Sam Archer

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Dawn is an antidote to staid tales of anthropomorphic aliens who travel the cosmos to engage humans in World War Two style dogfights. Octavia Butler draws rich characterization out of some very far out hard SF ideas. Her alien beings are plausibly unlike us, their form and motives fit for interstellar travel in a universe so large that humans can barely scan the shallowest depths. And her protagonist is one of us, but not the usual militant hero, scientist, or investigator. Butler's SF isn't bedazzled with gadgets and weapons. Instead it's filled with people trying to survive and make their way together, amidst change. Glimpse a different vision of life beyond the solar system. Maybe what visits us will hardly be recognizable. And it will certainly change us.

Superhero shows and movies are usually trash... This one is just different. Great plotting - pulling off twists you won't want to believe, because they're that wild. But the show also has a really big heart. It's telling that for all of the suspense and intrigue, none of the characters (with the possible exception of the Principal character, who has only a handful of lines) are one dimensionally evil. In fact, the show does a fantastic job of setting up believable character arcs, letting the characters grow and reveal their true natures through the experiences they're having. In contrast to many other contemporary TV shows, the action and chemistry here don't feel forced. Watching this show makes me curious about the comics that it's supposed to be based on. The pacing and the plot twists they're managing to pull off make me think this is a very faithful adaptation of the comic. That doesn't always work perfectly; but I am already in love with the characters. I love how it's about THEM and not their superpowers. The superpowers hardly even matter; if you squint a little bit, it's not too hard to look at the whole plot as symbolism for the different kinds of trauma and life difficulties a mother and child might experience, after the sudden loss of the husband/father. The superpowers are a bit of psychological armor for the audience, in case it's feeling too real. Great show. Moving, gripping, just great storytelling, and an underlying message of positivity, kindness, and resilience.