Four episodes in, I feel like I have seen enough for some reasonably informed first impressions.
There is the criticism that the whodunnit at the center of the story is dull and in typical Netflix session stretched over a way too long period without sufficient movement. This point is absolutely fair as the very existence of our protagonist Takeshi is contingent upon this murder. If that bothers you, I can see why.
I still think that there is a great show underneath. First of all, let me say that the world looks gorgeous. You can see the money dripping out of every shot. Especially if you have a good HDR setup. Then you have strong characters with interesting developments, even if they happen mostly individually in the first half of the season. But most importantly, you have some of the strongest sci-fi world building that I've seen. This future feels lived in and well explored. The question of how a society evolves when death for all intents and purposes is a a solved problem is fascinating and Altered Carbon approaches it in a very thoughtful way. You get philosophical takes, explore the economical and societal consequences it carries and even the religious angles. This is the reason I keep watching.
Review by Pascal HartigBlockedParent2018-02-04T22:50:30Z
Four episodes in, I feel like I have seen enough for some reasonably informed first impressions.
There is the criticism that the whodunnit at the center of the story is dull and in typical Netflix session stretched over a way too long period without sufficient movement. This point is absolutely fair as the very existence of our protagonist Takeshi is contingent upon this murder. If that bothers you, I can see why.
I still think that there is a great show underneath. First of all, let me say that the world looks gorgeous. You can see the money dripping out of every shot. Especially if you have a good HDR setup. Then you have strong characters with interesting developments, even if they happen mostly individually in the first half of the season. But most importantly, you have some of the strongest sci-fi world building that I've seen. This future feels lived in and well explored. The question of how a society evolves when death for all intents and purposes is a a solved problem is fascinating and Altered Carbon approaches it in a very thoughtful way. You get philosophical takes, explore the economical and societal consequences it carries and even the religious angles. This is the reason I keep watching.