'Humans'

I am a little late to this party of a show as I was skeptical that the overall portrayal of AI and robotics is an overly saturated ideal in the cinematic universe. It is with great regret and apology that I did not sink my teeth into this show from its' inception. The telling of this story was nothing short of masterful. Of course, there are the undertones of "Terminator" elements within the story: man creates machines and machines in turn destroy all of humanity in a hope to save themselves but this is far from the heart of the show itself.

The first season is a wonderful journey into a near future world where synthetic humanoid machines are used in everyday life. They wash our clothes, park our cars, cook our food, and in essence make the everyday lives of human beings that much easier for us to focus on what really matters, family and time. However, the creator of the 'synths' had a broader vision for the machines, and that was for them to become sentient or conscious, to feel. The story unfolds as several prototype synths have certain codes uploaded and become aware of their own existence, and the roller coaster of emotion that takes over the screen washes over you like a necessarily uncomfortable blanket. I found myself becoming emotional with anger, sadness, and pure joy as the events played out before me.

This feature is not all sunshine and rainbows, however. It would be too unreal if everything was all happy-go-lucky and the synths became aware and humanity just sat by and accepted all of it in stride wouldn't it? The darker parts of humanity, as well as the light, are covered throughout the series. Just because humans believe themselves to have the patent on human emotion, what would happen if we created something that could also feel, but not entirely in the way that we had intended? Or, that creation could actually feel in a deeper, more pure way than we could feel ourselves. Feelings themselves are of a complexity that we will never understand, which is why psychology is a field that is considered to be one of the most esteemed in this world. The ability to bridge the gap from the mind to the heart (if that is where our emotion lies), is an impossibility. 'Humans' allows for an in depth and curious study into how human beings would react to another living, breathing, feeling, thinking entity sharing our little globe, and the show does not hesitate to dive into the issues that plague our existence today.

There is one scene that occurs when Niska (Emily Berrington) is in hiding as a sex worker. She is fully aware of her existence and can feel everything, but at this point in the show, humanity is unaware that this is even possible. A client attempts to assault her, and even after she reveals that she is alive, he presses the issues and refuses to acknowledge this fact. She then proceeds to crush his throat. If it were a human on human crime, of course, it would have been deemed as self-defense and she would have a great chance of defending herself at a trial; but she is a machine. So it cannot be a crime, but a result of faulty machinery and she must be found and destroyed. This is a simple example of the complexity of the issues that the writers aim to tackle within the show, and with every episode it goes deeper and grips your heart tighter and tighter. Yes, there were a few times throughout this show that tears came to my eyes, or a hand was covering my mouth in disbelief.

While the cast is flawless with their own execution of their roles, none other had a greater affect on me that than of the D-series synth Odi (Will Tudor). He was an early model synthetic that is outdated and caring for an old man whose identity I wont spoil. I do have a strong feeling that some of you may take a chance and watch this, and I will not spoil any of it. It needs to be enjoyed one moment at a time, and will great relish. The old man that Odi is taking care of has memory issues and Odi provides him with memories from the past that he can no longer remember himself. Although fairly 'useless' as the tool that he was created to be, Odi has surpassed the functions of that role and he is not even sentient, yet. In a later season he is awakened, but awakens to a darker world than the one born of ignorance. His primary user has died, and now he has no purpose. As he walks the streets trying to find some meaning or purpose for his new found existence, he is met with opposition from, not only, his own doubts and fears, but also, the anger and frustration from humans that simply have to time for him or actually despise him for what he is. After a very tortuous time of feeling completely helpless, albeit useless, Odi decides that he has control over one thing and one thing only, his existence. Placing a hand written note on his knee, he deletes the code within his programming that gave him life. He once again became a paperweight, out of choice, to escape the pain of his own reality.

Now, if that doesn't resonate with most of you, then take two fingers and place them on the right side of your neck. You have no pulse; perhaps you're the synth? The story does progress beyond the very personal aspects of character to character development, but never loses the touch. As with any writing or acting worth a damn, you fall in love with the characters and you 'feel' for them. The creative direction of the show then decides to go into a glorious debate about the what ifs. By that I mean the show is not satisfied with simply allowing you to feel the way you want to; it begins to fine line the broader strokes and takes the struggles of the 'green eyes' to the mainstream. The largest factor within this debate are whether or not these machines are more human than human, or even equal to humans in the first place. Their rights and privileges are subject to all manners of emotion and contest, including murder.

Sadly, the show was cancelled after season three, but there is an online petition you can sign to re-consider the decision. This was successful with another show that I love, 'The Expanse'. If you decide to watch 'Humans', please allow yourself the time to try and save the show.

Writing like this is rare, and stories that make you question your own morals are in short supply. There is something within the heart of this series that will show you there is good in this world, but there is also an evil that cares nothing for how you think and feel. 'Humans' allows for a cross-section of what that struggle looks like from within. It may even have yourself looking into the mirror looking for your own charging port. I am deeply moved by the morals and happenings in this show, and it is with the greatest of hope that Amazon would fund the seasons from here on out.

As always, I hope that this article finds you well, or as good as can be. If you are reading this and your situation is not the best, look towards the sky and the stars, they will always offer you some temporary comfort. Keep your hope alive, and remember what it is to truly be human. Thank you for reading.