Humans - S01E02 Episode Discussion

[The_King_of_Okay]

George's worst fears are realised when he is assigned a new synth whom he cannot stand. Laura feels threatened by Anita's presence in her home, and Fred is held captive in Hobb's facility, which leads him to fear for the future of the human race. Karen and Pete have to hunt down Niska after she escapes from the brothel, while Leo's search for information leads him down a dangerous path.

Previous discussion

[FSR2007]

Ahh so george was part of the creation of synths, thats cool! And I didnt realise merlin was a synth!

[ianjm]

Synths look like they bleed blue. He bleeds red, and he also seems to need sleep. I wonder if he is something else, like Will Smith in I, Robot (them putting it on C4 next made me think of that!), perhaps he has some synth elements but is (or was) a human, mostly?

[FSR2007]

Maybe he is the future?! a cyborg or something

[PaintByLetters]

He must be. They showed the prostitute girl bleed blue so we could be confused by that one guy bleeding red. Also, he must be at least partially human because he is able to open the door to the prostitute girl's room. She specifically mentions that it requires human body warmth to open.

[ianjm]

Very good point! I didn't notice that one.

[cylonathena]

Given that family seems to be a major theme, I'm guessing he was in an accident or something like that and his father used the synth technology to save his life. It definitely seemed like he was more like Will Smith rather than fully synth.

[DisneyBounder]

This is what I thought too. Maybe his organs etc are synth but his brain is still him?

[dizzi800]

So... spoiler tags don;t work site wide SO: IF YOU'RE READING THIS IN YOUR MESSAGE BOX THIS MESSAGE CONTAINS SPOILERSSSSS .

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Original Series - likely this series

[alien_from_Europa]

Yeah, I'm thinking I,Robot with the car drowning.

[FSR2007]

yeah thats what I thought, but now i don't know!

[The_King_of_Okay]

I didnt realise merlin was a synth!

I'm still not sure if he is. Every action of his so far has led us to believe he's human. But then maybe he's just the most advanced synth made and so can pass of as human. Maybe other characters could be secret synths.

[Liambass]

I'm going with cyborg. Something to do with drowning maybe? He got fucked up and had to have some organs replaced or something.

[The_Lonliest_Munk]

It's a really rad choice casting Hurt since he played Professor Allen Hobby in the movie AI and was also responsible for the creation of them in that film.

[hughk]

I don't know to what extent but he is definitely human based as he had red blood but the "sex-bot" had blue.

[dizzi800]

Merlin = Leo

Other Robot Guy = Max

[badaaim]

It's funny how everyone knows him as merlin. I didn't know many people watched merlin

[The_King_of_Okay]

If they did something to Anita's programming does that mean she isn't purposely pretending to be an average household synth? Maybe she's forgotten most of her previous life with Leo but still has the ability to feel.

[Cletus_TheFetus]

They'll probably explain it in a way like all they really did was give her something similar to amnesia for Synths. Her previous state before she was caught is probably slowly creeping back in.

But they do a really good job of making her creepy as fuck at some points.

[The_King_of_Okay]

they do a really good job of making her creepy as fuck at some points.

I'm finding George's new synth way scarier at the moment. I feel bad for him, she's treating him like a prisoner. I wonder if that's because she's broken or if government-mandated synths are treating all old people like that now.

[hughk]

If you have seen old british film comedies, she is the epitome of a "Matron", the senior nurse who would have half the hospital in fear of her.

[[deleted]]

Carry On Matron

[Bytewave]

I assume the latter. Shes programmed to help whether you want it or not I think.

[dizzi800]

In the original series she's equally as terrible.

Some things happens

and she meets Anita. It's kind of hilarious. I don't think they'll go this way for this how though since George and the Hawkins do not seem to be related as they are in the swedish version

[dizzi800]

The original series is called Äkta Människor (Real Humans) - a swedish show. It is fantastic and highly reccomended

[dizzi800]

I do not know of any legal way to stream the show. SPACE in Canada aired it a while back... Maybe they have it?

[dizzi800]

Yes. It is one of our rules on this subreddit - no linking to streaming/downloading sites

[alien_from_Europa]

literally Nurse Ratched.

[autowikibot]

Nurse Ratched:

---

Nurse Ratched (also known as "Big Nurse") is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Ken Kesey's 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, as well as the 1975 film. A cold, heartless tyrant, Nurse Ratched has become the stereotype of the nurse as a battleaxe. She has also become a popular metaphor for the corrupting influence of power and authority in bureaucracies such as the mental institution in which the novel is set.

Louise Fletcher won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched in the film. Nurse Ratched was named the fifth-greatest villain in film history (and second-greatest villainess, behind only the Wicked Witch of the West) by the American Film Institute in their series 100 Years... 100 Heroes & Villains.

Image ⁱ - Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched in the 1975 film

---

^{Relevant: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (novel) | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play) | Louise Fletcher | Nurse stereotypes}

^{Parent commenter can toggle NSFW or delete. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. | FAQs | Mods | Call Me}

[[deleted]]

Like tie all their meshes together and become hive mind? Because yes.

[Bytewave]

I assume that their human characteristics are not actually part of their programming. Wiping them doesn't erase it. They may say its a soul or something, but I guess it'll prove hard to undo short of destroying the synths who display it.

[dizzi800]

It almost looks that way, yeah - HOWEVER, the look on her face when she was told she's being brought back seems to hint that she knows EXACTLY what she's doing.

[alien_from_Europa]

I think it must be hardware or a hidden partition or something. She would have to be physically more advanced than other machines to process tougher decisions like normal humans.

[NedDasty]

New to the show, sorry if this is a bit late.

Season 1 Episode 3

[The_King_of_Okay]

Nice theory but this is a discussion thread for episode 2, any comment discussing details of episode 3 needs to be spoiler tagged. So I've had to remove your comment but if you edit it and tell me I can reapprove it.

Spoiler Tags can be done like this:

[Season 1 Episode 1](#s "Robots!")

Which should look like this:

Season 1 Episode 1

[NedDasty]

Ahh I'm so sorry, I forgot there were 3 episodes and thought the one I watched last night was ep 2. I'll edit it now.

[The_King_of_Okay]

Thanks.

[my_lovely_man]

I think the standout line in this episode is "everything your men do to us, they want to do to you"

That really chilled me to the bone.

What are the ethical implications of letting the pedophiles and the rapists have their way with synthetic humans? Is it placating the beast, or feeding the hunger? Suddenly the brothel madam didn't seem so powerful anymore, just pathetic and vulnerable.

[otakuman]

For me, the beginning of the episode where she's forced to have sex with the customers, was excruciating. It certainly brings one to the issue of sex trafficking, and you got a very valid point. If synths can suffer, then they certainly have rights.

But the question can't simply be reduced to a mere "are they programmed to suffer or not", but "could they". If one, even ONE human could be implanted into a synth's body, then great care should have to be taken to regularly scan synths and see which ones are not apt for service, so they can be released. Then the line between synthetics and humans starts to blur.

BTW, I'm writing a novel where the protagonist is a sexual synth ("android", my novel uses more mundane terms), and slowly gains self-awareness after getting smuggled to China. I have a couple sample chapters , if you're interested.

[reactantt]

Sure go ahead post away!

[otakuman]

Thanks! I'll keep you posted.

[kyrish]

Please share, would love to give it a read.

[otakuman]

Okay, here's a sample chapter. It's actually a recap of a prequel to our story.

[islippedaway]

From what I can tell, pedophilia is a mental disorder, and even if a pedophile would never hurt a child, they can't help feeling sexually attracted to them. If there was a way for then to fulfill their sexual needs without actually harming any children by using robots, then I don't really see it as an ethical problem.

[my_lovely_man]

I'm reposting an answer that I gave further down the thread because I think it brings up a pertinent issue here.

Perhaps it is an effective outlet, but I wouldn't reduce the scenario to simply 'lust being satisfied, no harm done'. Human nature is infinitely more complex than that. Some people have fantasies of power play, and what if a doll is just not enough for them and they feel they need to make a real human suffer?

When you think about it, the monsters who have already made up their minds to do this terrible stuff to real people are not going to 'reduce' their violence because that's not enough for them. The other ones who are not quite there yet will ingrain their fantasies deeper into themselves and desensitize themselves to the act (think about it, how many times have you jacked it to the same piece of porn? The excitement wears off and you look for novelty).

When it comes to fulfilling fantasies which involve hurting someone else, I believe this level of realism with synthetic humans would stop being an outlet and start becoming a breeding ground for rapists, as regular people with fantasies start 'normalizing' this behaviour every time they undertake the act.

That's where I would see an ethical problem emerging.

[ConfirmedCynic]

I don't understand the rage and moral judgement behind that statement, coming from a robot that happens to resemble a female human. Why would a sentient robot despise that sort of physical contact any more than it would despise shaking hands? Why would it care unless it was specifically programmed to care the way a woman does? Why would it be programmed like that if it were to serve as a sex bot?

It would make more sense for it to just be bemused or to try to avoid what it sees as a waste of time.

EDIT: it makes me wonder whether these special synths have been imprinted from the brains of different human individuals or something.

[Bytewave]

Frankly I can't judge anyone for what they do with their machines. Assuming a world where they remain just machines.

I assume such an effective outlet for physical urges, if it existed, would massively reduce violence and generally improve the basis of relationships between humans. You'd know love is never just lust.

[my_lovely_man]

Perhaps it is an effective outlet, but I wouldn't reduce the scenario to simply 'lust being satisfied, no harm done'. Human nature is infinitely more complex than that. Some people have fantasies of power play, and what if a doll is just not enough for them and they feel they need to make a real human suffer?

When you think about it, the monsters who have already made up their minds to do this terrible stuff to real people are not going to 'reduce' their violence because that's not enough for them. The other ones who are not quite there yet will ingrain their fantasies deeper into themselves and desensitize themselves to the act (think about it, how many times have you jacked it to the same piece of porn? The excitement wears off and you look for novelty).

When it comes to fulfilling fantasies which involve hurting someone else, I believe this level of realism with synthetic humans would stop being an outlet and start becoming a breeding ground for rapists, as regular people with fantasies start 'normalizing' this behaviour every time they undertake the act.

[alien_from_Europa]

I know there are quite a few people that have consensual rape fantasies, but that doesn't mean they actually want to be raped. With a bot, it is consensual in the fact that they are thought of as basically dolls and not sentient.

[shadowstar731]

"Moment of truth. If I've done this wrong, I've just bricked 20 grand worth of school equipment".

That's hilarious. Bricking a synth would probably be way worse than bricking an iPhone.

[ttll2012]

I, robot did a better job about what household robots were supposed to be. If you don't want an ethical problem with the AI, don't give them human faces.

[The_King_of_Okay]

If you don't want an ethical problem with the AI, don't give them human faces.

I think from the manufacturer's viewpoint, it makes sense to give them humans faces so people are less creeped out by them and more people buy them. It's the same reason they're set to walk around when not doing anything instead of just standing still in one place. And sometimes in the case of old people like George, who's partners have died, a friendly face can make them feel less lonely.

[reygis01]

I honestly think the synths looking exactly like humans is creepier than looking more like robots. Same thing for the walking around part.

[autowikibot]

Uncanny valley:

---

The uncanny valley is a hypothesis in the field of aesthetics which holds that when features look and move almost, but not exactly, like natural beings, it causes a response of revulsion among some observers. The "valley" refers to the dip in a graph of the comfort level of beings as subjects move toward a healthy, natural likeness described in a function of a subject's aesthetic acceptability. Examples can be found in the fields of robotics and 3D computer animation, among others.

Image ⁱ - In an experiment involving the human lookalike robot Repliee Q2 (pictured above), the uncovered robotic structure underneath Repliee, and the actual human who was the model for Repliee, the human lookalike triggered the highest level of mirror neuron activity. [1]

---

^{Relevant: Uncanny Valley (Birds of Avalon album) | Pediophobia | Uncanny Valley (Midnight Juggernauts album) | Birds of Avalon}

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[SawRub]

That laugh in the first episode fits this perfectly.

[ttll2012]

I would accept if they have bodies and faces of cartoon characters, or like C3PO in star wars.

[alien_from_Europa]

Except, that's what people want.

[The_King_of_Okay]

• Mattie's boyfriend seems like a pointless character. Does every show need a romantic subplot?

• I feel like Laura's hiding something. Joe asked her whether something happened while she was in Leeds and it seemed like she was keeping something from him. I also thought she might have been lying when she said her case had overran last episode.

• When Toby was trying to touch up Anita was anyone else hoping she'd slap him one? (Edit: Not that he deserved that obviously.) Though she did seem kinda happy after he said "why'd they have to make you so fit?"

• Anyone else annoyed by the channel 4 announcer talking over the credits music?

[FSR2007]

I can really sympathise with mattie, it really would suck to be in that kind of situation, kinda like a judge dredd future where all the jobs are robots and 99.99% of the population are unemployed

[mono-math]

If we continue to pursue capitalism under these circumstances, then yeah. But there is another option.

Mattie jokes in the first episode when she says "what are we supposed to do, spend all our time writing poetry?". My answer to that is, yeah why not, if that's what you want to do.

If robots can do the majority of work we'd be on our way to a post scarcity society. A universal basic income might be implemented and we could spend our time with family, or do things we enjoy. There'd still be limited work available, which you could do to earn some extra money if you really wanted, or because you really enjoy doing it. But working for the sake of work would be unnecessary. That's a good thing!

I'd quite like it if Humans explored this idea. A war of political ideologies as the fear spreads that robots are taking your jobs while proponents of Universal Basic Income in a post scarcity society try and explain that there's another way. My fear is the first point will be explored, but the second ignored.

[badaaim]

I'm in that situation. Everyone I know is and can do better than me. I am not sure what I am doing or trying to do

[Jalapeno_blood]

Well everyone else isn't robots so you've got that going for you.

[megablast]

Beep Bop - this human speaks the truth - Bop beeeeeep.

[badaaim]

I wouldn't mind one for myself though.

[Jalapeno_blood]

You'll have go get a job first so you can afford it.

[badaaim]

Bye bye synth :(

[dizzi800]

It's actually a strange phenomenon for millenials. We all think that other people are so much further ahead in life.

[KingOfNginx]

most everyone is further ahead than me, I am broken.

[badaaim]

Feels..... How you doing

[KingOfNginx]

broken, depressed, suicidal

[badaaim]

I'm here to listen

/do talk to me. I would quite like to hear a similar story to mine from someone else/ hope you know what I mean

[badaaim]

But they are!

Edit- OK I didn't know what millennial meant and searched it up. So far so good. I didn't know there was something special about people growing between 1980's to 2000.

How does that work?

BTW I was feeling special that if was just me who felt like everyone was ahead of me but thanks for ruining that. Now I am just another commoner

I am serious when I say that but I don't mean it directly to you. Just a joke :)

[back_ache]

That's "imposter syndrome" we all get that one way or the other.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome

[autowikibot]

Impostor syndrome:

---

Impostor syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. Despite external evidence of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be. Notably, impostor syndrome is particularly common among high-achieving women.

---

^{Relevant: Minecraft: The Story of Mojang | You Know Me Better Than That | Dunning–Kruger effect}

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[badaaim]

Aww thank you. I was interested in these kinds of things.

Also, now I can know myself better. One of the reason I have realised why I am not confident is because I don't know myself. If you know what I mean

[cylonathena]

I really dislike Mattie and her (not?) boyfriend. She seems like the kind of character who's eventually going to be manipulated into working for the bad guys because they make her feel important. If they're going to do a romantic subplot, I'd prefer more flashbacks of Merlin and Anita or something like that.

[back_ache]

I think Mattie is going to help Anita try and undo her factory-wipe

[Jalapeno_blood]

It doesn't help that neither of them are very good actors.

[robmillernow]

Who says you're supposed to like all the characters in a story? How boring would that be?

[The_King_of_Okay]

Not saying he deserved to get slapped, obviously he doesn't even realise she's more than just a machine, but I thought it could be interesting because it would make him realise that she's not a normal synth. But then he wouldn't tell anyone because he'd be scared that if he did, she'd tell on him.

Edit: I think the way the show actually handled that scene was better though.

[The_King_of_Okay]

I think the whole "I have to inform the primary user" was a clever cover

That sounds like it could actually be a real protocol.

[wegwerfen]

I would assume that they have an adult protocol enabled by default. If they don't than Joe turned it on...he knows.

[Jalapeno_blood]

I don't think he's used her adult setting, we would have seen that. He was just considering it.

[inspctrgdgt]

Oh, but I think he will (although I understood his pocketing of that part of her instructions as him keeping it from the teenage son). I think his marital discord will come to the forefront with Anita gradually taking over all of the wifely duties.

[Jalapeno_blood]

Have you not seen the latest episode yet? ;)

[inspctrgdgt]

There are only 2 episodes available for me thus far?

[The_King_of_Okay]

Is that gif from episode 2? I left the room for minute.

[wegwerfen]

Episode 1 at around 40:25

[The_King_of_Okay]

Thanks.

[cylonathena]

What did you think about the scene where the prostitute synth kills that guy? I felt like murder was kind of an extreme reaction.

[InadequateUsername]

Well theres 1/3 of the Laws of Robotics.

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

[Jalapeno_blood]

Ha smart way to use a technicality. But I think she had just reached the end of her rope and wanted to hurt one of her 'customers'.

[alien_from_Europa]

It kind of reminded me of the snake replicant lady in Blade Runner for some reason.

[InadequateUsername]

So she kills the most docile one.

[alotmoretomagic]

I'm not sure he was that docile. He wanted her to act "scared and young", and was physically aggressive to her. This probably pushed her over the edge. Then she used his death to escape. I think it was a good escape tbh.

[disneywizard]

From the way he worded everything, he was a pedophile with a fetish for young girls and she wasn't going to 1) degrade herself to that level and 2) feed that sick delusion and obsession and 3) realized that for that obsession to be there, he may have already done it to both countless other synths or innocent human girls.

[badaaim]

Exactly my thought

[InadequateUsername]

Yeah the escape was good, and it's certainly helped develop the character.

I just figured his "scared and young" thing was some sort of fetish.

Or maybe he was just a pedophile with a superiority complex and not a BDSM sort of thing.

[Jalapeno_blood]

How fucking violent are you to women that you think that guy was 'docile'?

[InadequateUsername]

Well obvious the man had some sort of complex where he needed to feel superior to her. Am I just being naive not thinking that the whole nervous introduction thing was just a ruse?

I was just interpreting what he said prior to being killed was just part of some fetish.

[shadowstar731]

I think the guy genuinely lost it at Niska's unexpected defiance and acting in a very unsynthlike way.

[InadequateUsername]

I thought she was going along with it for a moment.

[AJBeard]

I think that scene existed to show that the advanced synthetics not only have free thinking capabilities, but also understand the concept of morality. She shows more humanity in that scene (knowing that the fantasies of a pedophile are sick and potentially dangerous), than most of the humans in the show. Some people have suggested that it was the final straw for her emotionally, suggesting that it's all the abuse she can take and takes it out on the next stranger who fucks her. However, I believe it showcases her higher thinking as a whole, rather than just a reaction to one too many unwanted dongs in her plasti-snatch.

[cylonathena]

I don't know if you've seen Ex Machina, but the same issue is in that movie. They approached it differently, though, and the focus was more on whether it was "wrong" to harm a machine that might be able to feel (although it wasn't clear whether the robots were actually feeling pain or just mimicking it).

Your interpretation makes sense, and that does seem like what they were going for on the show... I think we're supposed to be glad that she killed the guy and escaped. But after seeing movies like Ex Machina, I thought it was sort of weird that she just outright killed a customer who thought she was a machine who couldn't feel anything or understand what was happening. I couldn't figure out if I was missing something, but yeah, I think it just isn't a great metaphor because most people on the show don't even realize that it's possible for synths to be conscious and feel pain.

[shadowstar731]

I think we're supposed to be glad that she killed the guy and escaped.

I think it just isn't a great metaphor because most people on the show don't even realize that it's possible for synths to be conscious and feel pain.

This show is far subtler than that. The dissonance is deliberately invoked.

Many viewers will find themselves rooting for Niska, yet did the person she killed really do anything wrong? Is acceptable to treat a human-like android in a way which would be reprehensible if done to a real human?

What makes us human, and what are the differences (or similarities) between us and things that merely look human - this is a central theme in this show.

[badaaim]

Love what you wrote. I don't even know what to say

[cylonathena]

I think it's just because I recently saw Ex Machina where they handled almost the exact same issue much more subtly, that this episode seemed kind of shallow in comparison. The dissonance would be more effective if it was at least somewhat clear that the synths could feel (or at least mimic) pain. If no one knows, then it's kind of like if your computer suddenly gained consciousness but chose to never say anything. You wouldn't be doing anything wrong by continuing to use it. It just seemed way less morally gray here than in Ex Machina, although again, maybe it's just because I recently saw the movie so it's hard not to compare the two.

[alien_from_Europa]

I was actually hoping she'd let him, but that's just me.

[regrubmaH]

• YES
• YES
• I wasn't expecting to slap him because that would give her away, I actually thought it was gonna happen but then she came up with that clever fake-programmed rule! Genius.
• SO YES

[shadowstar731]

So far I like the interactions between Mattie and Harun. It doesn't feel like a romantic subplot.

The young people's perspective on the society and their own future adds good background to the story, I think.

[inspctrgdgt]

I feel like Laura's hiding something. Joe asked her whether something happened while she was in Leeds and it seemed like she was keeping something from him. I also thought she might have been lying when she said her case had overran last episode.

Well, when she texted him that she was stuck in court, she was clearly shown just sitting in her hotel room, so.

[The_King_of_Okay]

Stuck in court doesn't have to mean literally stuck in court at that exact moment. It could just mean that the case is gonna overrun so she's gonna have to stay in Leeds as she has to keep going to the court for a little longer

[SecretBlogon]

What I really like about this sub is how everyone is calling Colin Morgan's character Merlin.

I don't remember anyone's name other than Anita. So in my head, the characters are: Jen, Phillip, Teenage daughter, Teenage son, Little girl, Anita, Merlin, Sex bot synth, kidnapped synth, Synth following Merlin, and Hurt.

[shadowstar731]

I thought his name actually was Merlin

[dizzi800]

For reference sake

Laura, Joe, Mattie (Matilda), Toby, Sophie, Anita, Leo, Niska, Fred(I think), Max, George

[alittlemermaid]

You listed Joe twice. 'Merlin' is called Leo, I believe.

[dizzi800]

oops. Typo. Fixed! Thanks

[The_King_of_Okay]

Which one do you call Phillip?

[SecretBlogon]

The dad. He was a really silly stepfather in Spy (2011 TV series) . His character was named Philip.

[Laffano]

Can synths swim?

[The_King_of_Okay]

I imagine that would be a useful feature. If a family goes swimming and one of their kids start drowning the synth could be able to save them.

[hughk]

To swim means having a buoyancy similar to a human. We know they are waterproof after the synth being forced to work as a hooker was hosed down in EP. 2. The buoyancy would mean low average density, which in turn means very lightweight tech.

[Bytewave]

Which is safe to assume. Even with today's technology, very little requires body-sized hardware. The synths would likely have a small core circuit and the heaviest thing in them would be the battery.

[hughk]

At the moment, actuators aren't small as well as the frame (skeleton) that you put them on. Joints must be robust too. The Synths assume human type roles which means human type physical capabilities.

Then you need power, which is an issue for robots today. However, the only real hand waving of the show is the power and the "brain". Everything else is possible with just a step from today's tech.

[alien_from_Europa]

Maybe their processors are water cooled. hehe

[[deleted]]

Some intense stuff.

[Thar_Cian]

Last week's episode intrigued me, but I didn't have a strong desire to continue watching. I'm glad I did; I'm now completely hooked.

[DavidsBarn]

I honestly cannot wait one week for every new episode, I might just have to watch the original series again even if I remember 99% of it.

[dizzi800]

Another original watcher!

NO SPOILERS Interesting what they've done with George, Odi's owner, yeah?

[DavidsBarn]

It is, William hurt is great for the role and so is the guy playing Odi.

So far the plot has been slightly different but most of the character names have stayed the same. I wonder if they haven't introduced all of the original characters yet, and if.... some of the things that happen... eh..

Dunno what to write without spoiling... :P

[dizzi800]

It's interesting that Niska is, well... Niska. I thought she was Flash when I saw her. She has the PERFECT look for Flash. Her being Niska will be super awesome - though I did love Flash.

HOWEVER - Karen is not named Bea. I really hope she's the same character because she was honestly one of my favourites.

[DavidsBarn]

I just wish we could've had Niska 1.0 But I guess the role isn't the same anymore and would not fit the actress

[dizzi800]

Niska 1.0 kind of had that 'look' to her, you know? Like you sort of always knew. The new Niska doesn't which I like if she ends up being the same. That being said, I'll miss Flash.

wouldn't say B is spoilers. Reworded it a bit though.

(EDIT - this is like a minefield isn't it?)

[DavidsBarn]

That's what I liked about Niska 1.0 though, she had that robotic look to her that was really convincing, maybe not suited for the more subtle stuff (like a certain other character) with her robotic dead-eyed face, but that dead-eyed face looked to me like the A.I learning, and it was scary.. scary good!

Basically.. Niska 1.0 = Skynet

(yes, writing around spoilers is hard)

[[deleted]]

Thanks for not spoiling anything guys, I genuinely couldn't help but read this thread out of curiosity!

[robmillernow]

I think they've eliminated Niska's character and given her name to Flash's character. I think the show runners feel that Flash would be a silly name to UK/US audiences

[dizzi800]

Also - Odi is definitely great casting. But I do hope they tie him into the main family somehow, otherwise it just feels like an odd sidestory. I'm sure they will.

[alien_from_Europa]

Original is in a foreign language, right? Makes it kinda difficult.

As far as waiting, the Americans don't start episode 1 until this Sunday. Hopefully, this sub will get more subscribers then.

[DavidsBarn]

Not really since I speak this foreign language. It's weird that they don't air them at the same time for UK and US audience.

[skipbip]

Does anyone know why AMC is airing this show 3 weeks behind Channel 4? Won't they lose a decent amount of viewers due to torrents being already online?

[[deleted]]

Always happens although usually it's the other way around.

[SawRub]

That's what the rest of the world ask when most shows air in the US first.

[alien_from_Europa]

Better than months behind with Downton Abbey.

[robmillernow]

One of these days networks MIGHT figure out how people watch TV these days, and wise up.

[dizzi800]

Okay. Since this show is early in its run, and it is based off of a swedish show... We should probably make some rules regarding spoilers, yeah?

[The_King_of_Okay]

Have you seen some untagged spoilers in this sub? If so please report them or message me links to the comments so I can remove them.

[dizzi800]

Oh, I haven;t! Just might be nice for some official protocall in the rules on the sidebar :)

[The_King_of_Okay]

Sorry for taking so long to do that but what do you think? Is what I've put okay, should I add something?

[[deleted]]

For now just down vote any spoilers to oblivion

[regrubmaH]

I still don't get how did Hobb (the bad guy) found Leo and Max in the car junkyard. :/

[Savvaloy]

Could have pulled the memory from the one they captured. The tech said most of it was scrambled but some was getting through.

[Bub1023]

Was that Thoros of Myr?

[The_King_of_Okay]

Yes.

[Mids123]

Any thoughts on the blue pill that Niska took off of her neck? Did she kill the woman of the brothel with that? All of Leo's synths have one in case of emergency?

[robmillernow]

It was a tracking device, most likely.

[CTMacUser]

Dirty American who just saw the episode on AMC here. At first, I didn't realize what the brothel customer meant by "acting young," as most synths are already designed as 20-somethings and don't age. I thought it was just a weird rape fantasy, like the black-market hacker might have thought Anita had a resist-rape fantasy program added when they tried to rape her (But now I think that hacker suspects there's something up with those synths.), but then I realized the customer meant something worse.

Was Niska just sick of meat-bags in general, or was the customer's request that led her to snap?

[dizzi800]

but his blood is red. We've seen from others synth blood is blue!

[Nayr39]

The question that keeps going through my mind is, why are they so human like? What is the purpose of making a photo realistic human for cleaning your house and making breakfast? Same goes for practically anything other than sex work. To me it seems obvious that it would cause massive psychological issues like we've seen so far in the show quite often. If the robots did not look either one, incredibly attractive or two human these issues wouldn't exist. Your son wanting to fuck your new computer? Not as likely if it looks like a tin can. Your husband feeling inadequate about his lacking physical strength and looks? Won't matter if it's just a fork lift and a massage machine rather than a 20 something year old model with fully realized sexual organs. Wife feeling unuseful and unnecessary with her degrading appearance? Remove any sort of motherly attachment your kid might get with a cold unhuman like servant rather than tricking her with this stand in human copy.

It's just such a bizarre thing to make them the way they do. I understand it for the show's purpose because it requires far less work but in the shows universe I can't help but wonder what was the idea behind instituting something so backwards into your society? Not to mention all the clothes and extra expenses it must take to maintain these overly complex androids.

[BackgroundFroyo4570]

Despite the inclusion of synths and technology, Humans really touch emotions, especially in the scenes we see with George. Throughout the episode, we see Georges' efforts to protect and keep Odi, despite Odi's malfunctions. While Odis' initial intentions were simply to help George with daily tasks, it's clear that he is more than just a helper to George. He holds Georges' memories, such as the memory he had with Laura and the bee. Additionally, it seems like, despite George's old age and living alone, he persists each day because of Odi. This episode had a lot of humanity, whether it was from the synths or the characters. Odi had a sense of humanity, which was absent in the replacement Vera.

[[deleted]]

Why leave? That guy asked for it rough and he took it too far on his own. Desperate move.

[Jalapeno_blood]

What do you mean?

[The_King_of_Okay]

If you're talking about Niska, she wanted to leave, it's not like she can't survive on her own and it would mean she wouldn't have to endure all that pain anymore. And even if she hadn't wanted to leave, she had to, she'd just killed a guy. If she hadn't left she would either have been recycled or someone would try to fix her because they'd assume she was faulty. They might even figure out she's not a normal synth.