In 2024, a group of scientists wrote a paper warning of the end of all life on Earth. Or, in fact, it won't be the end—it will instead be a new beginning of sorts.
You see, all cells have structures, and these structures have orientations. Given that For manythe new sci-fi mystery that focuses on this is the work of Vince Gilligan, you may even be familiar with the concept. Because if you were looking Breaking Badthe generational hit that first put Gilligan on the map, you might hear chemistry teacher turned drug lord Walter White explain it.
This is called chirality. For all of us science students in the room, it basically comes down to the idea that the smallest building blocks of life are oriented a certain way, and if they are turned over, they will never be the same again. Simply put, you can think of them as left-handed or right-handed.
But theoretically, there could be opposite versions of these building blocks: “left-handed” versions of “right-handed” ones. If these reverse blocks were then to form a reverse cell, you would end up with something completely opposite and completely unnatural. And if these opposing cells then came together, they could create the opposite version of a living organism – what the concerned scientists above called “mirror life.”
This can be incredibly helpful for some long-term medical procedures because your body won't be able to break them down. But also, as these scientists explained in their paper, mirror life can exist unhindered: no natural predators or immune responses can destroy their population.
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It's kind of a setup For many – although not entirely. At least that's what we can say about the secret continuation of Gilligan's story. Breaking Bad Expanded Universe still set in his beloved Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Rhea Seehorn returning from his Better call Saul series as the main character.
This time she plays Carol Sturka, a fantasy novelist with a bland book series she hates, a secret relationship with her manager Helen (Miriam Shor) and a barely coping drinking problem.
Oh yes, and fierce protection from mirror life changes that change the world, changing the face of the Earth.
You see, this show is about change. The new status quo (a frightened and confused Carol soon learns about this on TV from a stunningly cheerful man) is a new way of life.
It's a happy occasion, a grinning woman (Carolina Otter) assures her, offering her a bottle of water that she promises isn't poisoned—an insidiously joyful change that (without spoiling the goods) will eventually happen to Carol, too. That is, unless she can find a way to fix what happened on the planet.
If this description sounds a little self-conscious, that's because it is. Much of Gilligan's show is cloaked in mystery, twists and head-scratching, and it comes with a refreshing update to his dusty early-aughts aesthetic.
Instead of the grainy, kitschy maximalism of his early productions, For many sleek in its insulating atmosphere.
Bright yellow skin, a cascade of sparks from abruptly broken telephone poles and wide, empty frames extend throughout the new world showcased in two episodes premiering Friday on Apple TV, highlighting both the pervasive themes Gilligan is working on and a renewed sensibility (and, likely, budget).
To be honest, some of these topics are a little annoyingly simplistic. As Carol travels halfway around the world to put her resistance into action, she even addresses somewhat banal aspects of the plot: “I saw that movie. We've all seen that movie,” she screams. – And it doesn't end well.
Well maintained land
It's true that many aspects of this story have been repeated and returned and repeated again and again since the earliest days of science fiction – and certainly since the early days of Hollywood. Readers of Ron Curry Jr.'s wonderful novel Everything matters! – about a person who learns in the womb that a comet will destroy the Earth in 36 years – will evaluate existential questions related to the intrinsic value of life.
And Robert Cormier fans fade — about a boy who discovers he has the power of invisibility — can appreciate the ethical dilemmas that arise, namely, the ethical responsibilities we have to our fellow human beings.
And, again, without spoiling the experience, fans of many classic sci-fi thrillers will be right at home. For many. Just trust us.
But the show's original premise – the question of whether this change can actually be a good thing – is framed in an artificially intellectually complex way that feels artificial more than anything else. It's a frustratingly simplistic narrative trick that would feel more at home in an operatically silly Bond villain speech than a philosophical action mystery.
It even uses the most narratively clichéd way of telling stories: an actual answering machine, inexplicably used in the year 2025 of Our Lord.
Honestly, this is an alternative gift. And these somewhat hackneyed details don't detract from what is otherwise a skillfully crafted and extremely engrossing series. And they serve as preparation for the central questions Gilligan is sure to ponder: What is happiness, how valuable is it, and what should we be willing to sacrifice to get it?
The fact that For many makes all three of these questions not only difficult to answer, but also the basis of the most compelling show since Severance payRecommendation is enough. In short, be prepared to have your entire life under control.
