TV Review: 'Altered Carbon' is an Uneven Sci-fi Epic from Netflix

von Clayton Davis · 07.02.2018

Due to the popularity of "Game of Thrones," every content provider is looking for the next big budget hit. Netflix has fared better than most, primarily due to the popularization of shows like "Stranger Things," "Narcos" and original films. With that capital, Netflix has continued to push the envelope. Their latest series to try this is "Altered Carbon," based on the series of novels by Richard Morgan. The series follows a former rebel fighter, Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman) that has been awakened after 250 years in prison. He's been pulled out of his prison sentence to solve a murder, but as he dives deeper into the investigation, the events are far more complex. While the world the show inhabits is certainly interesting to explore, the results are a mixed bag.

"Altered Carbon" that takes place in a dystopian future where human consciousness is kept on "stacks," storage devices that can be transferred between "sleeves" or bodies. This allows the human consciousness to live unnaturally long life and accumulate exorbitant wealth. Kovacs is bought by one of these extremely wealthy individuals, Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy). He forces Kovacs to investigate his death, thought by many to have been a suicide. As he investigates, he begins to gain help from Officer Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda), an ex-Marine (Ato Essandoh), and a hotel AI (Chris Conner).

The narrative is large and complex, often weaving between noir detective stories and high concept sci-fi. The show is at its best when it functions as a noir first. The sci-fi elements are good but are nothing revolutionary. However, the show is not able to fully balance either, which leads to a winding narrative that stalls out on multiple occasions. The sci-fi concepts are overly explained to the audience, including a plodding voice-over narration reminiscent of the original "Blade Runner" cut. There are also many scenes that simply last too long, or serve no purpose in the larger scale story. This drags the show to a halt, which is likely not helped by the 10 episode season. 8 or even 6 might have helped keep things focused.

Another problem with the storytelling is an overreliance on "sexposition." The story displays dozens of women as sexual objects, including victims of extreme sexual violence. Almost once an episode there is extreme violence against women that is problematic. The show acknowledges how this trauma affects its characters, but never actually stops the violence. Even consensual sex is graphic in this show. The use of nudity and sex does little to move plot forward and is primarily here to draw eyes to the show.

The grand nature of the story forces a series of flashbacks, but they get excessive at times. There is one episode that functions almost entirely as backstory. The episodes can get disorienting due to the large cast required, especially because the actors who play characters can change. Takeshi body swaps between Kinnaman, Will Yun Lee, and Byron Mann. The concept is cool in theory, but drags out the story and slows down the progress of the season. Perhaps worst of all, this leads to inconsistent performances across the actors who are technically playing the same character.

Speaking of performances, there are some highlights that help breathe life into the show. Kinnaman plays Kinnaman, and if you like what he brings, you'll enjoy his performance. The best performance comes from Ato Essandoh. He is electric in many scenes and carries a pathos-driven arc for the entire season. He delivers most the season's emotional moments and develops through the best character arc.

Renée Elise Goldsberry is underutilized in the show as a past love interest of Kovacs. While the cuts to her are often distracting and slow the pace of the show, she's the most charismatic character on screen. Goldsberry continues to give great performances, and hopefully, she'll receive a starring role sooner rather than later. Dichen Lachman gives a strong performance in what should be a one-note character.

The production quality is immaculate, and the show is a craft giant. The cinematography is excellent and utilizes lighting to effectively imbue scenes with visual meaning. The sets are gorgeous throughout the season and helps to keep the story straight. The costumes make the most of the diverse characters present. Even the visual effects hold up, creating a world crossed between "The Fifth Element," "Blade Runner," and Isaac Asimov's stories. With such a high budget, this isn't necessarily a surprise. Still, it is impressive to see a world come together as visually diverse as this one.

When you start "Altered Carbon," there is the promise of a great show in the first moments. However, no matter how well the craft team can dress up the sets or the actors deliver memorable performances, the show is inconsistent at best. It's an admirable attempt from Netflix to land another blockbuster series. However, there's little reason to return to this world at the end of the season. Not only has it exhausted itself narratively, but the story wrapped itself up in a bow. Rather than turn the series into an exhaustive anthology series, the show should conclude with the single, overly long season.