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DarthMetalliCube said:

Severance - Close second only to Squid Game as far as favorite new show. Love the surrealist quasi-sci-fi ala The Matrix, the mind-bending concept of the split identities, very atmospheric, again great performances (particularly by Adam Scott and Britt Lower). Makes you really intrigued as to where they're going. Hopefully the writers don't pull a "Lost" and actually know what they're doing as far as the big picture.

Assuming you have Apple Plus (as you mentioned Severance), a show I'd recommend on the service is For All Mankind. It's an alt-history drama that flirts with science fiction that asks the question "What if the space race didn't end?". I'd recommend not looking up any videos, previews, or anything of the show until after watching the first episode. It's be best not to have that episode spoiled, as the explanation of why the space race continues is answered in that episode. It's a very interesting scene/set of scenes, and just about every video/article about the show spoils the first episode.

But without spoiling that (or other plot specifics), the show currently starts in the 1960s and has made it up to the early 2000s. Apart from the space race continuing, the USSR doesn't fall. The first season is in the 1960s and 70s. The second takes place in the 1980s. The third season in the 1990s. The show uses music and general clothing styles from the decades in question. Technology evolves a bit differently. Much like Rome (the HBO series) the show digs into the layers of society via a few people from different parts of society to give a more full picture of what's going on, and much like Rome there's also a lot of mental breakdown stuff.

For All Mankind was developed by Ronald D. Moore - best known for being a senior writer on Star Trek The Next Generation and Deep Space 9, and the showrunner for Battle Star Galactica. Although, unlike Battlestar Galactica, he has a 7 year plan for For All Mankind rather than a 2 year plan. And, IMO, the thematic feeling of the show is a bit similar to BSG, although far more polished in the writing and the production... He's come a long way as a writer, as (if you remember) BSG had a lot of plot threads that just kind of went nowhere. For All Mankind is much more solidly written; the storylines mostly resolve quickly, and the consequences reverberate through the show. The result is something that feels as satisfying on an episode by episode level as an episodic show, but also feels like one of those TV series novels at the same time.

Without spoiling plot details: the show has three main settings: in the homes of the astronauts, and dealing with their families. In The Johnson Space Center (Houston) which is the heart of the show. And the last but most exciting part of the show is the stuff that takes place in space. What happens in one place often impacts the other two.

But anyway, check out the show, and like I said. Go watch the first episode without looking up any other details about the show.



I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.