Extant

This is really getting the hype and Halle Berry is all over the talk shows. Last night on Jimmy Fallon he guessed that she got pregnant on her solo mission because there was a stowaway on board. It was hard to tell from her expression whether he had hit on the truth, but she didn't look too happy.   




Wednesday, July 09, 2014
'Extant' Review: A Compelling Near-Future Sci-Fi Show
Alan Danzis

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

It feels like there's almost two shows struggling for superiority within the Extant pilot that airs tonight at 9pm on CBS.

One wants to hit some familiar beats from the movie A.I., but in ways that are vastly more compelling (at least to this reviewer). The other, however, is retreading elements from Alien 3, but perhaps with quite a bit less menace.

Meet the Cast of Extant >>>

(Minor spoilers ahead for the series premiere)

Extant is about private astronaut Molly Woods (Halle Berry) returning home after a year-plus long mission alone in space. She hasn't come back alone, though -- she's pregnant, even though she and her husband struggled for years to have a baby, and even though, as I said, she was alone in space. At least, there were no other humans there...

The show takes place in the near future. It's a very realistic near future with things you would expect to be commonplace 20 years from now, like interactive widgets on the bathroom mirror. What is maybe a bit more ambitious? A humanic (basically robot) son for Molly and her husband John (Goran Visnijic) named Ethan.

Maybe it's because Pierce Gagnon, who plays Ethan, is so incredibly good at going from someone who instantly charms you to someone who is downright terrifying with ease, but it's Ethan and other humanics' roles in society that has me fascinated by Extant.

[Video] Extant Trailer: The Mysterious Pregnancy and a Mechanical Son >>>

I'm fascinated by John's driven speech to investors early in the episode about how we need to stop looking at human/humanic relationships as that of a master and a slave. Instead, the way to a happy co-existence is one that tries to teach humanics the human condition and form true, emotional connections.

And I love the idea that we're still not sure if Ethan is the benevolent humanic that John thinks/hopes he is.

While what happens to Molly in space -- and I won't spoil that for anyone in this review -- is engaging in the moment, especially as you can understand her freak-out that leads to a rash decision, I'm kind of over the whole government/corporate conspiracy kind of stories that come with Molly's boss, Alan Sparks (Michael O'Neill).

That said, there's still a lot to enjoy about the pilot, besides my fascination with Ethan's storyline. For instance, I'm beyond excited to see Hiroyuki Sanada on the show playing Hideki Yasumoto. Sanada was literally the only reason I watched the full season of Helix on Syfy. I can't wait to see more of him on this show.

(That said, I'm sad Camryn Manheim is back to playing a "good guy" on this show since, wow, was she good on Person of Interest this season.)

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I also love the way Extant is using science fiction as an excuse to tell a story about parenting, as much as The Americans used its spy games to tell us a story about marriage (and, later this past season, parenting). So I'm less interested in this idea of Extinct/Extant that the show is playing with or at least seems to be hinting at with the person that visits Molly in space, as well as the old friend who visits her at the end of the episode.

But compared against CBS' other big summer show, Under the Dome, I can't recommend Extant enough. It could fall apart under the weight of all the plotlines set in motion tonight, but I plan to be watching the remaining 12 episodes this summer.


Extant premieres tonight at 9pm on CBS.

Enough mystery to keep us coming back and good futuristic props and Halle Berry is a plus.



'Extant' Season 1 Premiere Recap: What Really Happened on That Solo Mission?
Wednesday, July 09, 2014
'
Margaret McGriff
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

The premiere of the new CBS show Extant wastes no time getting us knee deep into the story. From bathroom mirrors that can serve as a giant tablet to a robot boy who needs an occasional flip, it's clear that the technology in Molly Woods' life is very advanced, though not too farfetched. However, science cannot explain how an infertile Molly Woods gets pregnant on a 13 month solo mission. Before we get to the first commercial break we get a glimpse at what really happened to Molly and by the end, we have a lot more questions, than answers.

Meet the Cast of Extant>>>

13 Hours of Missing Security Footage

After getting grilled by Sam, she's questioned by Alan Sparks and the new Deputy Director about the "solar flare" incident. Molly's story seems solid, telling them exactly how long the power was out, what she did to get it back, and even how long she slept during that time. She seamlessly explained away the 13 hours of security footage that was deleted, saying that as she tried to copy it she accidentally deleted it. Everyone in the room seems to buy it, though we know that's totally not the case.

So what did happen? When a solar flare starts messing with the ships, the computers and all the power is knocked out. Molly is able to get it back online but as she does, she sees an unexpected person literally peeking through the door. It's Marcus, her ex-lover and fellow astronaut who's supposed to be dead and long gone. Instead, he's on the ship, writing the words "Help Me" on the fogged glass. Making sure her uniform camera is rolling, she opens the door and Marcus steps in. She tries to talk to him, but he keeps repeating whatever she says. He embraces her face, she embraces his and the scene cuts to black. By the time we get back to the ship, Molly wakes up and deletes the security footage after seeing herself embracing air.

Alan Sparks doesn't buy it either, expressing his concerns to Hideki Yasumoto. Their conversation alludes to a prior incident that they don't want to happen again, though it's unclear what that was. What we do know is that it wasn't a happy situation; Alan wants to keep close tabs on Molly and her family and he has the idea to do just that.

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John Woods Robot Project

The episode flips back and forth between Molly and her husband, John Woods, a scientist that works with artificial intelligence. He's looking for funding for his AI project -- building robots that seek companionship and connection like humans do. In this episode, he leads a presentation in front of none other than Yasumoto's board of directors (see how it all ties in!). While I admired John's passion, I had the same reservations the board members had -- there's nothing stopping these robots from pulling a Terminator type of world domination. He was the only one in the room who saw his son Ethan as a human being. He even went as far as to say that humans don't have any souls, so the argument that robots can never be like humans was moot. While the board rejected his proposal for funds, Yasumoto personally meets with John to back him as a private citizen as a way of keeping a firm leash on Molly.

The Story Gets Stickier

As if there isn't enough going on, the writers throw even more twists and turns into the show:

Ethan may not be the nice and gentle kid robot John wants him to be: the little AI kills a bird after his mom refuses to buy him more ice cream.
Alan Sparks and Yasumoto are eavesdropping on Molly's private sessions with her therapist. Is she going to spill the beans? What will these two do if and when they find out?
Marcus isn't the only dead astronaut who pops up. Harmin, another friend of Molly's who supposedly died shows up at her house to tell her that she wasn't hallucinating and not to trust anyone. Geez, what is really going on?

Watch an all new Extant next Wednesday at 9pm on CBS.

Yep, I liked it. I was "whoa" at the robot angle.

I liked it too. I totally agree with the writer from Buddy TV. The kid actor that plays the humanic is awesome. And he gave me a chill in a certain scene.

I am interested in the story line and hope they don't just explain it away.

Good start to Summer viewing.