to put him in harm’s way in the future as he lays it all on the line anytime either of them is in trouble.

Take Three: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 3 “Are You Receiving?” (B+)

I’m continually impressed by what I’m seeing here, and I’m glad to see the premise and concept playing out so well. This episode’s plot could have been found on any cop show, but it’s the futuristic technology that really makes it interesting. This had “Die Hard” written all over it, with thieves pretending to be terrorists so that people wouldn’t realize what they were really up to, but with the advanced capability of projecting someone else’s faces onto theirs to firm up the charade. The casting of Damon Herriman, most recently seen as the completely creepy Jones on “Vegas,” as the ringleader of this particular operation was brilliant, and he played the role perfectly. I like the way that Dorian was incorporated into the situation, receiving all of the calls coming from inside the building and able to answer them as part of his interface. Catching a flesh wound in the head was a definitely low point for him, and I love that Kennex figured out the appropriate improvised fix, which prompted the infinitely corny and memorable argument from Kennex about why Dorian shouldn’t go in alone: “You’ve got bubble gum in your head.” Kennex and Dorian do make a spectacular duo, running headfirst into danger and both demonstrating equally reckless bouts of bravery. The action in this episode didn’t let up, and I think that’s a fantastic sign for the future of the series, especially as the enemies get even fiercer and more threatening than a group of murderous thieves.

Round Two: Almost Human

Almost Human: Season 1, Episode 2 “Skin” (B+)

I’m pleased to see that episode two of this show lived up to the high expectations set by hour one of this show, and I’m confident that this will continue to be a compelling and enthralling show. While there are some parts of Dorian’s makeup that just don’t track for him as a robotic being, it’s made up for by the fact that he and Kennex have such a great chemistry. The fact that Dorian created a dating profile from his new partner is quite amusing, and I like that much of what Dorian does, in contrast to Kennex, is motivated by emotion and the desire to be thoughtful and empathetic. There’s also a marvelous simplicity to Dorian, who asked Kennex how people deal with death and then used the same tactic he suggested when dealing with the deactivation of another android being, one far less sentient and self-aware than he. Kennex and Dorian make a good pair because they both get looked at strangely because of their histories, and they operate differently both together and apart. The concept of face shields for scanning devices is intriguing, and I think that all of this show’s technology is quite impressive thus far. The similarly-patterned abductions and presence of human DNA on the android’s fingerprints were very interesting, and it seems that this show has a good handle on how make its storylines lively and engaging. I’m hooked for the moment, and eager to see more of this show. I’m hopeful that its ratings will remain relatively consistent and that we’ll see it on the air for a while.

Pilot Review: Almost Human

Almost Human (FOX)
Premiered November 17 at 8pm

With the possible exception of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” I was most excited about this new entry for the fall. A late premiere date and then subsequent pushback a few more weeks wasn’t a good sign, but I’m relieved to say that, at least so far, this show has lived up to my expectations. Though by now the second episode has already aired as part of the show’s two-night premiere, I’m choosing to postpone my review of that installment in order to be able to focus solely on the pilot hour. It could have been that this show relied too much on its visual effects or on its futuristic concept and didn’t bother to actually showcase interesting plotlines, as has been the misstep of so many similar shows in recent years, but, fortunately, that’s not the case. There does still exist some slightly wooden dialogue, particularly on the part of the human in our featured duo, Karl Urban’s John Kennex, but it’s just part of his gruff exterior. Kennex is an energetic and strong lead, not one to play the rules or care that he’s breaking them. In contrast, Michael Ealy’s Dorian is a much more sympathetic protagonist who manages to display much more humanity than his more advanced android counterparts while utilizing the same technological abilities and processing his decisions based both on logic and emotion. A much more mature Minka Kelly than the one seen in her previous roles and a similarly stoic Lili Taylor help to create a decent ensemble, along with the very recognizable Mackenzie Crook of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and the British version of “The Office” as the go-to tech expert. It’s just like a show like this to involve the romantic interest of the main character as a sworn enemy of the state, and I think that this show is edgy and gritty enough to sustain its dystopian universe. For now, I’m very excited to see what episode two brings.

How will it work as a series? Kennex and Dorian seem to get along well, and ending the episode with Dorian smiling because Kennex actually extended a surprising degree of kindness to him was telling of an equal commitment to drama as to action. Their enemy is certainly formidable, and the apparent presence of another Synthetic on the other side is definitely appealing.
How long will it last? This isn’t its regular timeslot, and it’s unlikely that all viewers will come back for more, but based on the ratings for the Sunday night debut, this show is looking very good. Though “Terra Nova” and “Alcatraz” fizzled quickly, I think this one is a better investment for FOX, and they’re likely to seize on that success with a renewal soon.

Pilot grade: A-