Hop Jump

How do you make something that was written in the throes of Modernity, relevant in what we call Post-Modernity today? I agree with another reviewer who pointed out that the show itself may not be the problem, it's actually Huxleys book, or more accurately 'time'. We no longer think or live this way. So whatever was innovative about the book back in 1932 can't be simply rehashed for the screen, there has to be a deeper engagement with the issues of today. Unfortunately I see no trace of this in the 5 episodes I've watched so far. This world is rendered so shallowly the points of the books melt away into melodrama, novelty and simple escapism. There are actually some interesting concepts in the show, like the mass orgies/open sexuality as part of a collective bonding, and personal privacy/individualism seen as 'silopstistic' or selfish - Collectivism? The Savagelands seems to display Libertarianism, anti-state, wild west, everyone doing whatever to get by - Freedom? The contrast seems to be two extremes, but they're not equally extreme and not detailed enough to be believable. Despite the dysfunction of the Savaglands this is much more familiar to us, so New London would never be a particularly enticing place for the viewer. We are already setup to favour one side over the other. This is disappointing, but maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Maybe this show is actually a product of the deeply uncertain Post-Modern world we live in today. A world where we no longer dream of Utopian futures, where cynicism and the market reign supreme. The show almost feels like a walk down a nostalgic past, a place, a state of mind that doesn't exist any more. Watch it for the entertainment value, but I'd recommend Black Mirror for something deeper and more relevant.

Not as interesting as it could have been. I'm not talking about dramatics but the complexity of the characters. Both seemed a little flat and rather two dimensional. Direction, cinematography were uninspired and overdone - was the use of black and white necessary for telling the story? I think it was a detraction. I'm not religious, but even I know some of the things in this are rather whitewashed and glossed over. We can hope it opens up more conversations over the serious issues. All in all, something of a disappointment.