I try, but without trying, and I cannot find the virtues of this series. There are interesting elements, such as the use of rotoscoping animation technique that reflects that blurred border between reality and fiction, between real performance and animated performance.
But this technical quality is built on an irregular story that, as in other recent series such as "Devs" (Hulu, 2020-), lengthens its plot using the protagonist's confusion. Of the 8 episodes, it takes 5 for the main character to understand his mission, a narrative trap that generates useless episodes.
"Undone" is a politically correct series that it wants to be politically correct, which translates into "non-white" characters, but who basically behave like "white people". This is particularly prominent in Alma, whose intention to modify the past has a certain nihilistic character, an intention that is to change what needs to be changed to suit her supposedly perfect vision of life.
The narrative game that the writers propose is quite crude, with amateur resources (the psychiatric background, the names of the protagonists ...) and with a resolution in the last two chapters that is tricky and inconsistent (the opened ending). But the packaging manages to hide the ineffectiveness of an useless story.
Amazon Prime Originals have been on a tremendous roll lately and this is just the latest exquisite example. Undone is a fantastic Rotoscope show. Ambitious, mysterious, captivating, and extremely well acted all around. I'm eagerly pining for Season 2
I found it difficult to believe that the creators of BoJack Horseman to be capable of making something as majestic, endearing and captivating as that show is, But they have done just that with Undone Mad kudos to everyone involved in getting this in front of my eyeballs
What a smart and wild ride! We follow a woman lost in despair, grieving her father, and unsatisfied with her job and her boyfriend. At the pinnacle of her ennui with life she is presented an existential opportunity to transcend the bounds of space and time - by her father's ghost! Rotoscoping cinematographic technique (ala "Scanner Darkly" and "Waking Life") expertly captures facial micro-expressions, giving this an unnervingly realistic look. Racially diverse cast is a bonus. I hope this gets renewed for Season 2!
When I first watched season 1, I found this story astounding and brilliant, such a creative concept and also a marvellous way to tell it, the animation is really unique and makes the show a true rarity.
The story in S1 is really interesting and ends up on a huge cliff-hanger.
Due to the show being very different from anything else that I have ever seen, I thought there was no way I would see a second season.
I'm glad I've been proven wrong.
So, to my full surprise we got to see more, how's season 2?
I really liked it, granted it is a bit different from the first in the way the story evolves.
We get to go deeper on the real root of the problems that this family had to go through, we learn of a stranded child, and a forgotten memory.
But eventually, even if we get to fix stuff that seemed undefeatable, some problems are unfixable, even with the power to bend time and reality to your will, and we all have to "go back and face ourselves", to bring closure to the pain we are trying to cope with.
When I ended S2E7, I thought "the show just got to a beautiful ending, it's almost too good to be true, what's left to show for another episode?"
Well, the answer was reality. Alma learns that she has to go back, back to the beginning of this season, when she still didn't know if she actually managed to give her father a second chance, back when the world seemed grim and hopeless.
She wanted to stay in the happy ending, where everything is perfect and beautiful and all her problems have never even existed, and yet she understands that she has to go back because life is not a fable and it just doesn't end with "and they all lived happily ever after.
I had the feeling the show would end with a "it was all a dream/fantasy she had while looking at the cave" kind of trope, and that would have greatly undermined the plot in my opinion. This, however, I really appreciate.
I don't know if we will ever see a third season to this, I don't even know if I really hope it does at this point, what is left to show?
Sure they can come up with something and I would be glad to once again delve deep into this wonderful story, but I feel like the story could end here and be completed.
Alma got to a point where she knows there are better alternate versions of her, versions that are more succesfull, versions that have a more cohesive family, versions where she is just happier, but she chose to go back to her reality because it's HER reality, it's her place in all this. I think she is finally ready to "start fresh" and accept herself for what she truly is.
This show gives me hope. If alternate realities exist, there sure is one where I'm better, stronger, smarter, happier. But also ones where I'm worse, weaker, dumber, unfulfilled. We have to learn to embrace our life for what it is, in the good and the bad, and everyday make it closer to our dreams instead of fantasizing on what it could have been. And even if it seems like we are living in the worse of our possible realities, eventually we will find the light that shows us purpose.
Uncanny valley-inducing rotoscope animation aside, the first season was alright. Alma's characterization tends to be a bit too heavy-handed at times, but the dialogues usually work. The show could have gone in dramatically different directions after the end of the first season, but unfortunately, it just went for more generic family melodrama with even looser time travel mechanics. It all boils down to a simplistic feel-good story about accepting that life is not always exciting, and that not all problems can be fixed. But was that really the case? Because despite the sudden turn of events and final statement during the last five minutes, the show had spent most of its time offering simplistic solutions to the most delicate troubles. As if preventing one single event or conversation from happening could fix everything without messing up an entire timeline. Surely there are times when the most trivial things can have a big impact on our lives, but I don’t think that was the point of the show either.
I have to first applaud and praise the amazing work, with the roto-scoping, paintings, and hard work invested into this series by a plethora of people. It truly was mesmerizing to watch from start to finish, and the visual beauty alone could lead me to recommend this show. However, even with the style, there is a substantive element that draws viewers into the mystique of Alma's mind. It involves her reconciling, learning, and accepting her father's fatal accident in a manner that was unconventional, and explicitly suggested to be supernatural. Yet, we get hints about Alma and her father's mental conditions, which help to bring doubt into whether this entire show was just a figment of Alma's mind. It's truly walking a fine line here, and even with the last episode, I am still left unsure about Alma and her experiences up to this point. In the end, I can only say that Alma arrived at an inflection point, in which she finally finds peace with herself and accepts her mental illness diagnosis, or the perceived experiences with her father actually happened. The ending captures this show completely since it's not done, which translates perfectly to "undone." There isn't a conclusive ending, and that's the best ending for this show to ever have.
Beautifully animated with gorgeous backgrounds and great acting all around. This is a show you can't afford to miss. I really loved the ending too. Changed my whole perspective of the show. And at the end all I was wishing for was the show to go on forever. Love it
Amazing show. I'm not a fan of rotoscope animation, but the writing and an amazing main character more than make up for it. Smart, meaningful, funny, poignant... A fantastical portrait of a mind unraveling. Highly recommended.
Holy shitballs.. WOW.. What an Amazing Amazing series. Beautiful Animation, fantastic, diverse and deep characters. Mind blowing story with great pacing. Really glad I thought of watching it. It's a breath of fresh air. :heart:
Masterpiece! We need a second season!
loved it...can't stop from watching it once i started..
Level "Excellent" • 8 :heart: • Recommended.
i loved everything about this drama, the acting, visual, characters and the story. i cant wait for the next season.
This was very good. It was different but logical. Diverse without pandering. I am looking forward to season 2 because its a great storyline so far.
Besides having really gorgeous, mind-bending rotoscoped animation, this show doesn't shy away from some important themes such as mental illness, death, relationship problems and more. It reminds me of "A Scanner Darkly" and "Waking Life" (2001), mostly due to the art style, but they have other similarities as well. You should expect some time travel elements, although they're not as complicated as, say, those in Netflix's "Dark". That might change in the next season though, if we're ever getting one.
I never though season 2 will coming, I only notice season 2 recently. the story continues, the core is about the past, we all have done something stupid, but what's done is done, even we can change it, but any changes will change present us.
If we really can go back to the past and change it, do we still ourself when by to future? The past might hurt us, we should compromise with the past, just let it go, the most important is present, the past is past, it is the reason why we are here, even it's hurt, even if we could change it, but it also make us not ourself.
Because we can't change the past, so what we could do is compromise, and love the present, love the people around you, love present, not hate the past.
Guess what i binged s02 and i'm gonna do it again
bravo
I've just started watching this show and I feel very uncomfortable because of the live-action transition to the animation. The whole painted and animated world is fabulous but when I'm looking at the character (especially in some steady scene) and curves and edges of the hair and almost everything is artificially moving then I feel very disturbed ... it is bad, so bad!
All I wanted to say, it has the great potential to become "Instant Classic". Sadly, it was noticed by only few of them.Personally, I felt it deserves much more love than what it is actually got :hearts:
I'm really excited for this one
Shout by Nancy L DraperVIP 8BlockedParent2019-12-17T19:51:59Z
This has curried critical and user acclaim but I just don't get it, so this will be a minority review. I'm a huge SciFi/Fantasy fan but beyond being a vehicle to show off Rotoscope animation, I wasn't drawn into the premise, at all, in fact, I was bored, and eventually felt jilted. The film never declares its intention to be a piece of Science FIction or a deep dive into mental health perspectives and it spends so much time exploring the "hows" that the ending was just an empty creator of "why?" for me. I repeat, it is getting rave reviews, and both Trakt and IMDb reviewers are giving it an 8.3 (83%) out of 10. But, the premise is unresolved (it is un-done) for me so I give it a 5 (meh) out of 10. [SciFi? Drama? Animation]