"Away" - Netflix rec
Sep. 11th, 2020 06:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sasha_feather"Away" - Netflix, 10 episodes
It took me a while to get into this show about 5 astronauts on their way to Mars. After the first two episodes, I thought it was pretty slow. But by the third episode I was sold, and by the end, I had chills, and had really fallen in love with the characters.
Hilary Swank plays Commander Emma Green. Her husband (played by Josh Charles) and teenage daughter are going to be left behind in Houston for three years as she leads this expedition to Mars. Five countries are represented: Russia is sending experienced engineer Misha Popov. China is sending chemist Wang Lu. The Indian member of the team is the doctor and second-in-command, Ram Arya. England's team member is an immigrant adoptee, botanist Kwesi Weisberg-Abban.
The writing is character-driven, and spends plenty of time on relationships. At first I was annoyed by this, because it seemed like a lot of the crew members didn't get along. But this is a set-up for a rewarding arc; over their journey, the crew gels into a family. Misha at first seems to be an arrogant jerk, by the end he was emotional and loving, and such a joy to watch. The acting is very good, and there is diverse casting.
The science is sometimes good, sometimes hand-wavy. For example, for the first few episodes, the crews are talking to their families on Earth, directly by cell phone, with no delays. Delays do come into play later in the journey. What is great about this genre is the scientific problem-solving: very smart people working together in an extreme environment, under stress, and being super competent. That is at play in this show along with the relationship drama. For my personal tastes, the teenage daughter and her boyfriend got too much screen time, but your mileage may vary.
I super appreciate science fiction like this, that is not violent, that is thoughtful and emotional, and that believes in people.
Content notes: One of the episodes (#4 I think) is about a virus. Death, grief, and the prospect of death, are themes of the show.
It took me a while to get into this show about 5 astronauts on their way to Mars. After the first two episodes, I thought it was pretty slow. But by the third episode I was sold, and by the end, I had chills, and had really fallen in love with the characters.
Hilary Swank plays Commander Emma Green. Her husband (played by Josh Charles) and teenage daughter are going to be left behind in Houston for three years as she leads this expedition to Mars. Five countries are represented: Russia is sending experienced engineer Misha Popov. China is sending chemist Wang Lu. The Indian member of the team is the doctor and second-in-command, Ram Arya. England's team member is an immigrant adoptee, botanist Kwesi Weisberg-Abban.
The writing is character-driven, and spends plenty of time on relationships. At first I was annoyed by this, because it seemed like a lot of the crew members didn't get along. But this is a set-up for a rewarding arc; over their journey, the crew gels into a family. Misha at first seems to be an arrogant jerk, by the end he was emotional and loving, and such a joy to watch. The acting is very good, and there is diverse casting.
The science is sometimes good, sometimes hand-wavy. For example, for the first few episodes, the crews are talking to their families on Earth, directly by cell phone, with no delays. Delays do come into play later in the journey. What is great about this genre is the scientific problem-solving: very smart people working together in an extreme environment, under stress, and being super competent. That is at play in this show along with the relationship drama. For my personal tastes, the teenage daughter and her boyfriend got too much screen time, but your mileage may vary.
I super appreciate science fiction like this, that is not violent, that is thoughtful and emotional, and that believes in people.
Content notes: One of the episodes (#4 I think) is about a virus. Death, grief, and the prospect of death, are themes of the show.
no subject
Date: 2020-09-12 12:42 am (UTC)I've never heard of this show! Thanks for the heads-up.
no subject
Date: 2020-09-12 03:05 pm (UTC)