The season 1 finale of AMC's sci-fi drama Humans that aired on August 16 th was brilliant. Made so, because the storyline also included a characteristic theme that when superbly crafted, always makes sci-fi exceptional. Which is that of humanity.
More also is expected. And that's good news since Humans will go on for a second season. Created by British writers Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley, both also crafted the season 1 finale's eighth episode of the new sci-fi TV series that was directed by China Moo-Young.
Though sci-fi, Humans is a contemporary drama depicting the present and not some far off future. This makes the show relatable and engaging, as the series deals with our current dilemma of humanity's relationship with encroaching technology. While the story locale is in London, even so, all over the world humanity now faces co-existence with its greatest technological creation. Bioengineered humanoid machines called synths, whom most are non-sentient (that is not conscious machines) while currently servicing in nearly all aspects of humanity, may now have the potential to become conscious thanks to their brilliant creator David Elster. Meaning, they all then may not want to continue serving at humanity's beck and call...anymore.
Well how can one tell the difference between a human being and a synth (short for synthetic) one may ask? There are basically two noticeable features common amongst most synths. The key word is most. Besides their robotic movements (actors portraying synths go through a nicknamed 'synth school' to move like a synth, much like extras go through a 'zombie school' to move like a walker in The Walking Dead), most synths despite differing skin color or ethnic looks all have deep iridescent green eyes. And by mentioning eyes, this leads to an extra added feature in that all synths do look easy on the eyes. For when buying expensive tech it also better look good, either for the home or the marketplace, for owning a synth is also considered as a status symbol.
So besides their two noticeable features, all synths are supposed to be non-sentient and thus open to commands. Which the initial models created by David Elster and the numerous manufactured models that followed, are all to have that one important feature. Yet later before his death, the esteemed scientist then took his research in a bold new direction by also creating a group of five conscious synths. The first created was the Asian looking synth Mia, as a surrogate mother to Elster's young son Leo during his wife's illness, followed by the two black synths Max and Fred, and the blonde Niska. And then finally, Elster creates a fifth conscious synth in the likeness of his wife Beatrice shorty after her death, a secret that was fully revealed in the season 1 finale.
Of the five conscious synths created, Beatrice is the only one who doesn't have the signature deep iridescent green eyes, for her eyes are a natural brown. Perhaps Elster intended this as to honor his departed wife. Even so, the synth Beatrice later uses that distinction to great advantage. Not only by passing as human amongst society, but also taking on a new identity ever since episode 1 as Detective Inspector Karen Voss (Ruth Bradley) of the Special Technologies Task Force, a unit of the London Police who track down potentially dangerous synths. Working with fellow colleague Detective Sergeant Pete Drummond (Neil Maskell), whom until episode 6 after the two have sex in her home, she finally reveals that she's a synth which causes him to flee. For well before episode 6, Drummond was among those who felt threatened by the role of synths in society, all the more reason, because his wife later left him for a synth as her physical therapist.
Then in the episode before the season 1 finale, Karen Voss betrays the other four conscious synths Max, Fred, Niska, and Mia, who after being abducted and having her root code altered by black marketers, she was sold as a new domestic to the Hawkins family who named her Anita. For Karen Voss is the one conscious synth who feels that the gift of consciousness comes with a curse. That is, the ability to also experience pain as well as joy just like a human being. Thereby as a long suffering synth believing all conscious synths must be destroyed, she later teams with Professor Edwin Hobb (Danny Webb), whose mentor was the late David Elster, to capture the four conscious synths. With the four who have taken refuge at the Hawkins family, after the synth Anita regains her former self as Mia, there's also Leo, the son of David Elster, yet now a synth hybrid. For Leo died as a child at thirteen in an auto accident while his mother drove, only to be resurrected as a hybrid (half human half synth technology) by David Elster.
Although Professor Hobb appeared to have good intentions after discovering that his former mentor had created conscious synths, the ultimate in AI (artificial intelligence), nonetheless, his full intentions was revealed in the season 1 finale. Which is, his plan to disassemble the captured synths from the Hawkins home, Mia, Max and Niska, but keeping Fred by altering his root code so that Fred may still have consciousness, but also under Hobb's control. For previously Hobb had discovered Elster's consciousness proliferation code, and believed he had seized within the root codes of the incapacitated four conscious synths within his lab which included the hybrid Leo. Such a proliferation code would activate whenever the group of conscious synths would unite, thereby enabling all other non-sentient synths to gain consciousness all over the world.
And yet Hobb's plan is stopped. For the synths are helped not only by Laura Hawkins (Katherine Parkinson) who threatens Hobb that she has attained Leo's digitalized memories on her smart-phone and would release to the press, but also with the help of Det. Pete Drummond and Det. Karen Voss. For both detectives later have a change of heart for the captured synths.
That said, it took some doing to convince Karen Voss in the likeness of Beatrice Elster, beginning with her visit to the captured hybrid Leo. For while seeking her help for the others as well as himself, Leo says, "I'm appealing to your humanity." "But I'm not human," Karen Voss replies. Followed by Leo saying, "Humanity is not a state. It's a quality. Max is a machine, but he's got more humanity than anyone." For Leo does have a point, for one can easily think of all the Adolf Hitler's, Idi Amin's and Pol Pot's of the world who've all lacked humanity.
Still, the final convincing came from the synth Mia/Anita (Gemma Chan), during while all the synths united their consciousness, to include Karen, to save the injured Max (Ivanno Jeremiah) after their release from Professor Hobb and his men. For during the session, which their minds unite in a surreal imagery as all the synths, Mia, Leo, Max, Fred, Niska, and Karen Voss/Beatrice come together to touch a tree in a forest, Karen would have seized that moment to shut them all down if not for Mia. For Karen says, "If I help you, you will have David's power. Hundreds of millions of brand-new minds (from non-conscious synths) waking up across the world, wanting a freedom the humans will never give." Then Mia says, "Look at Leo, he'll die too," followed by her convincing Karen that she has a choice in saving Leo (Colin Morgan), unlike the departed Beatrice. To which, Mia finally pleads, "Please sister!" And that wins over Karen.
The finale ends with Professor Hobb prevented from having David Elster's completed consciousness proliferation program. Although he does have an ace up his sleeve while Fred, though momentarily released, is still under Hobb's control. Despite that, while all the synths agree the program should be in the safe keeping of Laura Hawkins, Niska (Emily Berrington) dupes them all by also keeping a copy for herself. Whereas Det. Drummond reunites with Karen, and they walk together. Season 1 of Humans finishes well, and can only get better from there.