There is so much that this show does right and so much it gets wrong. The half hour format is perfect given the pace of the show. One-hour lengths will have stretched the patience of a lot of viewers. The acting and the characters are excellent. A special call out to Billy Crudup (Jack), Alison Pill (Myrtle), Dewshane Williams (Herb) and Matthew Maher (Lester) who all look the part and feel at home in that world. The intro music is very catchy and superbly fits with the kitsch retro vibe of the show. The plot, although simple, is a clever way of doing something with this alternative universe, but this is where the show starts to show its issues.
The pacing is way too slow. At best this should have been 6 to 8 episodes. The mid-season twist is excellent, but it took a little too long to get there and we (the viewers) were one step ahead of the reveal anyway. The second half of the show is far superior compared to the first half; the problem is that many people will have stopped watching it by episode 3.
The biggest issue I have with the show is the world building. The 1950s science fiction setting is a brilliant concept. A live action version mash up of the Jettisons and Fallout 4 is both interesting and original. Given today's CGI, it should also be an amazing site to behold, but the show does not follow through with the conviction of a pop futuristic world it sets up. It opts out from showing us anything new that we did not see from episode 1. The fact the show had a limited number of sets is also telling. There were about half a dozen sets that were used constantly. The world building collapsed by the limitation of the budget.
Would I see season 2 (if it gets commissioned?) - yes but I would be expecting a lot more than we got from season 1, which does not require a repeated viewing. Overall, I was disappointed. It had so much potential, but ironically for a show that could offer us unlimited imagination it came across as too constrained.
The pacing is way too slow. At best this should have been 6 to 8 episodes. The mid-season twist is excellent, but it took a little too long to get there and we (the viewers) were one step ahead of the reveal anyway. The second half of the show is far superior compared to the first half; the problem is that many people will have stopped watching it by episode 3.
The biggest issue I have with the show is the world building. The 1950s science fiction setting is a brilliant concept. A live action version mash up of the Jettisons and Fallout 4 is both interesting and original. Given today's CGI, it should also be an amazing site to behold, but the show does not follow through with the conviction of a pop futuristic world it sets up. It opts out from showing us anything new that we did not see from episode 1. The fact the show had a limited number of sets is also telling. There were about half a dozen sets that were used constantly. The world building collapsed by the limitation of the budget.
Would I see season 2 (if it gets commissioned?) - yes but I would be expecting a lot more than we got from season 1, which does not require a repeated viewing. Overall, I was disappointed. It had so much potential, but ironically for a show that could offer us unlimited imagination it came across as too constrained.