Almost Human - Who's Watching? [Open spoilers]

I was wondering about that too. They also said it was illegal to use any human DNA in androids. I’d like for clarification as to why other than for convenience of plot. If I was super hot with no other prospects I’d sell my DNA by the ton.

I also like how in 2048 the police drive 2013 era Ford Fusions with minor body kits and silly looking hub caps (which is a shame, I love the rims on my '13 Fusion). Judging by the exhaust pipes they drive the Titanium level, meaning that their budgets are doing ok.

I think that’s part of the racist plot they ramrodded through–they didn’t want them getting too human. They shut down the DRN line because they were just as emotional and prone to irrational behavior as humans. They think they’re making robots, not people.

Getting around the human DNA problem should be pretty straight forward using xenonucleic acids. A lot of work has already been done with them, to the point even of being able to create the machinery needed for replication.

It’s possible they could have grown skin in a vat, but this was a cheaper/easier/less traceable way to do it. Yeah, that’s a total fanwank, but hey.

I kind of like that they’ve peaked too soon on a few things. We could have had to sit through a whole season of Kennex slowly and grudgingly coming to accept Dorian, but hey, we’re past that. Phew.

I thought the episode an improvement on the original, where they made some effort to deal with real SF themes (instead of plain old supercrooks/terrorists). The relationships were better and the situation was the type of speculation that always is at the heart of good science fiction.

They’re also dealing with far more interesting themes. True, they were being done in the literature in the 60s, but TV SF is always behind written SF.

I thought the pilot was OK, but loved the second episode.

Karl Urban’s character seemed to come into his own more in the second episode and I liked the interaction with his robot partner.

Much, much better episode.

I want one of those animated giraffes…:smiley:

I’m not sure how long they can keep up the banter between the two leads before it gets old. Time will tell. Plus there’s sex-bots, so I’m watching.

Did anyone else catch the vibe that android rights will become a big issue?

Cops bend every effort to find and save the pretty human girl. Pretty android girl is quietly disposed of because she has human DNA. White human says “[Damn it spock] you know androids can’t have human DNA.” Black android arches eyebrow.

Another one who wasn’t sure about the first episode, but actively liked the second. I enjoyed the banter, and I really don’t mind watching Karl Urban do just about anything. :slight_smile: I had a moment where I thought “Hey, where are the boy sexbots?” And then one appeared on-screen–more suprisingly, one I’d totally bang if I were into robot-sex. Way to read my mind, show.

I’m glad somebody else caught that the description of Kennex’s dream girl could fit either one of his fellow female cops. It seemed like there was a moment with the Captain at the end of episode 2, but it was very fast and I got distracted almost immediately because Dorian was shoving Minka Kelly at him.

Definitely will keep watching. Because my DVR isn’t full enough.

I don’t get what the potential market for a human-skinned sexbot would be. Wouldn’t it be easier just to hire a human prostitute that can act like a sexbot? Or are we just to assume that in the future, the ultra-rich will create niche markets for any crazy damn thing, and be utterly indifferent to how that thing is made.

I’m digging the show. Sure, it’s not breaking totally fresh ground, but that’s okay, it’s doing it really well. The actors hooked me instantly. I like that, so far, they’re being relatively subtle about the slavery/racism allegory. By that I mean that they are showing it, rather than simply having the main characters talk it to death.

Maybe to some sex with a robot is less immoral than sex with a prostitute. Or maybe they’re into stuff too kinky for even hookers. Or the robots are less likely to give them future AIDS. Or maybe real hos charge more. Maybe robosexuals are a big thing. Or something else.

They probably have . . . ahem enhanced abilities as well. I’m sure ‘shake that money maker’ means something a lot different to a sexbot.

One of the things I liked a lot was Kennex insisting he wasn’t bad with kids, then totally not screwing up talking to the kid. Just about any other show would have had him say something stupid then be at a loss as the kid started crying. The writers didn’t take the cliched easy route.

And he’s totally not smooth with women, but had the compassion to hold the mother’s hand in the lab and say just what she needed to hear.

I was worried that they’d go one of two ways: having the human teach the andriod how not to act too robotic, or having the android do the same for the human. Instead, they are allowing both to be human in their own way. It gives me hope for the series.

According to the fine folks at TWOP, this past episode was actually supposed to be Episode 5. I haven’t confirmed this nor do I know why they’re showing them out of order, but it does explain the huge jump from Kennex beginning to grudgingly accept Dorian and the comfortable banter we saw.

I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it, I can totally see it.

Yeah, I liked that, especially after he totally messed up his interaction with the group of kids by jamming a knife into his leg.

Yep. It seems like he may be the stereotypical gruff cop who is also the stereotypical socially awkward guy. I could see him developing into an interesting character.
I hope they don’t go too far into this conspiracy thing. It’s fine as a device to set the story in motion, but the last thing I want to see is another sci fi show that loses itself in some convoluted and boring conspiracy. I want to know what’s going on in the U.S. and the world in 2048. I want to learn about these characters. I want to see an interesting weekly plot. That’s plenty of material right there.

Future episode: the cops discover an underground market for schoolgirl kidney pie, which is not actually pie made from the kidneys of schoolgirls but is a euphemism for beef stew, which has become the common streetname of accountant-brain-soup.

I also thought episode 2 was an improvement. I was not quite so clear on what advantage the human DNA provided but I may have missed something.

Yeah, the whole human DNA thing seemed odd to me and added as a pseudo-scientific explanation, but somewhere along the line they said that the DNA was used to manufacture the skin and hair for the sexbots, so I can see that. Still seems like a bit of a stretch though.

I find myself really looking forward to tonight’s episode!

I think the partnership is really starting to work after tonight’s episode - especially the closing scene with the Elton John tune. That was classic. You can criticize some of the elements for being a little hackneyed but I think by and large it’s really working and I have to say this is fast becoming one of the shows I too am looking forward to.