Carol (Rhea Seehorn, left) struggles to catch the spark of happiness.
Anna Kuris Copyright: Apple TV+
For many
Vince Gilligan, Apple TV
If I asked you to name the best episode of a TV show (as I often ask my patient friends), you could do worse than pick “Ozymandias.” One of the last episodes Breaking BadAn extraordinary drama about a chemistry teacher who turns to cooking meth after being diagnosed with cancer, it is a complete and utter triumph of writing, acting and direction.
To be a part of one perfect episode of a TV show is a wonderful legacy. Creation of two science fiction series – Breaking Bad and its sister show Better call Saul that changed the media landscape is something else entirely. That is, Vince Gilligan, an excellent showrunner, has little to prove. For manyhis new sci-fi series for Apple TV.
Having watched the first six episodes of the nine-episode season, I can say that it is made with utmost confidence and does not hold your hand through the twists and turns of its deceptively rich storyline.
Carol (Ray Seehorn, veteran Better call Saul) is the author Winds of Vicaropopular series of books about pirate corsages. Writing about sinewy forearms and stiff mizzenmasts has given her a comfortable life, but she is not satisfied. However, as she is about to discover, there are worse things than creative malaise.
One night while on a book tour with her agent and partner Helen (Miriam Shor), everyone around Carol freezes in their tracks and then begins to convulse. When their seizures end, they are completely different. Carol, it turns out, is one of the vanishingly few people unaffected by this. It's unclear what happened, but it likely had something to do with the mysterious radio signal first detected 439 days ago. The base-four signal pattern repeats every 78 seconds and broadcasts over a distance of 600 light years.
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Can a society become a utopia without the consent of its citizens? Is it still a utopia if one person feels trapped?
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Carol doesn't know about this, but only knows that almost everyone on the planet knows about it. upbeat, free from minutiae grievances of humanity. Moreover, they would move heaven and earth for her to join them.
I understand why they are so obsessed with Carol. She's great at being grumpy, even before she became the unhappiest person on the planet. Indeed, she reminded me of Paul Sheldon in Adversitywho is being held captive by an apparently well-meaning fan, but in Carol's case, she is being watched by billions. Her fellow humans will serve her unwaveringly until they understand why she is different and how to fix it. Carol soon begins to learn the rules of her new reality, realizing that she is not as powerless as she may seem.
There are many satisfactory ideas in For many. Can a society become a utopia without the consent of its citizens? Is it still a utopia if even one person feels trapped? What's most promising, besides Seehorn's powerful performance, is that it's unabashedly character-driven, the kind of show where half the episode is spent watching someone try to bury a body. Nothing is rushed, but nothing is unnecessary either. He's getting closer to something, and when you expect him to zigzag, he zigzags.
It says a lot that despite watching most of the first season, I have no idea where exactly. For many is heading. I imagine many viewers will be put off by the uncertainty, and the leisurely pace of the show could also be divisive. But I thought it was exciting For many doesn't hit any of the obvious notes of a big-budget sci-fi series.
With a second season guaranteed, I'm pretty sure he'll release his own Ozymandias once he gets some traction.
Bethan also recommends…
Breaking Bad
Vince Gilligan
If you need to see Vince Gilligan's credentials, watch his first masterpiece. The story of a chemistry teacher who cooks meth, it's a five-act tragedy and a character study of one of television's greatest anti-heroes.
Outlander
Adapted by Ronald D. Moore
There's a great point in For many where a character remodels a bookstore to make her partner's books more visible. Diana Gabaldon Outlander the series ends up on the bottom shelf. I can't speak for the books, but the TV adaptation is swoon-worthy.
Bethan Ackerley is a junior editor at New scientist. She loves science fiction, sitcoms and everything creepy. Follow her on X @inkerley
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