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Movies & TV

03rd Apr 2024

Netflix has just added one of the best sci-fi shows of recent years

Stephen Porzio

They have added the entirety of the series at once.

Humans, one of the best sci-fi shows of recent years, has had its three seasons just added to Netflix.

Originally airing on Channel 4 between 2015 and 2018, the series takes place in a UK where technology is highly advanced and lifelike humanoids called Synths are the must-have machines for any household.

“Joe Hawkins (Tom Goodman-Hill) decides to buy a Synth (Gemma Chan) to help out at home, but his wife, Laura (Katherine Parkinson), feels uncomfortable around the humanoid,” the plot synopsis reads.

“Elsewhere, a widower (William Hurt) tries to fix his malfunctioning Synth, Odi (Will Tudor), who holds some precious memories of his late wife.”

There is also a sub-plot about a detective (Neil Maskell) suspicious of Synths being partnered with one of the robots (Ruth Bradley).

Featuring an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% across its three seasons, Humans has earned acclaim for multi-stranded storytelling – which allows the show to reckon with both the massive world-altering consequences of the Synths creation, as well as the more grounded everyday impacts.

It has also been praised for its great ensemble cast and thematic depth.

Here is a sample of some of the positive write-ups for the series’ first season:

AV Club: “This English-language remake of Sweden’s Real Humans is uncannily well-crafted, with an undercurrent of emotional depth that is occasionally surprising, even gratifying.”

Hollywood Reporter: “We’ve certainly seen plenty of robots wreaking havoc on humanity. But Humans finds a way to bring intrigue to a very familiar conflict.”

Media Life: “Like most good sci-fi, Humans makes sure that the philosophising doesn’t get in the way of the suspense and chills. Anyone who doesn’t enjoy those might be a Synth.”

RogerEbert.com: “There’s so much going on here thematically that it’s always bouncing from one complex question to another. And that will keep me engaged all Summer.”

Time Magazine: “Like the dystopian British anthology Black Mirror, Humans is a sci-fi premise smartly reimagined for our own age of tech outsourcing.”

Humans is streaming on Netflix right now in Ireland and the UK right now. Its first two seasons are also available to watch for US viewers on Hoopla.

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