Almost Human (TV series)

Almost Human
Genre
Created by J. H. Wyman
Starring
Theme music composer J. J. Abrams
Composer(s) The Crystal Method
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 13 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s) Athena Wickham
Location(s) Vancouver, British Columbia
Camera setup Single
Production company(s)
Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network Fox
Picture format 720p (16:9 HDTV)
Audio format Stereophonic
Original release November 17, 2013 (2013-11-17) – March 3, 2014 (2014-03-03)
External links
Official website

Almost Human is an American science fiction/crime drama that aired from November 17, 2013, through March 3, 2014, on Fox. The series was created by J. H. Wyman for Frequency Films, Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Wyman, Bryan Burk and J. J. Abrams are executive producers. After one season, Fox canceled the series on April 29, 2014.[1]

Premise

In 2048, the uncontrollable evolution of science and technology has caused crime rates to rise an astounding 400%. To combat this, the overwhelmed police force has implemented a new policy: every human police officer is paired with a lifelike combat-model android.

John Kennex (Karl Urban), a troubled detective, has a reason to hate these new robot partners. Almost two years previously, Kennex and his squad were raiding the hideout of a violent gang known as InSyndicate, but ended up being ambushed and outgunned. Kennex tried to save his badly injured partner, but the accompanying logic-based android officer abandoned them both because the wounded man's chances of survival were low and it wouldn't have been "logical" to save him. An explosion then took off Kennex's leg and killed his partner.

After waking up from a 17-month coma, Kennex has to deal with a cybernetic prosthetic leg and huge gaps in his memory, which he tries to recover through visits to a black market memory-recovery doctor called a Recollectionist, in the city slums. Besides trying to remember as much as he can about the raid and The Syndicate, he is also coming to terms with being abandoned by his ex-girlfriend Anna.

Kennex is then recalled to the force by Captain Sandra Maldonado (Lili Taylor), and partnered with a standard-issue MX-43 android, which he soon throws from a moving vehicle, when it threatens to report his unusual behavior. He is assigned a replacement android, an older DRN model originally decommissioned for police work and about to be transferred to the Space Station.[2] Created to be as close to human as possible, the DRN androids have trouble dealing with some of their own emotional responses, which was the reason they were replaced by the logic-based MX units.[3] Kennex's unit, known as Dorian (Michael Ealy), immediately proves himself unique, with a clear dislike of being referred to as a "synthetic", and a dry, friendly, sarcasm-oriented wit. Key to the story arc is the growth and development of Kennex and Dorian's relationship.

Cast and characters

Episodes
No.  Title  Directed by  Written by  Original air date  Prod.
code 		 U.S. viewers
(millions) 
1"Pilot"Brad AndersonJ. H. WymanNovember 17, 2013 (2013-11-17)2968449.18[6]
After losing his team and his leg in a devastating ambush and spending seventeen months in a coma, Detective John Kennex is using a black-market Recollectionist doctor to try to remember exactly what happened. He returns to active service and is assigned an old DRN unit called Dorian, whose software was based on a 'Synthetic Soul' program, which gave them emotions. Meanwhile, Detective Vogel (Toby Levins) is captured by the Insyndicate, and is killed by a mysterious gas. Technician Rudy Lom discovers that the criminals used the stolen biotechnology to create a weapon that targets cops specifically. They discover the criminals are planning to steal evidence related to case 6663 at the police precinct. The police are able to stop the attack on their headquarters and capture the leader, but they are not sure what the gang intended to steal. However, it is revealed that 6663 is in fact the head of a female android unit.
2"Skin"Michael OfferCheo Hodari CokerNovember 18, 2013 (2013-11-18)2J70056.76[7]
Kennex and Dorian investigate the murder of a businessman in a motel room and missing persons case involving robots, as it is discovered he makes synthetic skin for robot prostitutes (termed Intimate Robot Companions, or "sexbots"), which are allowed as human trafficking has declined more than 40% since the technological advancements. While synthetic skin has advanced greatly in realism, it pales in comparison to genuine human skin. As a result, there is a market for improved sexbots with human skin. In order to make these sexbots, engineers harvest skin grafts from women previously abducted from the streets. By tracing the life history of one of the sexbots, Vanessa (Ella Thomas), the location of her first activation leads police to the warehouse where the women are being held. It is revealed that the businessman was murdered as his partner had joint intellectual property rights in a line of sexbots, which are inferior to the IRCS incorporating human skin. In the meantime, Kennex tries to find closure in a piece of his troubled past, by visiting the family of his dead partner.
3"Are You Receiving?"Larry TengJustin DobleNovember 25, 2013 (2013-11-25)2J70066.12[8]
Kennex and Dorian are faced with an intense hostage situation where terrorists bomb the server room of a building. Captain Maldonado is hoping to protect the hostages by meeting the terrorists' demands, and hoping Kennex and Dorian can get close enough to stop the hostage takers. During a brawl with one of the criminals, Kennex and Dorian discover that a face projection device is masking the criminals with IDs of known terrorists. Dorian's CPU is damaged as a result of the fight and is put together with trash bin materials. The pair discovers the plan for the terrorists was to distract police, who use jamming tech to block communications, from noticing a heist at a nearby palladium bank- worth millions in raw metal ore. When Dorian distracts the hostage takers, Kennex neutralizes them and alerts police to their plot. With the day saved, hostages alive, and the heist stopped, Dorian and Kennex are hailed by their co-workers.
4"The Bends"Kenneth FinkDaniel GrindlingerDecember 2, 2013 (2013-12-02)2J70075.87[9]
A deadly new drug called 'the Bends' is wreaking havoc on the streets, supplied by a mysterious criminal called "Bishop". The only way to take him down is from the inside, which means Kennex and Dorian need to help Rudy infiltrate the Bishop's organization as a drug cook. The murder of undercover narcotics detective Cooper causes the initial assumption that he was a supplier, as there is no official report of his undercover work, but Kennex knew the victim and works to clear his name. Kennex and Dorian follow the leads, and Rudy makes a batch of 95% pure 'Bends' which has him meet the 'Bishop'. 'Bishop' is actually Alexio Barros the captain of the 25th precinct narcotics who was supposedly investigating the Bishop. Kennex catches him and 'neutralizes' him for his corruption and for killing an old friend of his.
5"Blood Brothers"Omar MadhaCole MaliskaDecember 9, 2013 (2013-12-09)2J70086.05[10]
When one of two witnesses in the trial of genius philanthropist Ethan Avery is killed, Kennex and Dorian are tasked with keeping the remaining witness, Maya, safe, and solving the murder. It is later discovered the geneticist once was a specialist in cloning before legislation banned the science. When Kennex and Dorian are taking Maya to the precinct, they are intercepted by gunmen. Kennex kills one who is the spitting image of Ethan Avery, which leads to the belief that Avery knew Dr. Fuller because Fuller cloned Avery. Detective Stahl goes to see Dr. Fuller's mother, where she finds the evidence of cloning. At the rendezvous, the clones see through the ploy and attempt to escape, only for Dorian to catch up and kill the clones. Maya testifies and Avery goes to prison. He returns a box of possessions recovered from the fire.
6"Arrhythmia"Jeff T. ThomasAlison SchapkerDecember 16, 2013 (2013-12-16)2J70035.34[11]
When a man walks into a hospital with a gun demanding medical treatment, predicting his exact time of death and then collapsing at that exact time, Kennex and Dorian are called in. The man died in possession of a mechanical heart he should not have had. The partners embark on a investigation into the seedier side of the human replacement organs black market.
7"Simon Says"Jeannot SzwarcAlison SchapkerJanuary 6, 2014 (2014-01-06)2J70106.35[12]
A man is killed by a cyber criminal (David Dastmalchian) who straps bombs onto his victims and shows their demise live in order to get viewers. During this time, a solar flare had disrupted the power grid, and the androids receive limited charging, which leads to Dorian having personality issues.
8"You Are Here"Sam HillJ. H. Wyman & Naren ShankarJanuary 13, 2014 (2014-01-13)2J70026.88[13]
Kennex and Dorian investigate assassins using bullets with auto-guidance capabilities that can track, target and kill a specific person at any time. Maldonado looks into the ambush that almost killed Kennex.
9"Unbound"Jeffrey HuntGraham RolandFebruary 3, 2014 (2014-02-03)2J70096.41[14]
An advanced XRN combat android named Danica (Gina Carano) that operates like a soldier goes on a rampage, resulting in Kennex and Dorian seeking help from the man who created the DRN androids, Dr. Nigel Vaughn (John Larroquette). As they continue to search to stop Danica's rampage, Dr. Vaughn may know more than he originally leads them to believe.
10"Perception"Mimi LederSarah GoldfingerFebruary 10, 2014 (2014-02-10)2J70045.74[15]
Two "chrome" (genetically engineered) girls are killed by a new designer drug, which is related to a previous accidental drowning of another girl. Kennex and Stahl (a "chrome" herself) investigate the case, which leads them to the Mendel Institute, where many students, except two, are "chromes". When they find a sample of the drug, the pharmaceutical printer used leads them to a former Mendel Institute student, who acknowledges making the drug, called "Vero", but swears the printer was hacked to create the fatal doses. The clues finally lead them to the mother of the first girl—who had killed herself after taking Vero—and who hired the hacker for revenge. Meanwhile, Kennex uses drugs and a black-market Recollectionist doctor to try to remember more things about his traitorous ex-girlfriend Anna Moore and the ambush where he lost his leg, despite Dorian and Maldonado's warnings. He finally remembers a detail which leads him to discover his home had been bugged.
11"Disrupt"Thomas YatskoSarah GoldfingerFebruary 17, 2014 (2014-02-17)2J70115.35[16]
One year after a teenage boy was killed by an automated house security system, the owners of the house are killed when the security system is hacked. Soon after, the city's power grid is hacked with a message in memory of the teenager. Afterwards, the attorney for the company that makes the security system is killed in the same way. With Rudy's help, Kennex and Stahl find the hacker of the grid, but he's not the killer and he agrees to help them in exchange for immunity. When the killer targets another person from the company, Kennex and Dorian enter the company's HQ to save her and find the killer, a teenage girl with exceptional hacking skills who was in love with the teenage boy. Meanwhile, Rudy finds some alien files in Dorian's memory which were planted there. He lies to Dorian about the files, but tells Kennex to keep an eye on him.
12"Beholder"Fred ToyeChris Downey & Joe HendersonFebruary 24, 2014 (2014-02-24)2J70125.27[17]
After a healthy chrome is reported to have died from natural causes, Detective Stahl suspects foul play. Upon further investigation, they find that the dead chrome has the DNA of seven other victims all with good looking facial features. Kennex and Dorian are called in to track down a serial killer (Michael Eklund) who has been using a nanobot surgical system to take facial features from his victims and transferring them to his face for the woman he loves, who he has been communicating with via online conversations (Only to learn upon meeting her that she is blind). Kennex makes a move and is about to ask Detective Stahl out for a drink, only to find out that he is too late.
13"Straw Man"Sam HillAlison Schapker & Graham RolandMarch 3, 2014 (2014-03-03)2J70135.63[18]
Kennex and Dorian revisit the past when a string of murders are similar to those committed by a serial killer who was put in jail by Kennex's father. Elsewhere, Dorian gets his first performance review after being reactivated.

Development and production

The main cast of Almost Human

The series first appeared as part of Fox's development slate in September 2012.[19] In January 2013, Fox green-lit production of a pilot episode.[20] On May 8, 2013, the series was added to the network's 2013–14 schedule.[21] On September 9, 2013, it was announced that executive producer and co-showrunner Naren Shankar, who joined the series after the production of the pilot, would depart the series due to creative differences. Creator J. H. Wyman will continue as sole showrunner.[22]

The series was originally scheduled to premiere on Monday, November 4, 2013.[23] Fox announced a two-week delay and that the series would instead premiere with a special preview on Sunday, November 17 before moving to its regular time slot starting on Monday, November 18.[24]

The order of the episodes that aired on Fox differs from the order intended by J. H. Wyman, the series' showrunner. However, due to the (largely) self-contained nature of these episodes, this does not create significant discontinuity.[25]

Despite renewal consideration on April 29, Fox cancelled the series after only one season due to low ratings, high production costs and FOX's already full scheduling for fall.

Reception

Metacritic gives the pilot episode a weighted average rating of 61% based on reviews from 29 critics.[26]

Kevin McFarland reviewing for The AV Club gave the pilot episode a C+ grade, criticizing the information-heavy introduction and title card, but noting "flashes of excitement" and expressing interest in how the plot gets teased out and how the detective partnership develops. [27] The grades do improve, garnering a B− for episodes two, three, and four, a B for episode five, and an A− for episode six.[28]

The series received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Special and Visual Effects.

U.S. ratings

No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49) 		Viewers
(millions) 		DVR
(18–49) 		DVR viewers
(millions) 		Total
(18–49) 		Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Pilot" November 17, 2013 3.1/8 9.18[6] 1.4 3.42 4.5 12.60[29]
2 "Skin" November 18, 2013 2.3/6 6.76[7] 1.0 2.62 3.3 9.38[30]
3 "Are You Receiving?" November 25, 2013 1.9/5 6.12[8] 1.1 2.98 3.0 9.10[31]
4 "The Bends" December 2, 2013 1.7/5 5.87[9] 1.2 2.86 2.9 8.73[32]
5 "Blood Brothers" December 9, 2013 1.8/5 6.05[10] 1.0 2.57 2.8 8.62[33]
6 "Arrhythmia" December 16, 2013 1.6/5 5.34[11] 1.1 2.58 2.7 7.92[34]
7 "Simon Says" January 6, 2014 1.8/5 6.35[12] 1.0 2.46 2.8 8.81[35]
8 "You Are Here" January 13, 2014 2.0/6 6.88[13] 1.0 2.42 3.0 9.30[36]
9 "Unbound" February 3, 2014 1.9/5 6.41[14] 1.1 2.59 3.0 9.00[37]
10 "Perception" February 10, 2014 1.6/4 5.74[15] 1.2 2.86 2.8 8.33[38]
11 "Disrupt" February 17, 2014 1.7/5 5.35[16] 0.9 2.54 2.6 7.90[39]
12 "Beholder" February 24, 2014 1.6/5 5.27[17] N/A N/A N/A N/A
13 "Straw Man" March 3, 2014 1.5/4 5.63[18] N/A N/A N/A N/A

Broadcast

The series premiered in Australia on the Nine Network on April 12, 2015.[40]

In Thailand aired on PPTV from May 16, 2015 to August 15, 2015.[41]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bibel, Sara. "'Almost Human' Canceled by FOX After One Season". TV By The Numbers. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ Episode "Straw Man"
  3. ↑ "Meet Your MX". Meet Your MX. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  4. ↑ episode "You Are Here"
  5. ↑ episode "Beholder"
  6. 1 2 Kondolojy, Amanda (November 19, 2013). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Mentalist' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Once Upon a Time' or 'Almost Human'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Kondolojy, Amanda (November 19, 2013). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'The Voice' Adjusted Up; 'Dancing With the Stars' & 'Castle' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  8. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (November 26, 2013). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'The Voice' & 'Mom' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  9. 1 2 Kondolojy, Amanda (December 4, 2013). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'How I Met Your Mother' Adjusted Up; 'The Blacklist' & 'The Voice' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  10. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (December 10, 2013). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'The Voice' & 'Sleepy Hollow' Adjusted Up; 'The Great Christmas Light Fight' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Kondolojy, Amanda (December 17, 2013). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'The Sing-Off' & 'The Great Christmas Light Fight' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (January 7, 2014). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'Almost Human' Adjusted Up; 'Castle' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  13. 1 2 Kondolojy, Amanda (January 14, 2014). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'Intelligence', 'Mom' & 'The Bachelor' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (February 4, 2014). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'How I Met Your Mother', 'Almost Human', 'Mike & Molly', 'Mom' &'Beauty and the Beast' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  15. 1 2 Kondolojy, Amanda (February 11, 2014). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'Almost Human' Adjusted Up + Final Olympics Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (February 19, 2014). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'Almost Human' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Kondolojy, Amanda (February 25, 2014). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'The Bachelor' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Almost Human' or 'Star-Crossed'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  18. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (March 4, 2014). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'The Bachelor' Adjusted Up; 'The Following' Adjsuted Down". TV by the Numbers.
  19. ↑ "Development Update: Wednesday, September 5". The Futon Critic. September 5, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Development Update: Friday, January 25". The Futon Critic. January 25, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  21. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley; Rose, Lacey (May 8, 2013). "Fox Drama Series Orders: 'Sleepy Hollow,' 'Rake,' 'Gang Related,' 'Almost Human'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  22. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 9, 2013). "'Almost Human' Co-Showrunner Naren Shankar Exits". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  23. ↑ "FOX Announces Fall Premiere Dates for 2013-14 Season: 'Sleepy Hollow', 'Glee', 'Bones' & More". TV by the Numbers. June 26, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  24. ↑ Porter, Rick (October 21, 2013). "'Almost Human' premiere delayed, 'Bones' stays on Monday a little longer". Zap2It. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  25. ↑ ROCO (November 30, 2013). "Almost Human Boss On Episode Order Controversy". Seriable.com.
  26. ↑ "Almost Human". Metacritic.
  27. ↑ Kevin McFarland (Nov 17, 2013). "Almost Human: "Pilot"". AV Club. The Onion.
  28. ↑ Kevin McFarland (Dec 9, 2013). "Almost Human:". AV Club. The Onion.
  29. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 3, 2013). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Tops Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase, 'Elementary' Leads Percentage Gains, 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewer Increases in Week 8". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  30. ↑ Bibel, Sara (December 9, 2013). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Tops Adults 18-49 Ratings & Total Viewers Increase + 'Elementary' & 'Parenthood' Lead Percentage Gains in Week 9". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  31. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 16, 2013). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Blacklist' Tops Adults 18-49 Ratings & Total Viewers Increase + 'Grimm' Leads Percentage Gains in Week 10". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  32. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 23, 2013). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Tops Adults 18-49 Ratings, 'Glee' Leads Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Wins Total Viewer Increase in Week 11". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  33. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 30, 2013). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Tops Adults 18-49 & Viewership Gains, 'Grimm' Leads Percentage Increase in Week 12". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  34. ↑ Bibel, Sara (January 9, 2014). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'How I Met Your Mother' Tops Adults 18-49, 'Almost Human' & 'Hawaii Five-0' Lead Percentage Increase, 'Person of Interest' Biggest Viewership Gains in Week 13". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  35. ↑ Bibel, Sara (January 26, 2014). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Has Biggest 18-49 Ratings & Total Viewer Increase, 'Enlisted' Tops Percentage Gains in Week 16 (Updated)". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  36. ↑ Bibel, Sara (February 3, 2014). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'Modern Family' Has Biggest 18-49 Ratings Gain, 'Beauty & the Beast' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Leads in Total Viewer Increase in Week 17". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  37. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 24, 2014). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Has Biggest 18-49 Ratings Gain & Total Viewer Increase + 'Nashville' Tops Percentage Gain in Week 20". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  38. ↑ Bibel, Sara (March 3, 2014). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Following' Has Biggest 18-49 Ratings Gain, 'Hart of Dixie' Tops Percentage Gain & 'Intelligence' Adds Most Total Viewers in Week 21". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  39. ↑ Bibel, Sara (March 10, 2014). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Following' Has Biggest 18-49 Ratings Gain, 'Beauty and the Beast' Tops Percentage Gain & 'Castle' Adds Most Total Viewers in Week 22". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  40. ↑ Knox, David (April 7, 2015). "Airdate: Almost Human, Believe. Returning: The Following.". TV Tonight. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  41. ↑ "ตัวอย่างซีรีย์ Almost Human ตำรวจพันธุ์เหล็ก (15/05/58 23:50น)". PPTV (in Thai). October 23, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.

External links

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