Almost Human: "Beholder" Review

"A little help here!"

             Wow! #RenewAlmostHuman already shows up when I begin hash tagging it! Great job guys! Now onto "Beholder". We got some laughs as was expected but this episode I feel we focused a little more on Valerie Stahl, the Chrome that broke the genetic mold, which is great because at first I thought she was a little bland but she started to grow on me as the season went on and we found out some things about her. Beauty is only skin deep but in the future looks can kill.

Extreme Face Lift!

      John has had no luck in the dating department. It's nice to see him play the field again but we never really see him with anyone! We all know Dorian can sometimes be very blunt though. Maybe John is boring? Although John's date did take every call that came her way so I get why John didn't answer his phone. The laughing portion was great though. I love it when John and Dorian shoot back and forth, jabbing each other like guys do. Best part had to be Dorian saying he erased his memory of John's smart bed because apparently it was traumatizing. Forget the walls, the bed has the best stories to tell.

Why was Maldonado the only 1 who saw how hot the victims were?

     How much will someone pay for perfection? If you're not lucky enough to be born a Chrome then plastic surgery is an option, but don't do the nano-tech procedure. A serial killer who kills people to get their best feature to give himself. I found it funny that Captain Maldonado was the only woman in the room who noticed how good looking all the victims were. Even Valerie didn't catch that! But the biggest irony for this killer was the girl he wanted to look perfect for was blind! Also it took a suicide to give John the courage to ask Valerie out, only to get shot down.

Chrome or not, this girl is perfect

Wow, a Chrome who's not a jerk

     Speaking of Valerie, there was a little more focus on her in this episode. We also got to peer deeper into the world of Chromes. Apparently a Chrome becoming a cop or a sculptor seems beneath a person who was genetically altered. I loved seeing Stahl throw down with the blond (who I think is the perfect bitch). Yet at the club she met a fellow Chrome who's not a douche bag. He seemed more approachable, more charming and courteous. But that means a rival for John Kennex. When John finally got up the courage to ask Stahl out on a date, he finds that she already had a date and it was with another Chrome! I guess good things can only wait so long before they get tired of someone sitting on their ass. 

"You see DiCarlo anywhere?" "No..."

"Hey, DiCarlo!" "Damn it, Kennex!"

        The best tech of the episode was the exo-suit! Kennex just socked that big woman and out popped a little angry man! I hope we get a season 2 just out of the hope we can see John's CI in the robo-suit again. Also the 4-D play station? That's just so cool. Sony should get on that quick!

If you want cake have cake before someone else eats it, Kennex.

       All in all a pretty solid episode. John and Dorian continue their fantastic chemistry with quick rapport. We got to learn a bit more about Valerie and something else about Rudy being a child model. Next serial beauty killer I hope John will keep Rudy well informed. Only ONE episode left, guys. We are trending but we have to keep it up. Fingers crossed for Season 2!

Way less gross than a real body.

Almost Human: Mysteries We Need A Season 2 For

       After "Disrupt" I feel numbers have improved and I have heard that FOX executive producer Kevin Reilly has recently been having positive discussions about Almost Human getting a POSSIBLE season 2. While it's not a definite "yes" it's still a "maybe" and that means Humaniacs are being heard. We just got to keep up the good work. Now onto WHY we need a season 2.

       There are so many mysteries and unanswered questions we have that we need to solve:

These love birds should kiss or something!

1. The Wall: unlike the Wall in Game of Thrones, we have no idea what is beyond the wall surrounding the city in Almost Human. We have some idea starting from the Pilot episode where an MX said, "Individuals came from over the wall." That means there are people on the other side that our heroes don't want over on their side. John, Captain Maldonado, and that Luthor Estes guy in "Unbound" thought it was inconceivable that someone would willingly be on the other side of the wall. Yet Dr. Vaughn went over the wall and someone on the top of it threw him down that zip line. Who does Vaughn have connections with on the other side of the wall and who is on the other side?

Humaniacs are these guys' back up!

 2. InSyndicate: What exactly is InSyndicate? I know it's a faceless criminal organization but what do they still want with John? Anna had planted a recorder in his apartment using an ugly Russian doll (it shows how much you love someone when you keep their ugly gifts around). The last recording was 7 hours ago so what is it that they still want with John? Also, could some of the members be involved with people from over the wall? 

We can show Almost Human our love by voting, tweeting, etc.

3. Anna: who is Anna really? She works for InSyndicate but I think there's more to her than that. Did she really intend to kill John. I mean if you wanted to make sure someone was dead you would shoot them in the head instead of throw a grenade at them; that's just sloppy. 

If you help, Michael Ealy will give you his Dorian Smile 

4. Dorian's Human Memories: We just found out that someone has been putting organic memories into Dorian's head. These memories are of a child in a hospital bed playing with a toy train. Why that image? Why put them in Dorian's head? Did this happen to the other DRNs, causing them to malfunction? Or is this something special only to Dorian? Could he have been human? That last question may not be true but we won't know unless we get a season 2!

If we get renewed then John will wear more sexy undercover outfits

5. Chromes: I want to know more about Chromes. Valerie Stahl is one but she doesn't seem like other Chromes who are smug and arrogant. I read in an article somewhere that J.H. Wyman said Chromes are twins (genetically altered) and that one twin got the good parts but the other has mostly the bad parts. It was a long time ago but I want to see if that's true. 

We could see Dr. Vaughn again!

6. Dr. Nigel Vaughn: why is Dr. Vaughn making more androids? Is he making more Danicas & Dorians? For what purpose? Vaughn called his creations his children and when you rob a parent of their child then there's no telling what that parent will do in their grief. Is he building an army for the people over the wall?

Hand me the remote on Mondays!

7. Myklon Red: Why did InSyndicate try to take Myklon Red? It has something to do with programmable DNA and maybe that will be answered in 1x12 "Beholder" but I feel there's more to it than that. I want to learn more about Myklon Red.

I want to see John Kennex meet Anna again & go dark

8. John Kennex's Father: What we know about John's dad is that he was a cop and a big Elton John fan (I guess that's why he named Kennex "John" and of course why his middle name is "Reginald") and that John's father was being investigated by Internal Affairs. We know that he's dead, I think... See we know so little! Why was Kennex Sr. being investigated by I.A.? 

We can fix this but we don't have much time

       There's so much we have yet to discover about the mythology of Almost Human. It would be an absolute shame if FOX cancelled it before we got to learn the mysteries surrounding this amazing world and its events. Please trend #renewalmosthuman and remember to tag @FOXTV and @AlmostHumanFOX in those tweets. Also tweet live during the show. We only have 2 episodes left before FOX goes into negotiations for its renewal discussions! 

Almost Human: Out of Order

     People may not know but the growing cult phenomenon Almost Human episodes are out of order. I have no idea why but here's the REAL order:

1. Pilot

2. You Are Here

3. Arrhythmia 

4. Perception 

5. Skin

6. Are You Recieving 

7. The Bends

8. Blood Brothers

9. Unbound

10. Simon Says

11. Disrupt

12. Beholder

13. Straw man

     I think the last episode is called "Straw man" but that's the order. Some of the episodes were aired in order like "The Bends" and "Blood Brothers" but FOX is weird. Either order still works. 

Almost Human: "Disrupt" Review

Let's all watch another action packed episode of Almost Human

            What was the best part of Almost Human's latest episode? I have a list starting with John wearing eyeliner, a leather jacket, and speaking in an Aussie accent (or since Karl Urban is from New Zealand). I almost died! That aside I would pick a dumb house over a smart house any day. As far as viewer numbers went there was a slight rise but I think fans can do better. That aside let's talk about "Disrupt".

John, we may have a problem...

          Let's start with the issue of privacy. We have to remember that Dorian was built to be close to human so he'll have some issues concerning privacy like real humans do. Dorian woke to a rude surprise, Rudy looking into his head. But we know that Rudy does things with the best intentions and it was because Rudy was concerned that someone put organic memories into Dorian's head. If anyone found out then they would think Dorian was malfunctioning and decommission him. No! We also learn that before Dorian was reinstated as a cop, Rudy would wake him up from time to time. So these two good souls were roomies before they were... well roomies! It gets lonely in a lab.

How do we arrest a house?

         Back to privacy, it brought up an issue on how far people will go to protect their privacy like say using a smart house. Why would you have lasers instead of stun guns? You could avoid death or being taken to court over a kid jumping over your fence then being shot. John would agree but when faced with the CEO of Centurion, Miss Kay revealed that she was assaulted by 3 men while inside her home when she was only 15. I can only translate that into another word for "rape". I saw that this time, John had no comeback. I could tell he felt like a real ass in that moment. Well he is an ass but in those times he's funny. I was wondering how many funny excuses John would use to explain Detective Paul's absence: infection from a questionable piercing, STD from a sexbot (apparently those need to be cleaned; the more you know), and then the hemorrhoids. Poor young CSI guy actually believed Kennex so much that he gave Maldonado a donation for a donut pillow! 

I'm getting a "Blade Runner" vibe

              The best part of the episode had to be John and Valerie going undercover to an underground hacker rave, which sadly turned out to be a virtual rave. Well at least there wouldn't be any noise complaints and no condoms required. Seeing John in a leather jacket and eyeliner, then he pulled out an accent making him all British Rock Star (although Karl Urban's from New Zealand so I think it was partly that). But wow! I want to see Kennex go undercover more often and see what other hot outfits we could see him in. Valerie should also get out of that office. I like seeing her in the field, especially tonight where she had a whole Dark Angel going on with her purple wig and a cute, sexy, yet coy persona.

Don't YOU feel like a total ass, John.

          Apparently John doesn't like people who hide behind a computer in order to break the rules. John doesn't mind breaking the rules; in fact, he'll do it in plain view of Captain Maldonado. Then we saw double of John in action with Nico providing tech support. Five John Kennex's? Maldonado would appreciate that or maybe just one snarky, morose, rule breaker is enough. 

This guy refuses to sit properly in ANY chair.

        We did discover some mystery this episode like who has been putting human memories into Dorian's head? Could it be Dr. Vaughn? Maybe to give the DRN some idea of human connection? That's the itch that we want to scratch and hope FOX will oblige. 

Valerie wants to go on more undercover work. Help her!

        Viewer numbers are slowly rising but not enough so we have to step it up! Remember to hashtag #AlmostHuman to @FOXTV and @AlmostHumanFOX on twitter especially during the show's air time. You can also email the executive producers on why you love the show and want it on the air, but please be civil and cordial. Insulting the executives won't help, but showing your love for Almost Human will! 

FOX Executives:

Gaude Paez (gaude.paez@fox.com)
Peter Rice (peter.rice@fox.com)
Kevin Reilly (kevin.reilly@fox.com)

Reasons Why FOX Should Keep Almost Human

Don't let this show end up on the Coroner's table!

          I wrote a blog on why FOX should renew Almost Human, a cult classic in the making, but apparently that's not enough so I'm going to list a few GOOD reasons to renew Almost Human.

Interactive touch screen

1. They did it for Fringe. Yes the show was taken before its time but it got 5 seasons at least and that improved FOX's reputation involving Science Fiction genres a little. 

A walk in the woods turns deadly

2. Something as new as Almost Human needs time to grow. With the first season of any show, it has trouble finding its voice that will appeal to their audience but they usually find it by the end of season 1.

If this doesn't boost numbers I don't know what will!

3. The tech is so awesome: sexbots, police androids, hand phones (Apple better get on that), ingestible trackers, bomb collars, smart houses, synthetic body parts, etc. 

Almost Human likes to show some "Skin".

4. Everyone who sees this show likes it immediately. I've been on Twitter, Facebook, and read Youtube comments and all are positive. They are all amazed by it and think it has a future (in a matter of speaking). 

Check his pulse

5. Wyman already let slip that he had a 5 season plan for the show and it would be tragic to kill that plan so early at this stage.

Laser flowers!

6. There are so many loose ends to tie up: Anna, InSyndicate, Dorian's organic human memories, Dr. Vaughn, The Wall, why is InSyndicate still spying on John, etc. There are so many questions that have not been answered and mysteries left unsolved can drive people crazy. At least Firefly did a movie to tie everything up.

John in leather and eyeliner: HOT!

7. Speaking of Firefly, fans are still not over FOX's premature cancellation of the space cowboy odyssey. Nixon had Watergate and now FOX has Firefly. At least Almost Human doesn't take place in space.

Better watch out!

8. I feel like there's something brewing between Detective Valerie Stahl and John Kennex and I would hate to see that not reach a conclusion.

Rudy is awkward but sweet

9. Karl Urban does have to start filming Star Trek 3 so he'll be gone for 3 months, but actors usually find a compromise to satisfy both projects. If Karl loves this show I think he'll make the effort. If not well we still have Bones on the Enterprise, but I would prefer John with Dorian having one of their car conversations.

Now all that's left are cats.

10. I know sic-fi shows don't last long on TV but mostly because they are expensive. So are period pieces up to 1995, but people still do those. Sleepy Hollow takes place in the past in the American Revolution and the present modern age. That has to dig a bit deep in the pockets. The costumes alone! Almost Human doesn't need that. Put John in a leather jacket and some eyeliner and you're good to go. 

I failed Chem Class

11. People who watch the show have become rabid fans who are fighting very hard to get it renewed. Last episode "Disrupt" I saw an increase in viewership. Fans are communicating with each other on how to spread the word and get FOX's attention. 

There's 50 shades of Purple in there

12. Karl Urban and Michael Ealy, DUH! I already feel that they found a rhythm to their dynamic before anything else. There's a bond there and we want to see it to deepen and how many obstacles it can overcome. 

Let's see... I'm gonna need a live one

       FOX has been tight lipped on the subject but insiders are leaking "likely to be cancelled". I don't know if this is FOX's way of avoiding the fall out or if they hate giving bad news but their silence is frustrating. There are fans all over the world of Almost Human. I know FOX has high standards and are disappointed that the show hasn't set the world on fire but when you come across something new it takes time for people to get into it. People are used to boring modern cop procedurals, there's like a 100 of them on TV, but what makes this show different from that pack is that it's Robocop + Terminator + Fringe, breaking from the mundane. I don't see the harm in renewing Almost Human for at least one more season just to see where things go. If FOX is still not satisfied with the numbers then take it off the air but give us Humaniacs a second season, PLEASE!!!

     People who want to get FOX's attention please tweet live during the show, blog like crazy, hashtag #AlmostHuman @FOXTV and @AlmostHumanFOX all week, and spread the word to people!

Maybe FOX should give us a chance.

TV Predictions Continued

         So there have been some changes since the last time I posted one of these. Some are good and some are bad.


The CW

       The CW has picked up 5 shows: The Vampire Diaries (DUH), The Originals (Even bigger DUH), Arrow (it's getting a spin-off), Reign (now that was a shocker to me), and Supernatural (of course). 

         Unfortunately that means bad news for Beauty and the Beast and The Tomorrow People. I hate to say it but I saw it coming for both. BATB season 2 started out great but then started to decline somewhere in the middle. That ancestor beast story line peaked my interest but then they buried it. Also Tomorrow People had a sort of weak storyline although I liked the idea; I just didn't like how they approached it.

FOX

        Almost Human still whispers rumors of cancellation but I won't believe it until FOX announces it. I kinda feel it will get cancelled but more because Karl Urban will be filming Star Trek 3 this year and that means he wouldn't be on set for 3 months. Hmmmm Star Trek or Almost Human? I love both! I hope if the show does get renewed then Karl finds a way to come to some sort of agreement in his very busy schedule.

        The Following continues to drop in viewers. Nothing else to say about that really. 

       Enlisted surprisingly had a 30% bump in viewership. It just needed time to grow on the audience. I admit that I myself find it kind of hilarious. It may get renewed but we're not out of the woods yet.

NBC

        Still no news if NBC will renew Revolution or cancel it. But I see that fans are very passionate about the show so I wouldn't worry. Great story, great cast, great set, people love it.

        Although Dracula was cancelled, there's a campaign to get it back on the air. I actually kind of liked how it ended; leaves it open ended. If Jericho can get cancelled but then put back on the air then so can Dracula. 

       The Blacklist may definitely get renewed. It's become one of NBC's most highly rated shows. I think it has a perfect time slot too given it's content. Adults can enjoy it while the kids are in bed.


        Numbers change all the time. For networks that haven't announced their line up, fans still have time to save their shows.

Almost Human: Will it Live or Die?

            Okay, I've had just about enough of people saying Almost Human is getting the boot then someone saying it's likely to be renewed. I'm getting panic attacks and I'm a very calm person! These mixed messages prevent me from fully enjoying the show!

A fembot with a gun wearing fish nets? HOT

        I understand why fans are nervous. FOX doesn't have the best track record for it's science fiction projects; I mean look at Firefly. Also that people view FOX in a very negative light. I've been reading Youtube comments of Almost Human clips and many of them are very supportive and excited about the show. Yet some of the comments took some shots at FOX: "It's a great show, but only one problem: It's on FOX" and "I don't watch FOX period. But I will just for this show." I apologize to FOX and I don't want to cast aspersions on your network but I myself have been sharing the same feelings of frustration.

Some cadavers are just latex, metal, & wires

       Sci-Fi shows can be expensive so I see why FOX is on the fence. Despite it's steady numbers (even against the Olympics  I might add while The Following took a big hit), FOX does have a budget they don't want to go over. Still I want to say that if the show does get renewed I would be fine with 10-12 episode seasons. SyFy does it all the time because they know it's expensive. Yes each network has its own standards. The CW probably is more in touch with its audience but also because their main attraction was The Vampire Diaries and they wanted more viewers so now I watch The CW probably 5 days a week. Most of my favorite shows are on The CW while other networks pale in comparison. Yet The CW cancels shows too like Tomorrow People has been given the axe and I think Beauty and the Beast won't be given a Season 3. 

Don't call it in just yet

     I graduated college with a degree in Radio/TV/Film so I know the business better than I did a few years ago. However, I'm also a writer and see that Almost Human is an amazing story that has had nothing but great reviews because of it's individuality. Almost Human is Robocop + Blade Runner + Terminator with a dash of Fringe thrown in creating one mind blowing show. The show already has an intense following that is imploring FOX to give this sic-fi cop procedural a chance. They gave Fringe a chance, why not Almost Human? If FOX renews this show I promise they will have more viewers than before and would have the gratitude and loyalty of fans (many of whom are all over the world). I just want to breathe again, FOX, please renew Almost Human!

Almost Human fans wait with bated breath...