My quick rating - 7,6/10. Get to that later, now streaming on Showtime and after episode 2, I am all in. Click the poster for a 7-day free trial to check it out. It will be a crime if Chiwetel Ejiofor is not nominated for an Emmy. The whole cast is actually really good but he stands out as the kid-like genius alien who lands on Earth to save it and his own planet all in one fell swoop. This is actually a sequel to the 1976 movie starring David Bowie but you don't need to worry if you haven't checked that one out (you should though.) This story does have his character Thomas Newton in it but you needn't know that backstory to still enjoy this show to its fullest. The show is very imaginative and it does a great job of using the few special effects in such a practical manner that you really don't even notice them. Each episode leaves you wondering how Faraday, played by Ejiofor, will be able to not only learn to be human and befriend the one character (Naomie Harris) he needs to achieve his goal. The show does a tremendous job of balancing times of truth about human nature and then shifts to comedy so well. And along the way, Faraday in his simplistic take on humans can point out some vastly important moral things in such a way that really makes you think. Overall the show was excellent and consistently each episode was far above average scifi fun that doesn't need spaceships and lightsabers to really capture your attention. Definitely one of the better shows of the year!!
