S01.E01: Episode 1

[ApathyMonger]

 

The Hawkins, a loving but troubled family decide to buy a 'Synth' called Anita, but they start to suspect there's something unusual about her...

 

I'm on board for now at least. I enjoyed the first season of the original Swedish show.

 

Mods: I'm using the UK dates and (lack of) titles. It's possible it'll get actual episode titles when AMC airs it.

[John Potts]

Wow. Totally on board with this series - I'm not entirely sure why. I'm glad they didn't shy away from the disturbing (but inevitable) implications of lifelike androids (slavery and prostitution) but were addressed from the start (the teen daughter's comment to her brother "Yeah, we all know why you like her" and the subtle inclusion of a leaflet marked "Over 18s only options" when bringing "Anita" home).

 

I'm amazed at how creepy all the synths are - it's not even "Uncanny Valley" because they're all played by actors (I think they're all wearing coloured contacts to make their eyes look "wrong", in addition to the make up and vocal inflections, but that's about it). Of course, we end with the shot of Anita abducting the kid of the family, so there is some threat.

 

Not sure if we're meant to see Merlin (sorry, I'm terrible at remembering names!) as a latter day John Brown (a - to modern minds - well intentioned terrorist) or Martin Luther King (advocate of non violent protest) which I guess we'll find out in due course. He clearly has a point in that the Synths clearly are being abused (randomly shot at - presumably, given this is the UK - with an air rifle to say nothing of the robo brothel). Also not sure if we're meant to see them as a metaphor for illegal immigrants or not (I guess they don't have to be a metaphor for anything, really), but again, I guess we'll see.

[NorthstarATL]

Wow. Totally on board with this series - I'm not entirely sure why. I'm glad they didn't shy away from the disturbing (but inevitable) implications of lifelike androids (slavery and prostitution) but were addressed from the start (the teen daughter's comment to her brother "Yeah, we all know why you like her" and the subtle inclusion of a leaflet marked "Over 18s only options" when bringing "Anita" home).

 

I'm amazed at how creepy all the synths are - it's not even "Uncanny Valley" because they're all played by actors (I think they're all wearing coloured contacts to make their eyes look "wrong", in addition to the make up and vocal inflections, but that's about it). Of course, we end with the shot of Anita abducting the kid of the family, so there is some threat.

 

Not sure if we're meant to see Merlin (sorry, I'm terrible at remembering names!) as a latter day John Brown (a - to modern minds - well intentioned terrorist) or Martin Luther King (advocate of non violent protest) which I guess we'll find out in due course. He clearly has a point in that the Synths clearly are being abused (randomly shot at - presumably, given this is the UK - with an air rifle to say nothing of the robo brothel). Also not sure if we're meant to see them as a metaphor for illegal immigrants or not (I guess they don't have to be a metaphor for anything, really), but again, I guess we'll see.

We'll have to find out whether Colin Morgan's character is fully human or Synth I suppose in order to figure out who he might represent. I'd replace King with Moses in your list, though, as King was looking to overturn archaic laws, not to eradicate slavery, which had already occured. I am surprised that the faulty Synth isn't being upgraded, rather than scrapped and replaced. Wouldn't it be like a computer, where you would transfer memories and programming into a new body which looked the same, in order to make the transition easier? And why have so much individuation at all (other than it's easier to just cast a lot of actors as the Synths) when it's far more likely that, for example, in the greenhouse setting, all the Synths would probably be the same model, as they are all doing the same thing, and aren't interacting with humans, whereas the "pricier" ones that would be inserted into households, like Anita, would be more "custom".

   I do wish they'd made the family less annoying, though, as right now I have no empathy for them, and can't wait for Anita to get the heck out of there.

[henripootel]

I'm amazed at how creepy all the synths are - it's not even "Uncanny Valley" because they're all played by actors

They're a tad creepier in the originial äkta människor (where they are called 'hubots'), less human and more off-putting.  I think I kinda preferred that because it threw their robotness into sharper relief.  We see hubots there doing all sorts of silly things that set them apart from real humans (smiling and dancing at the hubot store, having obviously-preprogrammed conversations, showing no reaction to people slapping them).  We even see them being disassembled and scrapped, which was pretty well done.

 

These guys seem to want to blur the lines a bit, making the synths a bit more human.  My only real fear is that they're gonna go for the easy si-fi standard of making synths too human, implying that any sufficiently advanced intelligence would be essentially us, with our all our inexplicable foibles (body modest, wanting to be accepted and understood, etc).  This always strikes me as a cop-out, less an exploration of what it means to be human and more 'is this the 'feeling' you hoo-mans call ... 'love'?'  Kinda hoping they don't go there.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Count me on board -- In addition to William Hurt, I recognized Jen from the IT Crowd and RB from Utopia (even without the beard) right off the bat.  Please let one of the synths be named Jessica Hyde.  :)

 

I wonder if William Hurt is playing a similar character to that in 'A.I.' -- and he actually helped create the synths, and that's why he doesn't want to give Hodi up as continues to break down.

 

I'm curious why those synths that were kidnapped in the woods were re-introduced as standard retail units like Anita.  No idea why Anita is fascinated with the moon (is she the only one ?) or where she is taking the daughter ?

Edited June 16, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[henripootel]

I'm curious why those synths that were kidnapped in the woods were re-introduced as standard retail units like Anita.

This wasn't as clear in this version as it was in äkta människor, but they're just scavengers.  They don't know anything about the rogue synths or what's up with them, they're just picking off strays without an owner in sight, wiping their memory (or trying to) and reselling them on the gray market.

No idea why Anita is fascinated with the moon (is she the only one ?) or where she is taking the daughter ?

Don't know where or why she is taking the daughter but Anita is looking at the moon because

her programming as been tampered with, making her sentient (or near enough).  The guys who took her tried to erase her old programming (not knowing about how special it is) and re-install the old programming but it didn't altogether take, which we know because she's looking at the moon (a properly programmed synth isn't curious like that).  

Edited June 18, 2015 by henripootel

[Primetimer]

AMC's new British import imagines a not-so-distant future in which menial jobs are performed by androids. Is it worth watching?

Read the story

[dr pepper]

playing a robot and making it creepy should be no big deal for a decent actor. You are in fact "doing the robot" as in the dance, simply by breaking every movement into its component moves, doing them separately, and only as much as needed. For instance, turn your head just enough to bring someone standing to the side into view, then leaving your head pointing that way until you want to look at someone else.

I like this show. I liked the previous one, with the buddy cops (can't remember the title) one human, and one not, and was sorry it wasn't renewed. I hope this one will do better.

I suspect it's going turn out that the conscious robots are emergent, not just the scattered recipients of more sophisticated programming. I think it will be revealed that at some point that when accumulated experience reaches some imprecise threshhold, a robot will become aware.

The bit with the son was predictable. But the bit with the older daughter was more interesting. she was frustrated that Anita wouldn't just stand and let the shots hit her. Most shows tend to neglect the third law as uninteresting.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I like this show. I liked the previous one, with the buddy cops (can't remember the title) one human, and one not, and was sorry it wasn't renewed. I hope this one will do better.

 

You are thinking of 'Almost Human' -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2654580/

[Pollock]

I'm amazed at how creepy all the synths are - it's not even "Uncanny Valley" because they're all played by actors (I think they're all wearing coloured contacts to make their eyes look "wrong", in addition to the make up and vocal inflections, but that's about it).

The make-up is awesome. I'm amazed how the make-up artists manage to make the synths skin feels so fake/real, I don't even know how to put it! It's super cool even though the effect worked better with lighter skin tones.

[Chaos Theory]

I like it. I always did like the idea of the emergence of conscience of the singularity concept of machines and AMC is a decent Chanel with a good reputation for TV. So far the show is working for me. B

[riverheightsnancy]

Really interesting. Laura is so jealous. Where was she that she was delayed in coming home? It looked like a hotel. Is she having an affair?

[SlovakPrincess]

I will pretty much watch anything with William Hurt in it, so here I am. So far, so good!

I feel bad for George, that his robot "son" is failing. Poor, breaking down Odi!

Not really sure why Laura insists on antagonizing the new "synth". I was almost hoping Anita would haul off and smack her. Was that Anita just fantasizing about carrying away the little girl at the end? If in fact she can fantasize ... that was a bit confusing to me.

Yikes, poor Niska! That was really upsetting. I sure hope Leo has a plan to get her out of there soon.

The only thing not working for me so far is the sullen teenage daughter.

[Chaos Theory]

The only thing not working for me so far is the sullen teenage daughter.

 

 

The young daughter just want to play with Anita.  The son thinks she is hot.  The teenage daughter is old enough to realize that yes "Synths" like Anita are replacing humans in just about everything.  I thought the conversation she had with her mother was well done and did well to establish her personality as more then just "sullen".  Why do well in school?  Why go to college?  Why bother?  When you are just going to be replaced by machines?

[SlovakPrincess]

I did like the perspective of the older daughter questioning her future prospects with everything being done by synths. And I liked her pointing out that, yes, synths are basically slave labor.

Overall, she just irked me, though. The son is awful, too, but I anticipate he's not going to have a big role and will be easier to ignore.

[Glory]

I just watched the first episode on AMC. I think it was being billed at the premiere. Is this airing somewhere else that episodes 2 and 3 are already out? 

 

Anyway, I liked it and I am excited to learn more about these aware synths. I think Anita is both amazingly robotic and super lifelike. It's a great juxtoposition. 

[Sakura12]

It's airing in England, they are two eps ahead of us. 

[Glory]

Thank you Sakura! 

[Happytobehere]

I really liked the episode. The synths are really creepy, but that of course is not their fault, as they did not design themselves and their off-putting eyes. The question of these possibly sentient beings being used as slave labor is one that I hope is explored in full before it becomes a flat out"us" versus "them" exercise.

I was happy to see William Hurt and his glitching (shutting down?) son was so sad, as Hurt's character seems to be all alone.

Based on what I have seen this far, I'm in for the season. I'm guessing that will be about 10 episodes.

[ShannaB]

Hee...seeing Colin Morgan looking all grown up and scruffy made me smile.  I watched MERLIN so seeing him in this kind of role just fascinates me in a way.

 

Episode 1 got my attention so I will continue watching.  Thanks for the heads about Jane Parkinson because I would never have recognized her from THE IT CROWD.  I swear I still giggle when I think of the 'too tight shoe' episode.

[thuganomics85]

I thought it was an intriguing pilot.  Haven't seen the original, but it does remind me of those various films in the past year like Spielberg's A.I. and Bicentennial Man, with Robin Williams.  And, maybe not so fondly, Almost Human (to be fair, it did get better near the end), and the whole Halle Berry's robot kid plot fro Extant.

 

So far, they are doing a good job with making the Synths look really realistic, but there is something off about them, that can make them kind of creepy.  I can see why some would be worried about them.  That said, I'm totally on Team Anita right now.  The family is obnoxious as hell, except for the youngest daughter.  But Laura never gave her a chance (to be fair, I doubt anyone would be happy that her husband bought a hot robot maid without asking, but maybe put more blame on him), I do have a feeling Joe is going to try something, well, "adult" with her eventually, son seems like a lazy jerk, and the oldest daughter is, well, acting like most obnoxious teens.  Although, I did think she had an interesting point about how Synths could end up taking all the big jobs in the future, so what would happen to humans if they get too good?

 

I'm usually hit or miss with William Hurt, but thankfully, I found him to be good for this one.  I feel like he underplayed some stuff that he normally tends to go too broad with, and it helped make the character more sympathetic.  Already enjoy the scenes with him and his Synth, and have a bad feeling it is destined for a tragic ending.

 

Merlin!  OK, his name was actually Leo, but Colin Morgan will always be Merlin to me, so that was awesome.  Looks like his character is suppose to be helping get Synths to safety or something, but is in love with Anita, so he's going all out to find her. Can't wait to see more of him.

 

Spent the entire episode trying to figure out where I saw Anita/Gemma Chan before, and then I realized she was Mia Bennett in the Doctor Who episode, "The Water of Mars", which was one of my favorites.  Really enjoyed her here.

Edited June 30, 2015 by thuganomics85

[magdalene]

Going by the first episode I am intrigued and will watch the next episode. Having watched BLADE RUNNER  as a child - I still remember the Rutger Hauer death scene vividly -  I always seem to root for the androids.

[Chaos Theory]

I figure all robots want to kill us/or become our masters so I am so in for the full run of this and with the added benefit that so far it looks good I am in Robot overlord heaven.  

[SlovakPrincess]

So far, I'm Team Robot all the way ... maybe I'll like more of the real humans next week.

[Clanstarling]

Spent the entire episode trying to figure out where I saw Anita/Gemma Chan before, and then I realized she was Mia Bennett in the Doctor Who episode, "The Water of Mars", which was one of my favorites.  Really enjoyed her here.

She was also in Doc Martin, which is where I know her from.

 

Yes the teenage daughter is definitely obnoxious, but she does have a point. On the other hand, she's totally using it as an excuse to get away with failing.

 

I actually find the husband more obnoxious - completely clueless about replacing his wife, and even crowing about how much better the synth was at breakfast. Basic husband lesson #1 in a world with synths, if you truly want to buy something that will help out at home, and don't want to offend your wife, buy a male model.

 

As for the guy who played Merlin - I decided he was fully human because he had a scruffy beard. Don't know if that's an accurate measure, but I'm going with that as a telltale sign (other than the metallic eyes).

Edited June 30, 2015 by clanstarling

[Sakura12]

It was interesting enough for me to want to check out the next episode. The Synths look realistic and robotic at the same time, so good job on that. I'm Team Anita (or Mia I think that's what Leo called her). She has stand there being called a stupid metal box and being yelled at because the husband bought her without telling his wife. 

 

I do think the husband is going to try out that 18+ packet with her, so then she'll have to deal with that. Which brings me to the blond one. Wow, she got the short end of the stick out of the three. Well as least until Frank got captured. 

 

Seeing this reminded me that Japan is making a hotel partially run by human looking robots (although). So how far off are we really from this happening.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Sakura12

[sluggish neko]

I actually find the husband more obnoxious - completely clueless about replacing his wife, and even crowing about how much better the synth was at breakfast. Basic husband lesson #1 in a world with synths, if you truly want to buy something that will help out at home, and don't want to offend your wife, buy a male model.

 

Yes, exactly! Like that Synth Tech with the disabled wife who has a cute male synth giving her massages. She looked really happy. (I'm assuming she's disabled because he carried her away after the massage. I could be wrong.)

 

What bothered me was the husband talking about the posh model on display at the store. Why was the blond one posh? Is Anita cheaper cause she's Asian? Yeah, yeah, I know she probably had more functionality or whatever and race isn't the issue here. Still, it rankled. I was also annoyed at how unique all the Synths are. Isn't it more cost-efficient to make them look the same? Like the way Cylons are made in BSG.

 

I'm nitpicking, I know. I still enjoy the overall look of the show.

[Sakura12]

I'm assuming they probably used to look same when they were first made, but then people wanted ones that looked more aesthetically pleasing and started ordering a specific look that they liked. The company probably figured they could make more money and sell more if they had choices. Why do you think we get choices on what color our cell phone is. The color doesn't change the phone's functionality. But we all want the choice to have a different color than someone else or whatever color we like to look at. 

 

I think the blond one was programmed for the rich, I don't think her race had anything to do with it. Plus she was in the typical maid uniform and seemed to be making something fancy. 

Edited June 30, 2015 by Sakura12

[tennisgurl]

I am really intrigued by this show. I am always a fan of the "Do Robots Dream of Electric Sheep" stuff, and this seems like an interesting take on it.

 

The acting is really good so far, especially Anita. I am interested in what they are doing with the Synths. It seems like some of personalities, while some are just machines? 

 

I was intrigued by an interview with the creators of the show, where, when asked whether people would root for the Synths or the humans, they said it was not going to be that kind of show, and you could root for both. I`m interested in that idea. 

 

William Hurt is my favorite story I think now. 

[scrb]

Probably not a good idea to make the synths so attractive. They hint at spouses who are the same sex as the synths being insecure but actually, this would probably be a widespread thing.

Especially since synths are being used in sex professions.

[Athena]

I read about this show today and that Gemma Chan was doing well it. I like the show from the first ten minutes. I've always enjoyed the exploration of human robots and clones in society (made to serve us). In addition to A. I., Battlestar Galactica, I'm also reminded of Cloud Atlas and Never Let Me Go, both works by British novelists on similar questions. It's always creepy and frustrating, but very fascinating. I think it gets to the core of what is alive and feelings really.

 

Really interesting. Laura is so jealous. Where was she that she was delayed in coming home? It looked like a hotel. Is she having an affair?

 

I think Laura was genuinely on a work trip, but she seemed to be stalling and avoiding her whole family not just her husband. I don't think she is having an affair. She seems depressed. Her antagonizing of Anita/Mia (Mita? Ania?) could be out of guilt and acting out. She seemed really annoyed whenever Anita was taking care of Sophie, but Sophie preferred Anita to Laura probably for good reason. Laura seems checked out as a parent.

[henripootel]

Her antagonizing of Anita/Mia (Mita? Ania?) could be out of guilt and acting out.

I get that she feels like a crap mother but there's something off about her reactions, methinks.  Synths are hardly a new to that world so it can't be novelty, yet Laura acts like a hussy is moving in on her family.  Anita is (as far as any of them know) merely a very attractive roomba, but everyone seems to be reacting to her like she's human.  I mean I get Toby wanting to touch a boob, or something that looks like a boob, or a picture of a boob.  Or the word 'boob' written on a piece of paper.  But even he knows Anita isn't an actual human female.  Just sayin'.

[Clanstarling]

I get that she feels like a crap mother but there's something off about her reactions, methinks.  Synths are hardly a new to that world so it can't be novelty, yet Laura acts like a hussy is moving in on her family.  Anita is (as far as any of them know) merely a very attractive roomba, but everyone seems to be reacting to her like she's human.

To me this is the intersection of technology and human emotion that is interesting and why I watch shows like this. If she were designed like a Roomba - or Robbie the Robot - or original flavor Cylon, no one would react to her as if she were human. Knowing, intellectually, that she's a "machine" and your gut responses to something that looks, and acts (for the most part), like you is a different matter. That's where the drama and complexity of the stories draw from - the cognitive dissonance.

 

Me, I don't even like having a machine talk (Siri, scales, etc.). I want my machines to stay firmly in the machine category.

Edited July 1, 2015 by clanstarling

[henripootel]

That's where the drama and complexity of the stories draw from - the cognitive dissonance.

I agree but thats kinda my point: there's hardly any dissonance to be had here.  This telling of the 'human / not human' story is over-simplified by making the synths waaay to human to begin with.  In the original äkta människor, the hubots are deliberately made to look fake, with heavy makeup, wigs, and a (wonderfully done) flat aspect which makes them harder to relate to.  Even the replicants from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (seed corn for Blade Runner) looked perfectly human but were also tremendously off-putting for being able to do things like cheerfully discuss the pluses and minuses of murdering a guy right in front of him because they just ... don't care.

 

Seems to me that it requires way too little to look past the oddness of the synths and see them as people, meaning there's hardly any dissonance at all.  No dissonance = no drama, and certainly less complexity.  Of course the synths deserve some recognition as sentient beings - they're practically human already, even without modifying their programming.  Anybody who thinks otherwise is obviously just evil.  

 

A little too pat for me - I prefer a bit more complexity.  The Cylons were of course deserving of recognition as sentient and would have gotten it except that they're trying to kill us!  Replicants too deserved something, maybe a long enough lifespan to develop intellectually, an easy call except for the fact that many are purpose-built killers so ... troublesome.  I prefer to have something to chew on, not being spoon-fed.

Edited July 1, 2015 by henripootel

[LuciaMia]

 

I feel bad for George, that his robot "son" is failing. Poor, breaking down Odi!

Plus Odi has all the big and small memories of George's family- it might not be the same trying to upload it into a new model. 

 

Isn't it amazing that Issac Azimov's three laws of robotics have so completely become the law of the land of Sci-Fi literature?  Sure, writers can struggle to find ways to turn their robotic creations into Frankensteins, but the assumption is the laws are a given.

Course , Azimov, at least in his classic books, made it clear that there was no way to circumvent them; they are so fused in their positronic brains that any attempt would make the robot useless.

[John Potts]

Lucia Mia Course , Azimov, at least in his classic books, made it clear that there was no way to circumvent them; they are so fused in their positronic brains that any attempt would make the robot useless.

 

Not really... in most stories robots did cause mayhem, although usually for perfectly good reasons, not because they wanted to "Kill all humans", but because humans gave them vaguely worded orders (and he usually spelt his surname Asimov, although Azimov might be a more accurate transliteration of the original Cyrillic spelling)

[Clanstarling]

I agree but thats kinda my point: there's hardly any dissonance to be had here.  This telling of the 'human / not human' story is over-simplified by making the synths waaay to human to begin with.  In the original äkta människor, the hubots are deliberately made to look fake, with heavy makeup, wigs, and a (wonderfully done) flat aspect which makes them harder to relate to.  Even the replicants from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (seed corn for Blade Runner) looked perfectly human but were also tremendously off-putting for being able to do things like cheerfully discuss the pluses and minuses of murdering a guy right in front of him because they just ... don't care.

 

Seems to me that it requires way too little to look past the oddness of the synths and see them as people, meaning there's hardly any dissonance at all.  No dissonance = no drama, and certainly less complexity.  Of course the synths deserve some recognition as sentient beings - they're practically human already, even without modifying their programming.  Anybody who thinks otherwise is obviously just evil.  

 

A little too pat for me - I prefer a bit more complexity.  The Cylons were of course deserving of recognition as sentient and would have gotten it except that they're trying to kill us!  Replicants too deserved something, maybe a long enough lifespan to develop intellectually, an easy call except for the fact that many are purpose-built killers so ... troublesome.  I prefer to have something to chew on, not being spoon-fed.

I see your point, and can understand that you'd prefer the dissonance to be greater. I wish I'd seen the original, but not having done so, I don't have any problems where this series starts its exploration of these issues. I don't agree that there is little or no dissonance or complexity at this stage of the machine/human story. It's just a bit further along the path, which carries its own dissonances and complexities.

 

BSG addressed the issues with lots of layers and complexity, and it started even further along with the newest Cylon models being virtually indistinguishable from humans. In the beginning they were unknown and a surprise to the humans, but the argument of whether they were truly living, sentient beings continued throughout most of the series.

 

Not that I expect that level of complexity in this show. Still, in a single episode we've already seen humans who love them, humans who traffic in them - whether as refurbished machines or sex slaves, humans who see them merely as plug and play appliances to be replaced with newer versions as they are available, and humans in existential crisis because they exist and can be arguably better at any technical profession, and those who see their marriages and families threatened by them. For me, that's a pretty good start.

[henripootel]

Still, in a single episode we've already seen humans who love them, humans who traffic in them - whether as refurbished machines or sex slaves, humans who see them merely as plug and play appliances to be replaced with newer versions as they are available, and humans in existential crisis because they exist and can be arguably better at any technical profession, and those who see their marriages and families threatened by them. For me, that's a pretty good start.

It's not a bad one but still not as much range in actual reactions to what synths really are (IMO).  We've already seen humans who love them (because they're old and confused and assume they're human), humans who traffic in them (because they're total scum who traffic in humans), humans who see them merely as plug and play appliances (because they don't realize what their being human impies), and humans in existential crisis because they exist and can be arguably better at any technical profession (because they're even better than normal humans), and those who see their marriages and families threatened by them (because they're good looking humans).  Basically everybody thinks they're human, so it's really all just different reactions to the same basic perception.

 

I'd suggest watching äkta människor - a world with much more ambiguity.  Everyone there knows they're just appliances but some people develop feelings for them, which is seen as ... awkward.  People who want to shag them is seen as a bit odd but not rape by any stretch, and folks who think it does are seen as confused.  Other characters get into 'relationships' with their hubot (and suffer socially for it) but this doesn't stop them from sending in their 'partner' for reprogramming when they start to act, well, like an actual human might.  Add to this, some of the hubots have been reprogrammed and might actually pass as sentient.  Huge range of variability there in the Swedish show, not so much in English version.  I'm not saying better but certainly more subtle and open to interpretation.  Humans seems to have one interpretation possible, and it's pretty clear what it is.

Edited July 2, 2015 by henripootel

[Clanstarling]

It's not a bad one but still not as much range in actual reactions to what synths really are (IMO).  We've already seen humans who love them (because they're old and confused and assume they're human), humans who traffic in them (because they're total scum who traffic in humans), humans who see them merely as plug and play appliances (because they don't realize what their being human impies), and humans in existential crisis because they exist and can be arguably better at any technical profession (because they're even better than normal humans), and those who see their marriages and families threatened by them (because they're good looking humans).  Basically everybody thinks they're human, so it's really all just different reactions to the same basic perception.

I might disagree with some of the conclusions you draw in regards to all those cases having the same perception that they're human - but as with everything, mileage varies.

 

Where might one see the original?

[henripootel]

Where might one see the original?

Hard to say (in that my method was kinda questionable) but make sure you get the subtitles, unless you speak Swedish.  Or want to learn it.

 

ETA: there're a few episodes on youtube, mostly without subtitles but a few bits with subtitles.  It's enough to get a bit of the flavor and visual style.

Edited July 2, 2015 by henripootel

[Kelda Feegle]

She seems depressed. Her antagonizing of Anita/Mia (Mita? Ania?) could be out of guilt and acting out. 

Animi(e)?

[LeGrandElephant]

I just re-read the Asimov story where the robot named Cal wants to be a writer, and his owner first improves his programming so he becomes a great writer, then gets threatened and decides to have him taken apart and destroyed. The story ends with Cal thinking he can overcome his programming to kill his owner and planning to do so (but not explicitly shown). I remember another story where one robot had a slight difference in balance between two of the laws, and then they were trying to figure out which one he was, and he used a logical argument to convince the other robots to also behave strangely and not quite obey the three laws. Something about not rescuing a human from danger if it would hurt the robot.

It's also kind of painful to read those old stories where they call the robots "boy" when ordering them around. I've never been sure whose side Asimov was on when he wrote that dialogue.

Regarding this show, I don't see why the family needs a live-in robot maid. Why not a service that comes in once a week to clean? And if they do need her primarily as babysitter, then the husband still should have considered why he chose a hot woman model... He could have chosen a man, or a granny-style woman, and his wife would be a lot less threatened.

Edited July 2, 2015 by LeGrandElephant

[ottoDbusdriver]

He could have chosen a man, or a granny-style woman, and his wife would be a lot less threatened.

 

Like the new synth that George has -- I'm pretty sure Laura wouldn't have been threatened by her, Toby certainly wouldn't have tried feeling her up, and Joe wouldn't have been all nervous during the damage inspection.

[scrb]

Yeah but if he chose a male synth, he'd feel threatened.

 

Most of the synths are young and attractive though, that one older one seemed to be the exception.

 

Did they bring the older one since the Hurt character is old and he might want to get down?

 

 

The synths seemed to be either boring, always with that weird grinning expression, or in the case of the special synths which have consciousness, nagging, like the black one.  What a choice.

[Athena]

Joe wanted a housekeeper and someone to look after his kids. I would think most of the models in his price range are young any way. Anita may be even more attractive than most models in that range, but she's been "remodelled".  It would have been wiser to buy a Synth like the Nurse Ratched variety that George was offered.

[Sakura12]

Joe basically bought a refurbished model. Didn't he say she was on special? So I don't think he had much choice in the matter, he didn't pick her. Even the daughter was saying she hoped she was pretty. 

[scrb]

But Anita is "special," since she looks up at the full moon while the other synths in the store room were dormant.

 

Probably luck of the draw.

[Bryce Lynch]

She was also in Doc Martin, which is where I know her from.

Yes the teenage daughter is definitely obnoxious, but she does have a point. On the other hand, she's totally using it as an excuse to get away with failing.

I actually find the husband more obnoxious - completely clueless about replacing his wife, and even crowing about how much better the synth was at breakfast. Basic husband lesson #1 in a world with synths, if you truly want to buy something that will help out at home, and don't want to offend your wife, buy a male model.

As for the guy who played Merlin - I decided he was fully human because he had a scruffy beard. Don't know if that's an accurate measure, but I'm going with that as a telltale sign (other than the metallic eyes).

Disagree a bit about the husband. It appears Laura is cheating on him and she is clearly neglecting her family. The fact that the children marvel at the basic things Anita does, like making breakfast and reading stories is an indication of what a bad mother and wife Laura is. Laura hates Anita because she makes this obvious to the whole family.

[Bryce Lynch]

Joe basically bought a refurbished model. Didn't he say she was on special? So I don't think he had much choice in the matter, he didn't pick her. Even the daughter was saying she hoped she was pretty.

The daughter even asked if they could exchange her if she wasn't pretty.

Also, since Anita was stolen, he was probably getting a very low price from the shady salesman.

I don't think Joe had any lustful intentions when he bought Anita, but I would not be surprised if such feelings develop.

[Clanstarling]

Disagree a bit about the husband. It appears Laura is cheating on him and she is clearly neglecting her family. The fact that the children marvel at the basic things Anita does, like making breakfast and reading stories is an indication of what a bad mother and wife Laura is. Laura hates Anita because she makes this obvious to the whole family.

That's what's so interesting about forums, we all key off of different things and come to different conclusions. I can see how you interpret the dynamics as you have. I, personally,  haven't come to any conclusions about Laura other than she seems clinically depressed. I haven't watched episode 2 yet. Perhaps I'll find I'm wrong and think differently.