Halle Berry
Extant, Season 1, Episode 1, “Re-Entry”
Written by Mickey Fisher
Directed by Allen Coulter
Airs Wednesdays at 9 pm EST on CBS
Science fiction shows on television have always been a tricky proposition. Done effectively, a series can gain a number of fans, many of whom continue to sing the show’s praises long after its end. Done poorly, however, it can become even more incoherent than a non-genre drama. With luminaries such as Star Trek leading the way, this summer CBS tries its hand at the genre with Extant, a science fiction series led by Halle Berry. While the pilot disconcertingly throws a number of potential mysteries into the fray, the series nonetheless shows some promise, and depending on what path it goes down, could develop into a show worth watching.
The show has the potential to build a rich array of characters. From the pilot alone, alongside Molly, there’s her husband John and son Ethan, both of whom have their own storylines, as well as Molly’s friend and doctor, Sam Barton, her boss Director Sparks, and Mr. Yasumoto. All of these characters look intriguing, and the potential is there for other characters, such as Julie and Femi, to develop into compelling figures as well. The show is certainly filled with strong performers, from Berry herself to Goran Visnjic, Camryn Manheim, and Hiroyuki Sanada, which means it will come down to the writing staff to deliver on the potential that these characters present. If they are properly fleshed out, these characters represent a diverse enough group that the show would be worth watching to see how developing events affect them, regardless of whether the developments themselves are interesting or not. The pilot already takes steps in the right direction in this regard, giving Molly an identity and character traits beyond simply those that serve the story, as well as adding dimensions to secondary characters such as the aforementioned Dr. Barton.
Pierce Gagnon
On the other hand, the show will have to be careful with how many storylines it takes on, and how carefully it handles them. The show seems to take on too much in the pilot, as Molly’s extraterrestrial encounter and associated pregnancy alone would have made for a compelling mystery. In addition, however, the show adds a conspiracy by her superiors, and the apparent death and re-emergence of her colleague, along with John’s research into emphatic robots and Ethan’s apparent turns towards unfeeling ruthlessness. All this is in addition to the worldbuilding necessitated by setting the show in a futuristic society. Put together, this would be a lot of story to tackle for any show, much less one in its first season. While managing to effectively juggle so many plotlines isn’t unprecedented, the show’s decision to introduce all these stories in the pilot does not bode well. The series’ success will depend on giving enough time to all these stories, and not pursuing a few to the detriment of others, or leaving them all underserved.
Overall, however, this is a promising start for the show. The writers have done a good job adding small touches indicating the futuristic society, rather than showing massive changes. The story of Humanix and John’s research is an intriguing one, as is the mystery of what happened to Molly, and hopefully the writers have an idea of where they would like the stories to go. The effects in the pilot are also notable, as the space station itself evokes Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in its design, while the earth-bound effects work with the story, rather than being distracting. Credit must also be given to the show for setting up a group of women who seem set to serve as more than mere love interests. Not only does the story focus on Molly, but several women are presented in their professional capacities, with no hint of partners or spouses to define them, and no indication of their attempts to seek one out. The show’s effectiveness will depend on how well they can build the numerous characters, as well as how they handle the mysteries. If it can manage to build up the people involved, and give enough time to the various stories without a frantic pacing, the show has the potential to develop into a genuinely entertaining and thoughtful series.
– Deepayan Sengupta