Altered Carbon on Netflix

[Voodoo]

Based on Richard K. Morgan’s cyberpunk noir novel, the dystopian adaptation centres on a world where consciousness can be stored digitally and human bodies (called “sleeves”) have become interchangeable, allowing humans to theoretically live forever, One former soldier, Takeshi Kovacs, played by Joel Kinnaman (Suicide Squad, House of Cards, The Killing), has been brought back to life by a wealthy investor and tasked with solving a murder. The twist? Kovacs must work out who murdered the person who brought him back.

 

I do love me some cyberpunk, so I was pretty excited to see what Netflix could do with the source material. It's available now in the US market and so far it's pretty good, atmospherically. Seems like a good candidate for a weekend binge.

[Leftist Bastard]

going to start this ASAP i am very very psyched for more cyberpunk

[darthYENIK]

Watched half of the first episode. Might need to rewatch, to fully understand whats going on. But it looks great.

 

Edit: rewatched the first episode, started the second, and Im enjoying it. Like a spiritual Blade Runner TV show. As if Blade Runners body died and went into the 'sleeve' of Altered Carbon.

 

I was hoping it would be the next show I can watch with my family, but theres dongs in it. Dongs and vag.

Edited February 3, 2018 by darthYENIK

[Leftist Bastard]

God that ending is SO RIPE with possibility I will be utterly and completely heart broken if this doesn't get renewed. I really, really liked it. Stumbles a bit and the self indulgence can get a bit overbearing but it's such a great world and I enjoyed the characters. Was cool seeing Kinnaman show that he can do actual depth.

 

For anyone who's finished it

 

Thoughts on who Kovacs would be played by in season 2? I mean, Tom Hardy is *never* the wrong choice.

 

Edited February 4, 2018 by Leftist Bastard

[Halal Cyborg]

Read the book and almost came when I saw it on Netflix...only watched the first episode but it seems amazingly well executed.

 

Good to see Will Conways ancestor

[darthYENIK]

I feel like this is the first show Ive watched in 4K that feels like it was filmed to be watched in the highest resolution possible. This show looks beautiful, and the little details that seem like they were taken into account by the director(s) of photography, that might not work so much in 1080p. But even then it is beautifully shot. Even the VFX have me in awe for the first time in a long time.

 

Maybe I just need to get a 4K blu ray player or start watching more legit cinematography in 4K. Maybe I just havent watched enough well 'photographed' (I feel like such a nerd saying that) shows.

 

Still, this show is gorgeous is what Im saying.

[Coin]

Been waiting for a good Cyberpunk-esque series for the longest of times, as someone who has spent far too many hours mucking about with Shadowrun, this definitely scratched that itch. Absolutely gorgeous and the story was engrossing (though not without some flaws).

 

If this somehow doesn't get renewed, I'll be as miffed as I was when Fox dropped Firefly way back in the day. You know what to do Netflix.

 

 

 

Thoughts on who Kovacs would be played by in season 2? I mean, Tom Hardy is *never* the wrong choice.

 

 

 

 

It's highly unlikely, but I'd like Will Yun Lee to return. Kovacs certainly has the means and knows it can be done (courtesy of Carnage) at the end of the season, for a clone of his original body.

 

 

[rtie]

"Okay James, we need you to do your best Mads Mikkelsen impression."

 

[darthYENIK]

I watched the final couple episodes.

 

Really good stuff. Nothing gets me hooked on a show like a well built lore.

[Mister Pink]

This looks really amazing and right up my alley. Just concerned about the mixed reviews. What's it like? I'll definitely give it a go anyway.

[Mr. Scratch]

Well, the guy who voiced Wei in Sleeping Dogs is the main character.

[darthYENIK]

Well, the guy who voiced Wei in Sleeping Dogs is the main character.

Not entirely true. Joel Kinnaman plays the lead character 80% of the time.

 

Im not sure how to describe it. A noire detective story set in a future where death isnt guaranteed, sex and violence are a trade commodity, and the rich and powerful live high above the clouds while the poor and weak live to serve them in the streets and gutters.

[Leftist Bastard]

if you've ever played human revolution it is basically the same plot with immortality thrown into the gears

[rtie]

Spoilers for S1 episode 7

 

 

If anyone was as keen as I was to find the song playing during Kovav's sister's introduction at the Fightdrome; it's a cover of More Human Than Human [also the motto for Tyrell Corporation, Blade Runner] by Sune Rose Wagner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrQJp879ho4

absolute tune.

 

 

[Mister Pink]

Im not sure how to describe it. A noire detective story set in a future where death isnt guaranteed, sex and violence are a trade commodity, and the rich and powerful live high above the clouds while the poor and weak live to serve them in the streets and gutters.

 

Sold!

 

Thanks

 

@Leftist B: Yeah man, I love Deus Ex. Awesome!

Edited February 12, 2018 by Mister Pink

[Halal Cyborg]

Altered Carbon is an amazing series of novels btw guys

[Mister Pink]

I've only finished Season 1 last night. I enjoyed it for the most part but at times I was a little confused by the plot. The nature of the story doesn't follow arcs that I'm familiar with. Not that I'm looking for generic storytelling. I'm looking for something new, but can't help feel that the storytelling is marred by confusion. I'll concede, it could be my simpleton brain here but there were many times I felt half in the know which stopped me from appreciated the full gravity of certain elements of the story. Is it me or the screenwriting? I don't know, it's a pet-peeve of mine when storytelling isn't clear. And I'm not talking about visual symbolism like you find in Taxi Driver or Under The Skin, I'm talking about just the way the story is told. I haven't read the books but...(spoilers of the end of season 1)

 

Spoiler

I heard with regards to Kovacs' skin, at the end of season 1, there's no confusion of who's sleeve was who's at the end and who's memories got kept. 

 

I'll also admit that I was just dipping in and out of the show since it came out, practically. I left months gaps between episodes. 

 

Maybe I just need to re-watch it but binge on it. 

 

Anyone watch Season 2?

[darthYENIK]

Yeah.  Season 2 is much more straight forward.  But also less interesting.  There’s a definite genre shift from a cyberpunk noir type mystery to action.

[Zello]

I've only seen Season 1 and it reminded me a lot of Cyberpunk 2077.

[Mister Pink]

4 hours ago, darthYENIK said:

Yeah.  Season 2 is much more straight forward.  But also less interesting.  There’s a definite genre shift from a cyberpunk noir type mystery to action.

I wonder was that some Netflix exec's decision of if that was just how it naturally progressed. I'd say with the lacklustre performance of the first season, they may have switched it up to see if it would garner more views. Not a bad thing. Boardwalk Empire's first season is a kind of a slow burner but then the violence and action ramps up in the second season. It felt carefully planned out though. Like Season 1 was just building the world and the foundation. 

 

There's something about Sci-Fi where where there's a fine line between dealing with big concepts and then losing the human story, interpersonal relationships and such. I think Terminator 2 nails it. We're seeing people on the ground and how their lives are being affected by the machines. Psychiatrists bemused, kids having awakenings and it just being more relatable from a more personable aspect. The horror and implications of the future technology and humanities relationship with technology. Whereas Altered Carbon, tackles much bigger ideas in many ways - preserving consciousness, and transcending different sleeves. All very interesting topics but just plays out slightly confusing at times and the characters become secondary to the high concepts. Like a Christopher Nolan film. It kind of begins with the concept and then the characters are almost secondary. 

 

If it were me, the show would begin with the characters and world building. Show me things where I can relate to the people in the show on the most human level. Then start weaving in the bigger concepts of sleeves. Instead the show throws us into the world and expects us then to relate to everything straightaway. It's frustrating because I like the ideas and concepts, I love Cyberpunk themes but this is where I think games like Deus Ex and Cyberpunk actually do a better job of introducing us to ideas. Because levelling up and being augmented is a much slower, more digestible concept than how it's thrown at you in Altered Carbon. It's not woven into the story with characters that appeal to us. 

 

I understand these people are supposed to exist in a world where all these things are familiar and normal. But it's not really to the viewer. I think the show would have benefited from us learning more about the world and more importantly the characters. Instead the characters get buried under grandiose ideas, future tech and jargon. It didn't need to be like that. 

[Corndawg93]

Tryed watching the 1st episode, got a bit bored watching it, does the show get better 

[SilverRST]

I watched the first season and I like it a lot! Probably because of the main character as he was more serious, his voice sounds bad ass and he thinks all can f*ck off. I watched a few episodes of the 2nd season but as soon I learned season 3 has been cancelled, I stopped watching it.

A lot of great tv series has been cancelled like The Zoo, The Order and many others.

Edited February 5, 2021 by SilverRST