TLDR the plot isn't original at all and I don't think it's executed particularly well. I guessed exactly where it's gonna go very early on and only continued watching as a formality.
Personally I think it would've been a million times more interesting if instead of the sci fi Matrix route, the show was about an actual weird lovecraftian horror ship that was stuck in some time loop the passengers had to figure out how to escape. As it is it feels really cheap and boring.
I really don't understand why they bothered to give every character in the main cast an intriguing backstory only for it to not matter at all. The only thing this show had going for it was the characters and the different things each one was running away from, even the concept of their darkest memory being underneath their cabin and that they had to go through those memories again and again was really cool. Honestly the moment it was clear there's a single big bad guy behind it all and not some malevolent but uncaring higher power, I lost all interest, especially once the sci fi stuff started showing up.
Another part that really annoyed me especially as an European is how all the main cast speak different languages and yet have no issue understanding what the other wants from them or what to do. Every once in a while they throw in a shot of one of the character saying "what did they just say?" After another character monologues about something important, but it feels like they only put it in there for obligatory "oh don't worry guys we totally aren't ignoring this logical fallacy!" Because at no point does anyone actually acknowledge this issue beyond responding with "i don't know what you're saying" and moving on. The various characters of the main cast speak English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Polish, Cantonese, and Danish. Some speak more than one language only when it's convenient, much the same way they understand or don't understand each other only when it's convenient to the plot.
And yes I get that some of these languages are very similar but I think people are highly overestimating how well two native speakers of different languages of the same family would fluently understand each other. Even if that were the case the show is still inconsistent because for example a Danish and a German character can communicate each in their native languages, but a Portuguese character who speaks fluent Spanish can't understand the French characters.
One area where I'll defend the show is many reviews are calling it pretentious, I don't agree. I hate pretentious media and while this one has moments where it obviously desperately wants to be viewed as #deep, I think it delivers on its philosophical themes and ties them to the plot beyond the point of simply saying flowery words for the sake of seeming smart and saying flowery words.
Overall watching this show only made me sad. These characters and the setting have so much potential and it was completely squandered. If there actually is going to be a season 2 I'll watch it but I don't have any high hopes.
Personally I think it would've been a million times more interesting if instead of the sci fi Matrix route, the show was about an actual weird lovecraftian horror ship that was stuck in some time loop the passengers had to figure out how to escape. As it is it feels really cheap and boring.
I really don't understand why they bothered to give every character in the main cast an intriguing backstory only for it to not matter at all. The only thing this show had going for it was the characters and the different things each one was running away from, even the concept of their darkest memory being underneath their cabin and that they had to go through those memories again and again was really cool. Honestly the moment it was clear there's a single big bad guy behind it all and not some malevolent but uncaring higher power, I lost all interest, especially once the sci fi stuff started showing up.
Another part that really annoyed me especially as an European is how all the main cast speak different languages and yet have no issue understanding what the other wants from them or what to do. Every once in a while they throw in a shot of one of the character saying "what did they just say?" After another character monologues about something important, but it feels like they only put it in there for obligatory "oh don't worry guys we totally aren't ignoring this logical fallacy!" Because at no point does anyone actually acknowledge this issue beyond responding with "i don't know what you're saying" and moving on. The various characters of the main cast speak English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Polish, Cantonese, and Danish. Some speak more than one language only when it's convenient, much the same way they understand or don't understand each other only when it's convenient to the plot.
And yes I get that some of these languages are very similar but I think people are highly overestimating how well two native speakers of different languages of the same family would fluently understand each other. Even if that were the case the show is still inconsistent because for example a Danish and a German character can communicate each in their native languages, but a Portuguese character who speaks fluent Spanish can't understand the French characters.
One area where I'll defend the show is many reviews are calling it pretentious, I don't agree. I hate pretentious media and while this one has moments where it obviously desperately wants to be viewed as #deep, I think it delivers on its philosophical themes and ties them to the plot beyond the point of simply saying flowery words for the sake of seeming smart and saying flowery words.
Overall watching this show only made me sad. These characters and the setting have so much potential and it was completely squandered. If there actually is going to be a season 2 I'll watch it but I don't have any high hopes.