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.

Old Perry · 20-07-2015 2:57pm

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

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

'shes playing hard to get' that was great, equal parts funny and equal parts scary.

Also had a chuckle at maxs comeback 'im not a telephone' but i can estimate where he is mostly to be.

dr.fuzzenstein · 20-07-2015 2:58pm

Old Perry wrote: »

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.

The question is more, will we all end up with Vera? I'd short her wires within a week. Or probably install Linux on her.

dr.fuzzenstein · 20-07-2015 3:02pm

Old Perry wrote: »

'shes playing hard to get' that was great, equal parts funny and equal parts scary.

Also had a chuckle at maxs comeback 'im not a telephone' but i can estimate where he is mostly to be.

Can't wait what Pete will think about his not so human after all colleague.
Karen Voss has been very under the radar character-wise, since she seems to be an unaccounted for sentient.

ScumLord · 20-07-2015 3:22pm

Bacchus wrote: »

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.

I guess it would be the difference between feeling like your robot has some sinister problem with it, or finding out it's got feelings like a mother. When people don't know something for sure they assume the worst. But when we understand someone else we're more accepting.

dr.fuzzenstein · 20-07-2015 4:01pm

ScumLord wrote: »

I guess it would be the difference between feeling like your robot has some sinister problem with it, or finding out it's got feelings like a mother. When people don't know something for sure they assume the worst. But when we understand someone else we're more accepting.

i just love the way the sentients are being portrayed as still coming to terms with their feelings, essentially they are only a few years old, but with grown up intellects. And they all have their own distinct personality. Niska is fascinating, her focus is mortality, Max is religion, and so on.
So of course, like most SciFi it's not really about robots developing feelings, but more a reflection on humanity. The rest is sex, death and violence. Gotta have those.

AlmightyCushion · 22-07-2015 12:00am

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

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.

He's pissed off with his Dad because he fancies Anita and his Dad fúcked her. Nothing to do with her being a 'person' or whether what the Dad did was right or wrong. He's just jealous and pissed off because he wants to ride her.

Tin Foil Hat · 22-07-2015 12:25am

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.

Before the opening credits even roll in the very first episode, we see her checking out the moon in a room full of synths who are all facing forward. It was clear from the very begining that she was different.

Old Perry · 22-07-2015 8:26am

Tin Foil Hat wrote: »

Before the opening credits even roll in the very first episode, we see her checking out the moon in a room full of synths who are all facing forward. It was clear from the very begining that she was different.

good spot, must go back and have a look at that, seems the show devides opinion somewhat, i cant wait to go back for a rewatch though.

alchemist33 · 22-07-2015 12:22pm

I thought it was pretty slow and repetitive so far (Leo constantly wandering) but this week's episode was superb. The actress playing Mia did a great job (my wife said she gets shivers every time Mia does the gasping/remembering thing), the scene with the sexed-up masseuse robot was hilarious (the wife is a wagon for sending the hubby away again after he saved her), I really felt for Max for the first time (and just knew something bad was going to happen as soon as his personality started to show) and stroppy teenage daughter is finally becoming less stroppy.

I didn't feel Dad phoning police was too out of character, and also seemed in response to the wife marginalising him. Her sending him away from the house when Leo arrived was a bit stupid though. I thought that after her revealing about Tom to the daughter, she would realise she'd been cold to the husband. Instead she got rid of him at a time when they all needed to pull together.

La_Gordy · 24-07-2015 11:49pm

Finally caught up on the last episode and enjoyed it most of all.

Poor Max! I wonder what the polisman is gonny do now that he has to come to terms wi pumping a synth and caring about her

Cianmcliam · 25-07-2015 5:33pm

I'm only on number 6 but have I missed the significance of why Anita took the youngest daughter outside one night? Is that still to be revealed?

Old Perry · 25-07-2015 7:24pm

Cianmcliam wrote: »

I'm only on number 6 but have I missed the significance of why Anita took the youngest daughter outside one night? Is that still to be revealed?

Yeah good question, ive no idea about that either. would love to hear peoples ideas

dr.fuzzenstein · 25-07-2015 7:45pm

Cianmcliam wrote: »

I'm only on number 6 but have I missed the significance of why Anita took the youngest daughter outside one night? Is that still to be revealed?

OK, my own pet theory. Anita as Mia was looking after Leo.
Anita didn't know that, but maybe the Mia personality was peeking through (as it has on occasion, not the conscious outburst but more a subconscious thing) and she felt compelled to look after the daughter. The Anita personality probably had no idea why she was doing that.

Old Perry · 25-07-2015 8:32pm

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

OK, my own pet theory. Anita as Mia was looking after Leo.
Anita didn't know that, but maybe the Mia personality was peeking through (as it has on occasion, not the conscious outburst but more a subconscious thing) and she felt compelled to look after the daughter. The Anita personality probably had no idea why she was doing that.

yeah very good. they could tie it together in the end then with mia and leo having some sort of back story concerning astrology or somethin

edit. read this again and it sounds stupid, what i meant was, when leo was younger maybe both leo and mia learned about space together.

dr.fuzzenstein · 25-07-2015 8:44pm

Where did space come into this?

Old Perry · 25-07-2015 8:50pm

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Where did space come into this?

Annita going out to have a gander at the moon.im after mixin the two together for some reason. i know.im not thinkin straight. i was up shockin early this mornin, need to go to bed.

Lovely Bloke · 26-07-2015 9:22pm

ah jaysis poor Odi

Cork boy 55 · 26-07-2015 9:29pm

Toby looks like ed "red" miliband

Lovely Bloke · 26-07-2015 9:30pm

I wonder was Mia really there the whole time, or is she just saying that, my guess is the latter.

dr.fuzzenstein · 26-07-2015 9:50pm

Niska leaving a trail of death in her wake.

Humans - Channel 4

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