The Gemma Chan Sci-Fi Hidden Gem You Can Binge On Amazon
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If you're a fan of science fiction stories that explore androids and robots developing human consciousness and emotion, like "Westworld," "Ex Machina," or even "Altered Carbon," than there's a series on Amazon Prime that you need to check out. Based on a Swedish science fiction TV series called "Real Humans," the Channel 4 and AMC-produced show "Humans" originally premiered in 2015. The sci-fi drama is set in a possible future in which robots, or "Synths," are built to look just like humans and fulfill a variety of roles.
At the beginning of Season 1, a normal family decides to buy a Synth named Anita, played by Marvel mainstay Gemma Chan, to work around the house and be a companion to the children. The rise of Synths in the world makes some people uncomfortable, as many feel like the Synths are replacing jobs and becoming too relied upon, and many are treating them almost like humans, when they're not. But what if technology develops far enough to create an artificial consciousness, including the ability to feel pain, create emotional connections, and do everything else a human can? This is the question "Humans" poses for its audience.
Along with Chan, "Humans" stars Katherine Parkinson, Lucy Carless, Colin Morgan, Ivanno Jeremiah, and Emily Berrington, and the series has three seasons in total. The show was a real fan-favorite with both regular viewers and critics, with an average score of 94% for all three seasons on Rotten Tomatoes.
Humans questions what would happen if we could engineer human consciousness
In "Humans," a consciousness program is being inputted into Synths around the world, essentially making them fully human. As more and more Synths "wake up," the public starts catching on to what's happening and hunting them down, even killing some. While some people welcome the idea of conscious Synths and treat them as they would anyone else, others just can't seem to accept the idea that a human consciousness can be created, continually treating Synths like property.
With Chan's character Anita in particular, she is kidnapped and hacked to be a "new" Synth, overwriting her real personality and history. Luckily for her, she has already been upgraded with a consciousness, so over time she is able to remember her real name, Mia, and her original family. "Humans" introduces a huge cast of conscious Synths in various difficult situations, while Morgan plays a character named Leo who is trying to round up all the conscious Synths made by his scientist father, including Mia. Leo is part-Synth himself, with his father using advanced technology to save his son after a car accident. Because of this, Leo hides his existence and feels most at home with Synths.
Much like "Black Mirror," "Humans" does a great job exploring the moral and societal ramifications that might occur with this type of technology, while also showing the good that could come out of it. If you are in the mood for an well-acted, emotional sci-fi binge, this drama is the right pick for you, available to watch now on Amazon.