Humans - Channel 4

Dan_Solo · 16-07-2015 10:52am

squonk wrote: »

I did a really quick scan of that wikipedia link. It sounds like the Swedish one is a little bit more hard core and probably disturbing than the Channel 4 incarnation.

I think I'm glad I watched that one.

pickarooney · 16-07-2015 1:26pm

How does this version compare to the original? Worth watching if you've seen Äkta Människor?

ScumLord · 16-07-2015 1:45pm

FloatingVoter wrote: »

There was a very advanced first batch produced.

Not typically how product development goes. Generally they make crappy ones first and get better at it with revisions.

Herpes Cineplex · 16-07-2015 1:50pm

ScumLord wrote: »

I would assume for as long as the cash is rolling in.

True and I hope it extends beyond the lifespan of the original Swedish series other posters mentioned.

EoghanIRL · 16-07-2015 8:38pm

Nody wrote: »

I'd say they fried the body etc. but copied the mind and the code beforehand which is what matters really as the body is nothing special after all.

I get the feeling that it was Dr.Milikan's old synth which they used to perform a classic switcharoo.
With the cover ups happening in the agency it wouldn't surprise me.

Dan_Solo · 16-07-2015 9:35pm

pickarooney wrote: »

How does this version compare to the original? Worth watching if you've seen Äkta Människor?

I haven't watched a lot of the new one since it looks like being a pretty identical story. Most (but not all) of the androids were more obvious in the original.

Lovely Bloke · 19-07-2015 9:15pm

EoghanIRL wrote: »

I get the feeling that it was Dr.Milikan's old synth which they used to perform a classic switcharoo.
With the cover ups happening in the agency it wouldn't surprise me.

Switcheroo alright, but not for Odi.

That was fairly badass strangling the guy through the door.

Old Perry · 19-07-2015 10:16pm

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Switcheroo alright, but not for Odi.

That was fairly badass strangling the guy through the door.

yeah, also not just recognising that the cop is lying but also that he is under estimating there potential. in regards to that police man/detective, do people think there might be more to him just working for whatever agency he's working with? i got the feeling he may have alternate motives.

also any ideas as to karens involvement with the othr synths. as soon as pete revealed about oti in the forest she completely changed tac....

Lisha · 19-07-2015 10:58pm

Why did Kate tell him??

Bet his wife doesn't look so bad now!!

EoghanIRL · 19-07-2015 11:06pm

Woah!! What an episode!

Old Perry · 19-07-2015 11:13pm

Lisha wrote: »

Why did Kate tell him??

Bet his wife doesn't look so bad now!!

(do you mean karen?) she copped on to something as himself and herself were talking just before bed, not sure what though, but she instantly threw caution to the wind ynd has decided its time move.

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Woah!! What an episode!

excellent stuff, raises so many questions about what such a society would be like.

With regards to its run time, when it was originally advertised i seem to remember reading somewhere that it may just be a once off series.

Bacchus · 20-07-2015 9:32am

Great episode last night. Only 2 or 3 to go is it?

The actor that played Anita/Mia was superb. That long slow zoom shot before Mia breaks out and then the switch back to Anita was quality. Glad to see Fred make his escape too - this show like to keep the pace up. The scenes at the house with Odi were really nice, those little "what it means to be human" conversations with Niska are a highlight.

One thing bugged me though... How is the mother suddenly so accepting that her Synth is sentient? She started the show completely skeptical/wary of Anita and now that she's a "person" she's all cool and collected and "yeah, this is fine". Kinda reminded me of Father Ted on the airplane.

Final thought. Poor Max

Eugene Norman · 20-07-2015 9:42am

Bacchus wrote: »

Great episode last night. Only 2 or 3 to go is it?

The actor that played Anita/Mia was superb. That long slow zoom shot before Mia breaks out and then the switch back to Anita was quality. Glad to see Fred make his escape too - this show like to keep the pace up. The scenes at the house with Odi were really nice, those little "what it means to be human" conversations with Niska are a highlight.

One thing bugged me though... How is the mother suddenly so accepting that her Synth is sentient? She started the show completely skeptical/wary of Anita and now that she's a "person" she's all cool and collected and "yeah, this is fine". Kinda reminded me of Father Ted on the airplane.

Final thought. Poor Max

Well she's just had a huge breakthrough with her daughter and this is her daughters project.

anvilfour · 20-07-2015 10:03am

I was a big fan of the Asimov novels and have been wondering if the synths are "Asenion" robots in the truest sense of the word.

Certainly people seem to express surprise that the self aware synths are capable of violence and an oblique reference is even made to the "Asimov blocks" which are implied to prevent them from hurting people.

Balancing this out is the

fact that everyone seems very grateful to Anita for saving Toby's life, although if she was obeying the first law of Robotics, there is no way she could have acted otherwise. Maybe they were just being sentimental?

p.s That mouthy teenage girl needs a smack round the chops! :-D

redfacedbear · 20-07-2015 10:20am

What was the father's motivation for reporting Leo and Max in? Did I miss something or was it just a convenient way to move the story along?

super_furry · 20-07-2015 10:22am

Who knows? The characterisations of the humans has been so one dimensional and daft. I still think there's the crux of a great show there but with every passing episode I'm more and more disappointed by it.

Mr.Nice Guy · 20-07-2015 11:57am

I find the main family to be so infuriating. The scene where:

Toby goes to the house and starts berating his bemused Dad for getting it on with Anita because she's a 'person'. Leaving aside this bold claim about the machine being a person - which I am not sure I agree with - has he forgotten that he himself tried to grope the robot's boobs? Or does that not matter to him? I wanted to throw a shoe at the telly at this point.

In my view the whole family are insufferable with the exception of the father. Speaking of which I'm not sure why they showed him...

phoning the authorities

unless it was to further try to categorise him as the baddie of the family! I wish this show would delve more into the philosophical aspects such as whether or not a synth could be a person. It just seems like we're supposed to accept this as totally straightforward.

I'm disappointed. It started off promising and edgy but it's turning into something like you'd expect to find on a BBC production. Sci-fi lite.

Old Perry · 20-07-2015 11:58am

redfacedbear wrote: »

What was the father's motivation for reporting Leo and Max in? Did I miss something or was it just a convenient way to move the story along?

i think you have it right there, he was simply a narative tool to push forward in that instance. it wasnt in character for him but not out of character either. Sometimes its just a necessary part of story telling, although it is lazy all the same. i dont think it takes to much away from the show.

Ally Dick · 20-07-2015 12:25pm

I have one thing to say about this show - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Bacchus · 20-07-2015 1:12pm

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I wish this show would delve more into the philosophical aspects such as whether or not a synth could be a person. It just seems like we're supposed to accept this as totally straightforward.

I thought Niska's journey has been handling that aspect of the show quite well (particularly so in the latest episode). Max too has been interesting with his notion of family.

I agree with your points on the family though, they reached the point in this episode with me where the actions they were taking were purely to serve the plot as opposed to fitting with the characters.

ScumLord · 20-07-2015 1:25pm

Old Perry wrote: »

(do you mean karen?) she copped on to something as himself and herself were talking just before bed, not sure what though, but she instantly threw caution to the wind ynd has decided its time move.

She found out about one of the synth creators she must be a sister to the other ones even though they don't know about her. Maybe she's been placed to be able to protect them.

Bacchus wrote: »

One thing bugged me though... How is the mother suddenly so accepting that her Synth is sentient? She started the show completely skeptical/wary of Anita and now that she's a "person" she's all cool and collected and "yeah, this is fine". Kinda reminded me of Father Ted on the airplane.

Well finding out that Anita is a sentient being means the mother wasn't crazy and there was something up with the synth. She's effectively been proved right.

redfacedbear wrote: »

What was the father's motivation for reporting Leo and Max in? Did I miss something or was it just a convenient way to move the story along?

Two weirdos hanging out in his house making all sorts of weird claims puting family in danger.

EoghanIRL · 20-07-2015 1:28pm

Ally Dick wrote: »

I have one thing to say about this show - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Have you considered not watching it?

Old Perry · 20-07-2015 2:08pm

Bacchus wrote: »

I thought Niska's journey has been handling that aspect of the show quite well (particularly so in the latest episode). Max too has been interesting with his notion of family.

I agree with your points on the family though, they reached the point in this episode with me where the actions they were taking were purely to serve the plot as opposed to fitting with the characters.

was also just thinking that about niska. Also the question of whether a synth could be a person or not also concerns the relationship between human and synth rather than just the synths abilities /behaviours themselves. in the first episode right after the husband buys annita laura imidiately questions the affect it may have on the kids, messing with their minds possibly.

this i think has been explored quite well, in part by the youngest daughters storyline, but also more so by Tobys story line. as a pubesent teenager its apparant that synths could well play a role in such a youngsters sexualisation
.

this i reckon was one of the highlights of last nights show. laura realises that annita/mia has infact become AI or sentient, she says this to toby but only along the lines of 'annita/mia has feelings'. toby without making a distinction between real or synthetic intelligence now feels his feelings towards annita are justified and so has a go at his father for considering annita as just a machine, which at that point really is all she was.

the youngst daughter serves as a basic example of childrens unconditional accecptance while toby shows that even with some understanding of things it is not always so simple to comprehend.

i get awful confused thinking bout this stuff, but take for example the lady with back problems and her experience with sexy synth. if toby were to learn this way how may it affect his development.

Lovely Bloke · 20-07-2015 2:25pm

ScumLord wrote: »

Well finding out that Anita is a sentient being means the mother wasn't crazy and there was something up with the synth. She's effectively been proved right.

Anita was never sentient, all those paranoid thoughts the mother was having were exactly that.

Anita did nothing a Synth was not supposed to do. Didn't act un-Synth like in any way.

Bacchus · 20-07-2015 2:34pm

ScumLord wrote: »

Well finding out that Anita is a sentient being means the mother wasn't crazy and there was something up with the synth. She's effectively been proved right.

Yeah, I figured that's the angle they are going for but in my mind I wouldn't be thinking "well thank God I'm not crazy", I'd be thinking "holy sh*t my washing machine has feelings". It just felt like she was way too ok with what was happening. Even letting Anita drive the car right after the Mia revelation.

Other than that, great episode but that whole segment with the family felt out of place.

Old Perry · 20-07-2015 2:35pm

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Anita was never sentient, all those paranoid thoughts the mother was having were exactly that.

Anita did nothing a Synth was not supposed to do. Didn't act un-Synth like in any way.

i could be wrong but did anita not break the rules a cuople of times? huging the youngest child without primary users permission.

To us it was implied from the beginning that anita may be different. so in relation to lauras paranoid thoughts, they may have been just that, but such thoughts may be completely natural when you have something with such likeness to a human in its looks and abilities.

Bacchus · 20-07-2015 2:36pm

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Anita was never sentient, all those paranoid thoughts the mother was having were exactly that.

Anita did nothing a Synth was not supposed to do. Didn't act un-Synth like in any way.

Anita was different though. Mia was there under the surface. Anita was caught looking at photos around the house, she went out one night to look at the moon, she asked about Tom, she said the slightly creepy "I will always protect Sophie", the daughter overheard another synth asking Anita "why don't you share" (and told the mother). There was plenty that was different with Anita.

dr.fuzzenstein · 20-07-2015 2:46pm

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Anita was never sentient, all those paranoid thoughts the mother was having were exactly that.

Anita did nothing a Synth was not supposed to do. Didn't act un-Synth like in any way.

I'm not quite sure. When the daughter wants to shoot her, she asks "why?", when the mother say "I'm watching you", she answers "I'm watching you too", she lets the son off with touching her boob, she just about displays glimpses of not quite right behavior for a synth. All the non-sentient synths are very clearly just appliances, but she has this little extra spark. I loved that about here Anita personality, it somehow made her creepy as hell.

I was on the floor about the "Oh hi, i was just having intercourse with your wife" line. Comedy genius.

Old Perry · 20-07-2015 2:50pm

Bacchus wrote: »

Anita was different though. Mia was there under the surface. Anita was caught looking at photos around the house, she went out one night to look at the moon, she asked about Tom, she said the slightly creepy "I will always protect Sophie", the daughter overheard another synth asking Anita "why don't you share" (and told the mother). There was plenty that was different with Anita.

exactly, you have a better memry than i do. I think what is important is not whether lauras paranoia is justified or not but is rather a question of would it be so easy to accept when confronted with such a machine. Like her eldest daughter laura also felt uneasy as to the role she could play given how much the synth is capable of taking care of. milikins situation also poses a similar question in having the synth forced upon him by the insurance company. could synths do a better job and make better judgements than ourselves and where does this leave us inferior beings.

wench · 20-07-2015 2:51pm

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Anita was never sentient, all those paranoid thoughts the mother was having were exactly that.

Anita did nothing a Synth was not supposed to do. Didn't act un-Synth like in any way.

There was also Anita's response when asked about feeling fear/being scared, she said she thinks everyone feels it sometimes.
Laura asked the synth who had been taken to the theatre the same thing, and he responded that it was not part of his programming.

Humans - Channel 4

Comments