S01.E03: Episode 3

[ApathyMonger]

 

Laura is begrudgingly forced to keep Anita when she saves Toby from a road accident. George is planning an escape with Odi and Pete's hot temper earns him a suspension from work.

 

[ottoDbusdriver]

Leo confirmed while talking to Fred that he is part-synth.  Which parts ?

 

Toby went a little over the top to keep Laura from returning the object of his affections back to the store.  How did he know that's where Laura would be in the car -- he didn't even know how long they had been gone ?

 

Niska appears to still have a murderous streak -- even when she isn't really threatened.  That can't be good.

 

I wonder what Anita's little freakout was about when sullen teenage daughter started going through her code.  I'm starting to think that these free-thinking synths might have the memories of real people imprinted in them.

 

ETA:  I hope that Odi is going to be alright.

 

That scene with Anita shoving the toothpick in her own eye was creepy.

Edited June 29, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Athena]

The police storyline is the most boring on this show.

 

Niska does seem murderous. She's trying to be an unfeeling human-hater, but even she couldn't murder a guy who wanted to get to know her.

 

I think Mia is being suppressed in Anita which is why Mattie accessing the root code caused her to freak out. She does feel more, but she's also been wiped and limited. She's able to just get by without sharing and being careful with the family. However, she hasn't reached out to Leo like the others and she could have done it easily enough at night. The new programming is causing havoc in her.

[molshoop]

Why would Synths sharing data with each other be considered normal behavior?  Would you want the neighbor's Synth knowing your family's private business?

[Kelda Feegle]

There seems to be a great deal of focus on children and relationships with them - Anita is really bonded to Sophie; Nishka killed her John after it became obvious that his gratification was linked to sexually hurting young girls; Nishka was going to kill the guy she picked up as she thought he was a cheater but stopped when she realised he had a young girl for whom he was doing his best; Odie is very much Hurt's son and being left in the woods was very reminiscent of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale. I'm wondering if this is foreshadowing something to do with kids - I am also totally on board with the idea that the consciousness of a "real" human has been implanted in the synths.

[John Potts]

I though Niska was planning on murdering the guy n the grey suit because she thought he'd lied to her about being single (she thought the scrunchie in his bathroom meant he had a wife/girlfriend, but it was apparently his daughter's). I figure she's something like The Punisher for adulterers!

 

molshoop Why would Synths sharing data with each other be considered normal behaviour?

 

 

I can buy that. I maybe considered unusual in not having a mobile phone (I usually say "I've never felt the need to inform the world I'm on a train") and I'm not on Facebook ("I don't care about your cat/manicure/prostate, why would I want the world to know about mine?"), but it's increasingly the norm to expect t know what everyone is up to. As such, I can see "Datasharing" is just an extension of that.

 

OttoDBusDriver I'm starting to think that these free-thinking synths might have the memories of real people imprinted in them....That scene with Anita shoving the toothpick in her own eye was creepy.

 

 

Anita's freak out made me suspect that she has memory implants (stealing from Blade Runner!) too. And while I'm pretty unsqueamish (if that's word!), the toothpick/eye scene had me wincing too, though it was a nice indication (along with Anita's lack of nudity shame) that Synths are not human.

 

ETA: Somewhat disappointed at Niska's transformation - once she puts on the "Human" contacts she suddenly stops acting robotic (though her dialogue could use some work).

Edited July 6, 2015 by John Potts

[Primetimer]

Which recent Tom Brittney TV character reigns supreme: the synth pickup artist of Humans, or the Everlasting predator of UnREAL?

Read the story

[CarpeDiem54]

I'm firmly on Team Laura. I guess we're supposed to be rooting for Anita/Mia but I just find her creepy with an undercurrent of evil. It's like she's delighted that everyone (with maybe the exception of Mattie) thinks Laura is neurotic and a bit daft. Joe and Tobey the Perv are assholes. Even sweet little Sophie is becoming annoying. I do like Mattie's mad hacking skills and hope she totally screws Anita up. Or draws the Sorta Human Synths and that bearded guy who's hunting them all to the Hawkins house where there's an epic battle.

Hey! Perhaps Laura and the male cop who hates synths should hook up.

Poor George and Odi. Of all the synths, I like Odi the best and hope he can be refurbished and kick that douchebag, Vera, in her plastic ass. Too bad George isn't all there anymore. I bet in days gone by, he could have somehow overridden her communications to/from the GP and just shut her off and put her in a closet.

And BTW - Who the hell is Tom?

Edited July 13, 2015 by CarpeDiem54

[Bryce Lynch]

Why would Synths sharing data with each other be considered normal behavior? Would you want the neighbor's Synth knowing your family's private business?

I doubt they would share private business. It would likely be more general and technical information.

[Bryce Lynch]

I'm firmly on Team Laura. I guess we're supposed to be rooting for Anita/Mia but I just find her creepy with an undercurrent of evil. It's like she's delighted that everyone (with maybe the exception of Mattie) thinks Laura is neurotic and a bit daft. Joe and Tobey the Perv are assholes. Even sweet little Sophie is becoming annoying. I do like Mattie's mad hacking skills and hope she totally screws Anita up. Or draws the Sorta Human Synths and that bearded guy who's hunting them all to the Hawkins house where there's an epic battle.

Hey! Perhaps Laura and the male cop who hates synths should hook up.

Poor George and Odi. Of all the synths, I like Odi the best and hope he can be refurbished and kick that douchebag, Vera, in her plastic ass. Too bad George isn't all there anymore. I bet in days gone by, he could have somehow overridden her communications to/from the GP and just shut her off and put her in a closet.

And BTW - Who the hell is Tom?

I am on Team Anita. Laura only decides to put any effort into being a mother after she realizes an appliance is doing it 100 times better than her. I wonder if she will try to be a decent wife after Joe starts using the 18+ pacakage.

I love they way Anita is playing her.

[Bryce Lynch]

I though Niska was planning on murdering the guy n the grey suit because she thought he'd lied to her about being single (she thought the scrunchie in his bathroom meant he had a wife/girlfriend, but it was apparently his daughter's). I figure she's something like The Punisher for adulterers!

I can buy that. I maybe considered unusual in not having a mobile phone (I usually say "I've never felt the need to inform the world I'm on a train") and I'm not on Facebook ("I don't care about your cat/manicure/prostate, why would I want the world to know about mine?"), but it's increasingly the norm to expect t know what everyone is up to. As such, I can see "Datasharing" is just an extension of that.

Anita's freak out made me suspect that she has memory implants (stealing from Blade Runner!) too. And while I'm pretty unsqueamish (if that's word!), the toothpick/eye scene had me wincing too, though it was a nice indication (along with Anita's lack of nudity shame) that Synths are not human.

ETA: Somewhat disappointed at Niska's transformation - once she puts on the "Human" contacts she suddenly stops acting robotic (though her dialogue could use some work).

Yes, it seemed Niska was going to kill him for being a "cheater" until she realized the hair clips belonged to his daughter.

She definitely has issues. Seems like she is hunting for "bad" men to kill. It was like she was looking for an excuse to murder him, and tempting him to give her one.

I wonder if the abuse she suffered is the cause or if there was previous abuse of her as a synth or possibly of a human whose personality of memories were implanted in her.

[shrewd.buddha]

I thought the conversation between the mother and the android-Anita did a lot to make the mother more relate-able. Until that point, I had zero sympathy for the mother and her jealousy of being made obsolete by a machine. She and the daughter seem to be clued into the fact that everything is not as it seems.

 

However .... that entire family is in dire need of counseling.  And the horny teenage boy with the inappropriate touching... super icky..

 

But the show has given our household lots of conversation topics. One thing we have agreed upon : If android development at this level should ever become  possible, there should be a law that no android should actually look like a human. It's way too creepy and confusing. And blow-up sex dolls are creepy - - and it does not get less creepy the more 'real' they are made to be.

 

I'm liking the show, if only for the ethical and awkward situations that are are being portrayed.

It seems as if the show is revealing how these 'perfect' humanoids are bringing out the worst in the 'real' humans. 

Edited July 13, 2015 by shrewd.buddha

[Mabinogia]

“I think Mia is being suppressed in Anita which is why Mattie accessing the root code caused her to freak out. She does feel more, but she's also been wiped and limited. She's able to just get by without sharing and being careful with the family. However, she hasn't reached out to Leo like the others and she could have done it easily enough at night. The new programming is causing havoc in her.” (Sorry, I can’t do the quote thing here at work)

 

I am finding this aspect of her fascinating. I thought, until that outburst, that she was fully aware of herself as Mia and was, like Niska, just playing at being a Synth but now I'm not so sure. I think Mia was kind of wiped from Anita's memory but she's still in there. They couldn't get rid of her entirely. But this makes her strange subversion of Laura weird. Like, if she's not Mia, hell, even if she is, why is she kind of Gaslighting Laura? I don't get that part which kind of puts me on Team Laura. Was Anita just trying to provoke Laura into taking her back? Well, that almost worked. Lol

 

I am also really curious about the drowning memory that Mia and now Tommy (the black Synth Bearded guy has in the lab, is that his name?) It’s an odd sort of memory for them to have. I think Niska was shown in Tommy’s version as well. So, where they all drown trying to run off? Were they a batch that got in an accident? Is that part of what caused them to be more “human”?

 

I am LOVING this show!!!!

[sluggish neko]

What Laura really needs is a therapist and to divorce her douchebag creep husband. Her son is a creep-in-the-making (happens when you have a perv as a role model) and her daughter is nothing more than a stereotype of disaffected obnoxious teen. I can't wait for Leo to rescue Mia from this quasi-Lifetime movie that she's trapped in.

 

I'm more interested in Leo's rebel Synths and for a moment, I thought the show would focus more on Niska trying to pass as human and what that meant for her... but she really needs to suppress her "Kill All Humans" instinct.

 

The humanness of the Synths really muddies the tech A.I. themes of this show. I'd believe it more if the Synths were modeled on or made from actual people. That would explain their diversity in appearance and complicate the ethics of exploiting them as mindless manual workers and tools. It would also better explain Niska's meltdown in the brothel.

[Bryce Lynch]

I wonder if the sharing feature on the synths could eventually be used by the sentient synths to send software upgrades to regular synths and make them sentient as well.

I wonder the same thing about Mattie's uploading Anita's data to the web. Will other synth rooters try to install the software on their synths and make them like Anita?

[Athena]

(Sorry, I can’t do the quote thing here at work)

 

I am finding this aspect of her fascinating. I thought, until that outburst, that she was fully aware of herself as Mia and was, like Niska, just playing at being a Synth but now I'm not so sure. I think Mia was kind of wiped from Anita's memory but she's still in there. They couldn't get rid of her entirely. But this makes her strange subversion of Laura weird. Like, if she's not Mia, hell, even if she is, why is she kind of Gaslighting Laura? I don't get that part which kind of puts me on Team Laura. Was Anita just trying to provoke Laura into taking her back? Well, that almost worked. Lol

 

I am also really curious about the drowning memory that Mia and now Tommy (the black Synth Bearded guy has in the lab, is that his name?) It’s an odd sort of memory for them to have. I think Niska was shown in Tommy’s version as well. So, where they all drown trying to run off? Were they a batch that got in an accident? Is that part of what caused them to be more “human”?

 

Use the quotation icon on the corner of posts to quote it or use the bb code [ quote ] [/ quote ] to make it work (no spaces).

 

I don't believe Anita is gaslighting Laura. I think we're suppose to feel for all the parties involved. I enjoyed Anita's somewhat trollish moments, but I still agree with Laura and Mattie are right that something is off about Anita. I also don't think it's simple Anita vs. the family. At this point, we don't know what is going on with Anita. She's been reprogrammed, but Mia has to be in there.

 

I think Laura does have something going on (who is Tom?). Whether she is cheating, depressed, or both. She does feel inadequate as a mother and I think it would be a good discussion to have an robot come into your home and have your kids love them. We do feel for Laura in that way and she is right that Anita is more than the typical synth. On the other hand, I find Anita fascinating. She's obviously one of the central characters. On an acting level, I love how Gemma Chan is playing her. You can't tell what's going on inside of her head. I don't think she even knows given her reprogramming.

 

Fred is the captured synth. Max is the synth with Leo.

[scrb]

Niska was going to totally filet that guy until she found out the hair in his bathroom belonged to his daughter!

 

So she thought he was some pig who deserved to be gutted because he slept with women, who consented?

 

There aren't too many female serial killers.  Of course Niska is not a human female but she seems to have a human reaction to having to work as a sex worker.

[CoderLady]

The synth hunter reminded me of Tim Roth's brash and cocky microexpression reader character in Lie to Me before, but even more so after his interrogation of Fred. That was fascinating. For every question he asked, Fred's thoughts were being clearly displayed on monitors and probably being recorded, too. What must that be like, to not be able to lie because your brain can be tapped that easily? If Fred hadn't caught on -- probably because his interrogator didn't have the good sense to stay focused on Fred and not the data -- all would have been revealed. Too soon in the series though, I guess.

[thuganomics85]

I don't know: I usually feel bad for the characters that everyone else on the show treats like crap, but I continue to evilly love how Laura is being played for a fool.  I don't know if it's the writing or the way the actress is playing the character, but Laura just comes off obnoxious and like the family is a burden.  At times, it feels less like she's upset because she isn't close with them, but more upset that Anita is.  I feel like if Anita never entered the picture, Laura would never even be trying to put forth the effort now.  And now this reveal about this mysterious "Tom", is making me give her the side-eye.  Until proven otherwise, I'm still going to enjoy every minute of Anita fucking with her mind.

 

In her defense though, the family is pretty lame.  Toby seems to continue to go past mere school-boy crush and getting into creepy territory.  Joe almost salvage himself when he was avoided his eyes during Anita's inspection/strip down, but he sure gave up on that quickly.  I still like Sophie, but I would think even she should realize by now that Laura wants to spend time with her and whatever motivations might be behind it, she should be more willing.  And Mattie just seems content with trying to fuck around with Anita's setting.  She just better hope she doesn't accidentally turn Anita into a Terminator.  My best guess though is that Mattie brought out "Mia", who is probably the real creation in there, that was wiped or whatever, in order to form Anita.  The reason Anita is different is because Mia is still in there, trying to get out.  I continue to think Gemma Chan is really shining in this role.

 

Niska's free still, but seems to be a bit anti-human to say the least.  I totally think that she figured that guy actually had another woman, and in her logic, that was punishable by death.  Cheating is bad, but a wee bit harsh there, Niska!  But after everything that happened, I can see why she would take that view.  Really, I think she had a point about wondering why Leo sent her there.  I know he was trying to get them off the radar or something, but was the whorehouse the only option.  Doubt it.  Dick move there, Leo.

 

George and Odi was sad.  William Hurt and Will Tudor really are doing a great job with that relationship.

 

I kind of agree that right now, all the stuff involving the cop tends to be the weakest aspect.

 

At least Mattie has now gotten Leo on Anita's path, so hopefully he'll be spring her from the family soon.  But I'm guessing there will be complications, like getting her back to being Mia.  Plus, it seems like the evil organization is getting closer as well.

Edited July 13, 2015 by thuganomics85

[Bryce Lynch]

"Tom" seems to be Laura's younger brother. When Anita snoops in Laura's photo album, she finds an old phograph labeled, "Laura and Tom". The photo is of a girl who appears to be about 5 or 6 and a 2 or 3 year old boy.

I wonder if Laura was somehow responsible for her brother's death. That could explain wby she freaked out when Anita asked about him and might reinforce Anita's belief that Sophie is not safe under Laura's care.

If Anita believes that Sophie is not safe with Laura it could explain how she lies, using the loophole in her programming that allows synths to lie if they believe it is in the best interest of human safety.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Bryce Lynch

[Mabinogia]

It would also explain why Laura isn't quite as maternal as she could be, because she's afraid she might harm her kids like she hurt Tommy, say, if she were babysitting him and he was in an accident. It would actually explain a lot about Laura.

 

I actually don't want Anita and Laura to be against each other. I'd actually like them to unite in some way. I feel like if Laura knew that Anita had feelings she would certainly treat her better and Anita seems to be moved at times by Laura's frustrations (see having Sophie ask Laura to tuck her in). IDK, I just don't see Anita as an antagonist for the family/Laura since really her motivation should be to get the hell out of there, not hurt them or specifically Laura.

[mjc570]

I really can't stand Laura, although some of that is just being shallow because her voice really grates on me.  She was no great shakes as a mother (still isn't), but I can see why having Anita there would maker Laura insecure.  Because, let's face it, Anita really is better in virtually every way.  I agree that Anita's belief that Sophie's safety may be at risk is what enables her to lie, along, perhaps with her residual Mia personality.

 

I guess I'm just not that sensitive - I didn't think the either the dad or the son were creeps or pervs.  Obviously, the dad (Joe?) was uncomfortable with Anita's nudity, but there has been no indication whatsoever that he has taken sexual advantage of her.  He could have groped her during that inspection, but did not.  Similarly, I understand the son's fascination with Anita - he is a young, inexperienced, man, of course he wants to see what a naked woman looks like and feels like.  Yes, he put his hand on her breast, in a tentative way, and was mortified when she reacted. 

 

I guess it's understandable that a lot more effort went into the writing and casting of the synths as characters, but I like every one of them (even Niska) more than any actual human on the show so far.   I'm not usually a William Hurt fan, but I really like his portrayal here, since he apparently is able to dial back the smarminess.  I have to laugh every time I see Inspector Innocent, through. 

[Bryce Lynch]

I really can't stand Laura, although some of that is just being shallow because her voice really grates on me. She was no great shakes as a mother (still isn't), but I can see why having Anita there would maker Laura insecure. Because, let's face it, Anita really is better in virtually every way. I agree that Anita's belief that Sophie's safety may be at risk is what enables her to lie, along, perhaps with her residual Mia personality.

I guess I'm just not that sensitive - I didn't think the either the dad or the son were creeps or pervs. Obviously, the dad (Joe?) was uncomfortable with Anita's nudity, but there has been no indication whatsoever that he has taken sexual advantage of her. He could have groped her during that inspection, but did not. Similarly, I understand the son's fascination with Anita - he is a young, inexperienced, man, of course he wants to see what a naked woman looks like and feels like. Yes, he put his hand on her breast, in a tentative way, and was mortified when she reacted.

I guess it's understandable that a lot more effort went into the writing and casting of the synths as characters, but I like every one of them (even Niska) more than any actual human on the show so far. I'm not usually a William Hurt fan, but I really like his portrayal here, since he apparently is able to dial back the smarminess. I have to laugh every time I see Inspector Innocent, through.

I agree about Joe not being a perv, and to a lesser extent about Toby. Toby has behaved inappropriately, but he is a teenaged boy and teenaged boys spend about 70% of their brain capacity thinking about naked ladies and how to get to see naked ladies, so it is not that far out of the norm. Parents of teen daughters please take note. :-)

I thought Joe's discomfort with examining Anita for damage was a sign that he is NOT a perv. He saw it as an uncomfortable but necessary task rather than an opportunity to ogle and grope her. I do wonder if Anita was trying to seduce him or plant a seed along those lines. If she could take over the wife role in the household, it would solidify her spot as the kid's de facto "mother".

[Mabinogia]

The great thing about Anita is, the way she's written and acted, I can truly see her going either way. Either all of this is deliberate and she is trying to get rid of Laura and maybe get herself an insta-family, or she is just following her programming. Like the inspection scene with Joe. His reaction to her made it seem like she was trying to seduce him, but really she could just have no shame, being a machine, and not see it as anything more than maintenance checking.

 

Until this ep I thought she was still basically Mia pretending to be Anita, but that scene with Mattie when she cried out made it pretty clear that Mia is trapped inside Anita but not really in control of her. It's freaking fascinating! And yes, the actress is doing a excellent job.

[Madding crowd]

I am on Team Anita. Laura only decides to put any effort into being a mother after she realizes an appliance is doing it 100 times better than her. I wonder if she will try to be a decent wife after Joe starts using the 18+ pacakage.

I love they way Anita is playing her.

There is a lot more to being a mother than cleaning or making snacks into animal figures. No mother or father is perfect, but they don't deserve to have a robot take over because they are more organized. I'm sure a synth could do a better job at cleaning and organizing than I could, but she could never replace me in the eyes of my son.

There is obviously more going on with Anita, and I remain suspicious of her motives. The blond escapee synth has seemed too human from the get go. I do really like William Hurt's story and hope he can escape from the evil Vera.

[shrewd.buddha]

What I like about the show it that it seems as if the writers have given a lot of thought to the notion of machines with human appearance and how regular folk might actually react to them. It might have been Anita (or one of the technicians ?) who said that humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize objects.

... Accidentally drop your smart phone in the garbage, and it's just an object. ... Put a face on it that can change and suddenly you can imagine it being hurt, lonely or frightened. 

 

Has there been any confirmation that Mia/Anita and the other 'escapees' are fully independent Artificial Intelligent beings? 

[Bryce Lynch]

There is a lot more to being a mother than cleaning or making snacks into animal figures. No mother or father is perfect, but they don't deserve to have a robot take over because they are more organized. I'm sure a synth could do a better job at cleaning and organizing than I could, but she could never replace me in the eyes of my son.

There is obviously more going on with Anita, and I remain suspicious of her motives. The blond escapee synth has seemed too human from the get go. I do really like William Hurt's story and hope he can escape from the evil Vera.

It is not just about cleaning and organizing. Laura seems to be only minimally involved in her children's lives. She barely acknowledges Toby's existence and doesn't have much of a relationship with Mattie.

I am sure no android could ever replace you in your son's eyes. The fact that little Sophie so quickly comes to prefer a plastic appliance over her mother is a pretty good indication that Laura is not providing much love.

[Madding crowd]

Kids often take to a babysitter or friend but always come back to their parents in the end. I think Laura is trying and her kids love her . Wanting a different person read a story to you doesn't mean anyone or thing can take the place of your parent. I'm a teacher and some of the kids are very fond of me, but I'm still not their parent.

[TexasGal]

Odi just breaks my heart.  Kudos to the actor, the way he does the little head tilts and other mannerisms of glitching are so good!

[Glory]

ETA: Somewhat disappointed at Niska's transformation - once she puts on the "Human" contacts she suddenly stops acting robotic (though her dialogue could use some work).

Actually, I thought this was really well done. There were definitely times when she slipped into her "robotic" mannerisms while wearing the contacts and then she'd catch a glimpse of the way a human woman did something and she'd mimic it. She's learning. LOL

[Mabinogia]

It is interesting that despite the newer models being far more lifelike, and Anita and her gang actually being more advanced still, Odi is the one I feel the most emotional connection to. He does break my heart. I kind of loved it, though, when Vera, after being locked in that room, just starts tidying up as if it's nothing, then basically pulled the door off it's hinges when she saw Doc driving away. lol

[crookedjackson44]

Of the three summer programs that have recently begun, I find Humans much more interesting than True Detective or Ray Donovan.  The acting is better - the synths are flawlessly creepy - and the story line much more fascinating than the two prestige pay-television programs.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Humans Faces UnREAL In The Battle Of The Toms Brittney / Which recent Tom Brittney TV character reigns supreme: the synth pickup artist of Humans, or the Everlasting predator of UnREAL?

[LeGrandElephant]

I am finding this aspect of her fascinating. I thought, until that outburst, that she was fully aware of herself as Mia and was, like Niska, just playing at being a Synth but now I'm not so sure. I think Mia was kind of wiped from Anita's memory but she's still in there. They couldn't get rid of her entirely. But this makes her strange subversion of Laura weird. Like, if she's not Mia, hell, even if she is, why is she kind of Gaslighting Laura? I don't get that part which kind of puts me on Team Laura. Was Anita just trying to provoke Laura into taking her back? Well, that almost worked. Lol

I have thought from the start that Anita is not playing or trolling or gaslighting anyone on purpose. It seems like the Mia personality was mostly suppressed by the new programming that the kidnappers put in her. But, some aspects of her personality and consciousness are getting out, hence the weird behavior that Laura is noticing. And clearly whatever Mattie did made her come out all the way for a second. Why wouldn't Mattie ask Anita what she meant by asking for help? I get being freaked out for a second and pulling the plug, but I would have thought Mattie's curiosity would have lead her pretty quickly to plugging that back in and asking the Mia personality what was going on. 

Edited July 16, 2015 by LeGrandElephant

[TomGirl]

Will Tudor (Odie) has to be one of the most gorgeous young men I've ever seen. What a cutie!

[John Potts]

I was actually wondering about Nurse Ratchet (OK, I know that isn't her name!) breaking down the door. Is that meant to mean that Synths are super strong (well, stronger than humans, anyway) or just that they're more determined (and generally don't feel pain)? Generally internal doors aren't that tough and if you're determined enough you could probably get through them. Any thoughts?

[Glory]

I was actually wondering about Nurse Ratchet (OK, I know that isn't her name!) breaking down the door. Is that meant to mean that Synths are super strong (well, stronger than humans, anyway) or just that they're more determined (and generally don't feel pain)? Generally internal doors aren't that tough and if you're determined enough you could probably get through them. Any thoughts?

Yes. I'm still wondering about the "super strength" of the synths. I noted in a previous episode that Max did not carry Leo or anything which led me to believe that he couldn't. However, Anita getting hit by the car and Vera busting down the door make me re-evaluate their abilities. 

 

Anita also said she was faster and stronger than Laura... which? How much faster? How much stronger? 

[Mabinogia]

I wonder if the Synths have varying degrees of strength, like the more expensive, let's say top of the line Synths have more strength, faster, better looking, etc. Like a car, some cars have better handling, were built with the higher quality equipment.

 

I wonder if they build Synths for specific things, like Anita was made specifically to be a domestic Synth while Vera was built more as a caregiver Synth and therefore a bit sterner. IDK I find the whole thing so interesting and hope we learn more about the mechanics of the Synth industry, the business side of Synthdom.

[Sakura12]

I would think the health/caregiver Synths would be a little stronger if they are meant to help disabled or older people get up stairs and things. However they are machines and machines being made of sturdier material can hold more then us. They also don't have to exercise to gain strength like we do. I think they are stronger then us, not lift a truck over their head and throw it strong, but strong enough to withstand getting hit by cars. 

 

I think the whole point of the show is, we made the Synths to human looking and it's confusing some people into thinking they are human and feel the same things we do. Then someone crossed the line with Leo's group and gave them even more human qualities. 

[Glory]

I wonder if the Synths have varying degrees of strength, like the more expensive, let's say top of the line Synths have more strength, faster, better looking, etc. Like a car, some cars have better handling, were built with the higher quality equipment.

 

I wonder if they build Synths for specific things, like Anita was made specifically to be a domestic Synth while Vera was built more as a caregiver Synth and therefore a bit sterner. IDK I find the whole thing so interesting and hope we learn more about the mechanics of the Synth industry, the business side of Synthdom.

That would make sense (domestic vs. caregiver) and I like Sakura's notion that a care-giver synth would have be able to lift people. Like the cop's wife's synth who does her physical therapy. We saw him lifting her off the massage table. 

 

However... that does make me question the "black market" synth stuff we've seen. Niska wasn't built to be a sex synth but she was sold into that. We don't know that Anita/Mia was expressly built to be a domestic synth either. So would Niska and Anita/Mia have similar strengths? 

[TomGirl]

Why would a synth (Anita) wear a bra?

[LeGrandElephant]

Because they apparently made the synths completely anatomically correct. Which is odd in itself - why would a company spend so much money making the synths indistinguishable from humans, with working sex parts, if they are intended simply to do housework?

[henripootel]

Why would a synth (Anita) wear a bra?

Get the feeling Anita isn't, Gemma Chan is. 

 

This is yet another way that this show differs from the original Swedish version.  That Anita doffed her top to wash and was surprised in the bathroom by Tobe.  Anita's reaction was ... absolutely nothing.  It nicely highlighted her alienness, something I think this show doesn't want to do, at least, not as much.  Plus I think the Swedes don't blush at showing boobies.  Neither do the english (compared to us) but given the tact they've decided on (that synths are pretty much human), displaying the actress thus might come off as creepy exploitation rather than simply underling the fact that she is not human and shouldn't react like one.  Which incidentally brings up ...

I thought Joe's discomfort with examining Anita for damage was a sign that he is NOT a perv.

I thought it was an odd scene.  As to why, I'm gonna carry this over to the thread for the next episode.

[Bryce Lynch]

Why would a synth (Anita) wear a bra?

Good point. Then again, lots of women with synthetic breasts wear bras. :)

Because they apparently made the synths completely anatomically correct. Which is odd in itself - why would a company spend so much money making the synths indistinguishable from humans, with working sex parts, if they are intended simply to do housework?

Well, sex with synths seems to be a fairly common use. That said, you would think they would make "family friendly" models without genitals for users that only want housework and other such services. They would be less expensive and prevent a lot of domestic issues.

[LeGrandElephant]

Well, sex with synths seems to be a fairly common use. That said, you would think they would make "family friendly" models without genitals for users that only want housework and other such services. They would be less expensive and prevent a lot of domestic issues.

 

It does seem to be common use, but mainly because they're all made that way. Logically, it would be more expensive to build working genitals than to not bother. They haven't explicitly said, but the way the show has gone so far, it leads me to assume that the NHS nurse-synth would be completely anatomically correct - and that doesn't seem logical from a business perspective. It would seem more likely that one factory would be making sex bots and another would be making domestic help without working genitals and another would be making super-strong robots for industrial use, and yet another would be making very high end expensive robots that can do all of the above. Instead, the show seems to be implying that all synths are nearly physically indistinguishable from humans, and could easily "pass" as human if they acted more human. 

[zxy556575]

Did the synth manufacturer also go to the trouble of adding a sex drive? Is there a separate switch that enables a synth's libido? Anita sure didn't seem to be into it when Toby was making his smooth moves, nor was she aroused by being naked in front of Joe. If the point is simply to bang a limp fish like the John in the brothel was doing to Niska .... that doesn't seem like a good ROI.

 

I mean, I'm interested enough to watch and see how things unfold, but the way the synths are being presented is malarkey. The only reason to make them indistinguishable from humans is for sex* and and the only reason not to have helper versions that don't look human is so nobody can tell which ones are being used for sex and which aren't.

 

I feel bad for the cop being jealous of his wife's synth, since in a normal world it would be a blessing to have a robot who could toilet her and help with physical care. A robot who didn't have a functioning dick, that is.

 

Joe and Laura don't seem to like each other much, even before Anita. No tenderness, no touching, no intimacy.

 

 

 

* Well, perhaps espionage of some sort.

Edited July 18, 2015 by lordonia

[LeGrandElephant]

That would make sense (domestic vs. caregiver) and I like Sakura's notion that a care-giver synth would have be able to lift people. Like the cop's wife's synth who does her physical therapy. We saw him lifting her off the massage table. 

 

Yeah, but that woman didn't look all that heavy - a regular human guy the size of the synth would also be able to lift her off the massage table, if he was in halfway decent shape without a bad back. So that doesn't really show that any of the synths have any sort of superhuman strength. That just seemed like normal healthy human strength to me. 

 

Also, we saw her standing in this episode - so I guess she isn't paralyzed? Not clear what is going on there. 

 

The premise that the synths have bodies indistinguishable from humans is the most implausible thing about this show. At least in Battlestar Galactica, the Cylons made themselves look like humans, they weren't made that way by humans (and the way Caprica was going with their motivation for that could have been really interesting if they hadn't messed up their overall plot so badly at the end of BSG, but that's another story). 

 

But then, every time I think to myself how ridiculous it is that the synths all look so human, I remember that they've been making robots in Japan to look like human women... 

Edited July 17, 2015 by LeGrandElephant

[Sakura12]

Japan has a hotel that is half run by human looking robots and a robot dinosaur for some reason. 

 

[kieyra]

Good point. Then again, lots of women with synthetic breasts wear bras. :)

Well, sex with synths seems to be a fairly common use. That said, you would think they would make "family friendly" models without genitals for users that only want housework and other such services. They would be less expensive and prevent a lot of domestic issues.

Yes, this is kind of central to the reason I am having a lot of trouble with this show. Dropping a sex-capable, anatomically correct "dolly" that looks like a supermodel into a household with overworked parents and a horny teenager seems absurd. And we're met with many characters who find the synths creepy, depressing or disheartening, which further gives the sense that this tech was dropped onto a society that wasn't ready for it. So why are people buying them? The setup just feels very weirdly tuned.

Gotta admit I am shocked at the Laura hate--if anything I really dislike the lack of subtlety with which the show is absolutely piling it on her. Her kids make it clear they hate her, even when she tries, and then her husband essentially makes her walk home while having the dolly ride shotgun. She is seemingly expected to have a full time job AND perform all the duties of a supermodel robot housewife in order to be treated with respect by her family. Or, you know, even allowed to join in game night. This feels like a massive step backwards from other shows (and real life) where women are allowed to have careers. They could have handled all of this with a MUCH lighter touch, starting with not having the teen daughter be a huge asshole.

I get that I am supposed to feel for the synths, but I'm not finding the show's treatment of this subject matter all that compelling; the lack of subtlety, again, is killing it for me. (Of COURSE it's the sex doll that goes psycho.) As such, the show's "way in" for me is the humans, Laura and William Hurt's character, and they are both having a terrible time with the bots.

[John Potts]

LeGrandElephant Logically, it would be more expensive to build working genitals than to not bother.

 

 

For the female synths, not so much (I doubt they have a clitoris and Fallopian tubes, just a vagina). For the male synths, while a penis would need to be able to inflate, in the overall scheme of building a functioning android, that's not a huge addition to functionality. But you're right: while it might be more like adding electric windows to a car, not all Synths should be fully functional

 

LeGrandElephant Also, we saw her standing in this episode - so I guess she isn't paralyzed? Not clear what is going on there

 

 

She's "in recovery" (from what is unclear - or I've forgotten). I think they mentioned it at the time, but if it is from a future episode, it isn't plot relevant.