Extrapolations (2023) User Reviews

There are just 20 companies behind one-third of global pollution. Who exactly is the target audience for a series like this?

[not_an_octopus · 5/10 · 9 April 2023]

I shut lights off when I leave rooms, I conserve water, I recycle. Yet in the time it takes me to write this review, 20 of the world's worst polluters will contribute more to global warming than my household could in my entire lifetime.

Series like Extrapolations are trying to convey an important message. It has an all-star cast, well-developed characters and multi-faceted storylines, but ultimately, what is a series like this hoping to achieve? The average person can only do so much, yet we're expected to shoulder the burden that belongs to the world's most powerful.

I appreciate the intention of series like this one, but ultimately for me it misses the mark. I can't stomach the anxiety of being told things are horrible while doing my level best to be a good steward of our planet. I wanted to like this series but found it discouraging and tone deaf at best.

I do not review often, but I had to comment

[taylor_boogirl1996 · 6/10 · 1 May 2023]

I stuck through the ups and downs of this one. The first episode was rather boring, then things turned exciting in the next, and then it all kind of fell short... I love the concept of this series, but the direction it took was highly disappointing. They gathered a ton of incredible actors for a series that was half finished. It makes me sad to admit because it had so much potential. There were bits of time that felt like "well this is just a big filler". I hope that if it were to carry on it took a different approach, more visualization in the disaster side of things and not individual stories that only frustrate the viewer. No talk of how everyone feels about their fate, just drama drama drama. Maybe there's a metaphor there, but I'm too annoyed to figure that out.

Great productions, but not as exciting as what the trailer presented.

[FinleyKolapo · 7/10 · 18 March 2023]

The production value is amazing. The image quality, framing and lighting are stunning.

Now, onto the plot. I always enjoy sci-fi shows that imagine what the future would be like. The first episode is kind of interesting and shows its intriguing premise of what the future world might look like.

However, the second and third episodes didn't build upon the first episode enough. Especially, the third episode lingered too much on the religion stuff. I found it dull and boring.

The show has potential, and I will probably continue watching because I find the core ideas of the show interesting. Though, I hope to see more of what the trailer made the show seem to be.

Can't decide what it wants to be

[Data-1001 · 8 April 2023]

What's the intent with this series? Initially, it seemed like it was designed mainly as a cautionary tale of what could happen in coming years if governments and mega-corporations continue doing what they're doing now, as the average planetary temperature continues to rise, causing all sorts of environmental havoc.

But at some point, this series morphs into just another sci-fi anthology, with very loose ties between episodes, and only a tangential link to the topic of climate change.

As the 'cautionary tale', the show was rather preachy, even for someone who is on board with the idea of a global crisis. And as the more standard sci-fi, there's nothing we haven't seen before -- and executed with far more panache, as in series like Black Mirror.

Some very big name actors have joined this project, but even they can't save what is, in total, a rather mediocre mini-series.

Not terrible, but not nearly as good (nor as powerful) as one might have hoped.

Good, but not great

[johnsmith3956757 · 7/10 · 1 May 2023]

This series had a lot of potential and to be fair, it missed and achieved some of it.

The first episode is pretty preachy when it doesn't have to be so direct. They did some good world building but should have set up the story differently with better imagery and subtlety. The second episode by contrast has a much better vibe and feels exactly like what the rest of the episodes should have been, more or less.

Overall, it is worth a watch. At times it made me cringe because some of the writing was so cheesy. At other times I was impressed at how they showed some direct and indirect impacts of climate change on people's lives. It made me pretty emotional at times.

They need to make more movies and TV series like this. Using this series and the book Ministry for the Future could be a good foundation.

Thought provoking

[norm31359 · 8/10 · 6 May 2023]

This is a series on a topic of great controversy. Extrapolations takes a close look at the near future of the world based on extrapolating current environmental data into potential future numbers. What might these environmental changes do to humans, animals, insects, plants? What could sea level changes mean? What will increased temperatures do to human life. What will happen to the air we breath. What new medical conditions could develop? The series only provides episodes of stories depicting these questions. The were a couple of weak episodes so couldn't give it a 10. The final episode did a good job of making a statement about what the developers of the series want you to take from it. If you are an environmentalist, you will likely love it. If you believe climate changes is a hoax, you may want to skip this one.

A Thought-Provoking and Well-Acted Series

[FilmFanatic2023 · 7/10 · 22 March 2023]

Extrapolations is a new anthology series on Apple TV+ that explores the effects of climate change on the planet through various different points of view through interconnected stories. The series is created by Scott Z. Burns and stars an ensemble cast that includes Meryl Streep, Kit Harington, Sienna Miller, and Margaret Qualley.

The series has received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its ambitious scope and thought-provoking content, while others have criticized its slow pace and lack of focus.

I found Extrapolations to be a thought-provoking and well-acted series. The stories are all well-written and the acting is top-notch. The series does a good job of exploring the complex and often difficult issues related to climate change.

However, I do agree with some of the critics who have criticized the slow pace of the series. The stories are often slow-moving and there are long stretches of time where nothing much happens. This can be frustrating for viewers who are looking for a more fast-paced and suspenseful series.

Overall, I thought Extrapolations was a good series. It is well-written and well-acted, and it does a good job of exploring the complex issues related to climate change. However, it is not without its flaws, and it may not be for everyone.

Disappoints with flat characters and bad script

[kurmannwillisau · 4/10 · 17 March 2023]

Extrapolations is a sci-fi series that tries to explore the consequences of climate change on human society and relationships. However, it fails to deliver a compelling story or engaging characters. The protagonists are one-dimensional and lack any depth or development. They act according to clichés and stereotypes, without any personality. The script is poorly written and full of plot holes, inconsistencies and logical flaws. Some scenes are so awkward and embarrassing that they make you cringe. The only redeeming qualities of this series are the cinematic scenery and the technical gadgets. The production values are high and the visual effects are impressive. The gadgets are creative and futuristic, but they cannot save this series from being a disappointment.'

Interesting

[Rob1331 · 8/10 · 23 June 2023]

This series takes place in the near future and shows how climate change has affected the everyday lives of people of all classes. The planet is changing and this series shows some very important and interesting ways in how it is. It shows eight different stories and interweaves them all together. As most other people have already pointed out the cast is absolutely amazing. So many big name A list actors and actresses have signed on for this because it's about a subject that's important to us as human beings. You can tell the amount of money they put into this because it's a beautiful shot series and the attention to detail is incredible.

Preachy and incoherent

[isabellacheng · 6/10 · 6 May 2023]

As a show that clearly advertises itself to be about climate change, people who would click to watch this show are likely already supportive of the cause. There is no need to yell at us with a Greta-esque opening.

Aside from being annoyingly preachy, the show also features way over-the-top evil businessmen. Quite literally all of them are supervillains, including executives at companies doing preservation of endangered species.

The weirdest aspect of the show is its message. Instead of squarely pointing the finger at fossil fuels, industrial giants, and politicians (remember the EU rebranding natural gas as "green", legally, just so they could buy more cheap Russian gas?), the showrunners blame tech companies that are founded far in the future as main culprit of climate change (given the obvious references to Alpha(bet), the blockchain, Neuralink, and SpaceX). Meanwhile there is only one mention of BP, and none of the other major polluters.

The ending is also rather ridiculous. It revolves around an unexplained adopted daughter of the "evil" tech billionaire. The entirety of episode 4 (Edward Norton) is to caution against geoengineering. We need to look at all sources of pollution, not just carbon. Simply reducing global temperature wouldn't solve our problems. But then we ended up with a deus ex miraculous carbon capture technology that solves all our problems. What the hell?

In my opinion only episodes 2, 4, 6 (the top 3 rated ones) are somewhat watchable. The others can be skipped. Given the time jumps and many characters, you wouldn't miss anything.

A missed opportunity

[spin_orbit · 2/10 · 18 March 2023]

I knew nothing about this show, but was completely onboard after the initial minutes seeing the subject matter and the message it was relaying, I was hoping they knocked it out the park and became a culturally ubiquitous show that everyone had to see.

Unfortunately it may have been better if they had someone else execute it because despite the huge budget it looks like was allocated, the sheer boredom anyone who likely watches it will incur means it won't get much exposure. Judging by the initial ratings anyone looking for entertainment will quickly skip this, missing a huge opportunity to combine something compelling with a meaningful and current rhetoric.

I can see why they released the 3 episodes together, the first two were painful to get through and the lead actress Sienna Miller didn't do the show any favors (not that anyone else stood out). It was hard to take the whale talk seriously and had to skip that altogether. The third episode provided some respite through the young girl's character and though I don't have any bias towards or against any religion, I seem to have an inexplicably good understanding of Judaism despite not knowing any Jewish people or having any interest in it. After watching Steve Carell in The Patient I thought I had my fill but apparently not...

This view is based on the first 3 episodes, but it didn't take long to realize this as a big miss and am sorry I wasted my time being preached to for something I wholly support that won't resonate the way it needed to due to its misexecution.

As a side-note the production quality on Apple's shows are impeccable but I wish they'd put a bit more thought into making something of substance, as this is becoming a predictable pattern with their releases.

What an amazing cast

[Supermanfan-13 · 8/10 · 12 December 2023]

Extrapolations has one of the best ensemble casts of any show I can remember (Ed Norton, Kit Harrington, Tobey Maguire, Matthew Rhys, Sienna Miller, Eiza Gonzalez, Meryl Streep, Marion Cotillard, Forrest Whittaker, Heather Graham, Gemma Chan, Keri Russell, Diane Lane, David Schwimmer, Nick Kroll, Mía Maestro, Daveed Diggs, Murray Bartlett, Judd Hirsch, etc). That is what I call a cast. A cast like like isn't signing up for a bad tv show and this isn't. I recommend this and please pay attention while doing so. This show tackles a subject that some people just refuse to listen to. I guarantee the people who are rating this badly probably haven't watch more than a minute of it.

But why?

[sofiabae-86936 · 6/10 · 8 April 2023]

It's just a bit odd, watching all these famous actors play roles of people who were, are, powerless to make any significant impact on the environmental dystopia they're acting in. Is that unfair? Is there anything these actors can do to make a difference now? Or is all the blame on self-centered companies and indifferent, ambitious tech guys and politics and people with power who are in over their heads?

This series is scaring me, but what can I do? Just be aware?

The climate clock says there's less than 7 years left before the damage done to the environment is irreversible - maybe before the reality of the show is just reality. I've been told my whole life this is coming, and this series isn't giving me any information I haven't known for years. It feels like something all the people who worked on can point at 7 years from now to tell us all, 'I told you so.' So?

Disappointing

[nooranakhaei · 1/10 · 18 March 2023]

The topic being addressed in this production is incredibly important and deserves to be given the attention it merits. However, the delivery of the subject matter falls short. The storytelling is disjointed, the character development lacks impressive depth, resulting in the viewer having little emotional investment in the outcome. The pace of the story is slow, the technology used to showcase future advancements is cliché and uninspiring, and the soundtrack does not improve the overall viewing experience. The only reason I am compelled to write this review is the hope that in the future, budgets such as this will be allocated to scripts that are carefully crafted and be given to so many unrecognized talented individuals who can make the most of these resources.

This series may not receive good reviews from acritical viewers, but it's an awesome piece of rhetoric worth watching, learning about & sharing...

[yaskota001 · 30 March 2023]

This series may not receive good reviews from acritical viewers, but it's an awesome piece of rhetoric worth watching, learning about & sharing... Here's why...

First, some context:

My first encounter with global warming was Rachel Carson's 1953 book "The Sea Around Us"- which I read when I was b/n 5 & 10 (around Regan's 1st term in DC.). My first experience with solar power was a house I was fortunate enough to call home when I was in junior high... in New England (pre-1990). That experience didn't resonate though until I arrived in Hawai'i in the early aughts- and rooftop solar was RARE. To say I've been mindful of climate change and environmental concerns for a while would be accurate- but it's only half of the story. The other part I've paid attention to is trends about climate change in news reporting, discourse and rhetoric- both within the US, globaly and around weather-related events which may make headlines for a while before giving way to whatever comes next. In addition to those 4+ decades of awareness, I recently read "Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanely Robinson a month or two ago. While I haven't read the most recent reports from the UN, the IPCC or independent assessments of them (as of March 29th, 2023, anyway...), I remember watching the February 2022 UN IPCC briefing live, just days after Putin had invaded Ukraine. One final context tidbit: In the past week or two, the UN and IPCCC put out a new report. Though I can't speak to that most recent report- four episodes into this series, my impression is this series is, well, nailing it.

For additional context, I'm not a bookworm or armchair quarterback. I made a point to do as much traveling as I could before I turned 30: every US state except Alaska, an awesome experience backpacking in Europe pre-Euro, and even a "work" trip to the Middle East in 2007/08. Add to that motorcyclist, PADI certified and- regretably- 10 years into trying to recover from a spinal cord injury. (Meaning, over the past ten years, paying attention to the stuff I do has also functioned as a welcome distraction from my own hot mess.)

Given that context, here's what I think about Extrapolations S1:E1 - E4 (though I'll revisit this after the current season ends.)

Seriously.... Everything I've seen so far in the series makes sense. However, some viewers will feel awkward watching this series- by design. But that takeaway also makes sense: This is not comfortable, "happy, happy joy-joy" subject matter. It isn't designed to get laughs or to make people feel happy or good. As for technical merit, Judging by the pacing, cinematography, characters, lines, exposition and how different topics are being approached, I'd argue it's been designed to make people think... really think. (Judging by ratings, reviews and comments- this production is having an impact.)

As an earlier adopter type, online since 1991- I'm always trying to figure out what might happen *next* and have thoroughly enjoyed each episode so far. Again, the production quality is high- which helps, but I can totally imagine what others might think and how they might feel by watching this series- regardless of their relationship to climate change.

What will happens next in the series? I have no clue. But in the real world, I'm afraid nothing will change as much as it needs to until individuals change their behavior *and* the behaviors of businesses and governments, too. (And the sooner, the better.)

Another Long trip into Dystopia

[pappywatts · 7/10 · 27 April 2023]

Ok...I watched the first couple of episodes, then it wasn't quite as interesting, just scraping the layers of society affected, somewhat pretentious to try to emulate Huxley's tome "The shape of things to come" the character relationships not much empathy generated by the script, in spite of the well known cast.

Then skipped to the final episode as it then became boringly padded out. How can we milk human misery and also delay new technologies which can reduce the CO2 levels as its not profitable enough to implement for the moment,,big business and billionaires seizing the corporate advantages, from the usual conflict,famine, disease,with climate change as the end result, yet another business opportunity.

There was some prophetic technologies portrayed, based on having , not being, Smart windows, do away with the flat screens, using 3D projectors, with VR conference calls.the protagonists/managers being tied down by corporate blackmail from above.

All the big reveals are in the last episode, and the doggedness of a Legal system to tie down the wrongdoers and bring justice eventually to a not so satisfying conclusion.

Different

[lucaschriskowalski · 8/10 · 17 March 2023]

I am unsure if the broader audience will appreciate this, i feel as though they will feel that they are being educated vs entertained. I hope the season is able to strike a balance between entertaining and educating, otherwise it'll be a turn off. Some really uncomfortable topics being covered but also I assume reflective of what is currently happening but not known to the public, corporate greed and as a result the environment is impacted. Out of sight, out of mind. When I throw out my trash I see how many of my neighbours don't bother recycling and just dump everything. Soon we will be wearing face masks just to breathe air and not to avoid covid.

Cartoonish

[Gin-ster · 4/10 · 23 July 2023]

My comments are based on watching only one episode so perhaps the show improves later on. I will preface by saying that although I imagine anti-environmentalist people will hate this program, I'm not one of them - I entirely agree with its message. Which is why I am lamenting how poor I found it to be. (SPOILER AHEAD??) The business people were shown as monsters in a very cartoonish way, and no doubt some are in real life, but if that were the case, environmentalism would be far easier to get the public up in arms about than it is. The "cheer the hero, hiss the villain" style was off-putting. It seemed like a terrible waste of some really fine actors. What would have been REALLY scary would have been if the greedy business people were shown, instead, as normal, everyday business management folks going about their business of maximizing sharehold profits, even if it means destroying the planet, and thereby demonstrating the banality of evil - to borrow Hannah Arendt's phrase in her book about the trial of Adolf Eichmann.

A Must See - great characters great actors

[tm-sheehan · 10/10 · 25 June 2023]

My Review- Extrapolations - Streaming Apple TvPlus

My Rating 10/10

I found this series entertaining, well written by its creator Scott Z. Burns and his team of co writers .

The star studded cast in this 8 part series obviously signed on to the project as they realise the importance of the subject and its message to humanity .

Those stars include Tahar Rahim, Kit Harington, Matthew Rhys, Sienna Miller , Meryl Streep, Leslie Uggams, Diane Lane, Marion Cotillard, Forest Whitaker ,Edward Norton Toby Maguire and Judd Hirsch just to name a few .

One of the definitions for the title of this inspiring yet very disturbing series reads that Extrapolation is the action of estimating or concluding something by assuming that existing trends will continue .

This I think is why Extrapolation seems so plausible because it's based on the facts we have today regarding the effects of Global Warming that we can already see occurring on our sick planet.

The time arc of this series begins in 2237 when a greed motivated despicable Corporate CEO called Junior (Mathew Rhys ) tells his executives to ignore the melted ice caps and build new high rise floating cities . Don't worry about the consequences as we'll all be dead in gold plated coffins.

Each episode highlights in a real way the consequences of issues that we are still talking about today and if we continue to just talk and do nothing the scenarios in Extrapolations could easily become reality thankfully not my reality but the reality of anyone born this century and future generations to come.

Issues like air quality where populations are warned to stay indoors because exposure to carbon pollution levels we can only imagine is the cause of a new disease called Summer Heart. In a world where Cancer has been cured Summer Heart is causing brain damage and memory loss .

As the series moves forward to 2046 the extinction of most animals has occurred including bees which can only be seen as holographic images .

Oceans have risen over City flood barriers and iconic historic buildings like churches and Synagogues have to seek grants from politicians to save them from destruction.

We already are familiar with fake news but this series even depicts fake people or actors employed by agencies to provide love matches or take the place of deceased relatives by programming their memory from their mind bank cloud.

The aspect I enjoyed most about Extrapolations was not the depictions of spectacular flood and bushfire scenes it was the way humanity copes with the environmental calamities .I found all the characters interesting not all likeable but I could empathise with them in their fight for survival.

It's not all depression and angst there's a character thread of hope throughout the series which concludes in 2070 at the trial of a Corporation CEO in The Hague for the new name for crimes against the planet called Ecocide it stars Kit Harrington as Nicholas Bilton and Diane Lane as the new CEO of Alpha.

In summary I was comparing George Orwells 1984 written the year I was born 1949 and HG Wells The Time Machine published in 1895 and decided that Scott Z. Burns Extrapolations is not fantasy science fiction or apocalyptic because as it's title suggests this series is based on the very real hypothesis of what could easily occur if rapid action is not taken to cut carbon emissions eventually to zero in the next decade.

I hope everyone watches this fine series if it manages to convert 100 climate sceptics the stars who appeared in the series and it's creator should be proud.

Self-Congratulatory Tosh

[johnspringer-95440 · 2/10 · 29 March 2023]

It's like a long-form version of "The Day After Tomorrow," in which disaster exploitation gets brushed with a thin veneer of sanctimonious moralizing in order to seem 'important.' The self-important, self-congratulatory tone quickly becomes insufferable. The sneering elitism with which this series delivers its 'message' demonstrates just how little Apple actually cares about that message; and just how much Apple thinks it can exploit that message to profit from well-intentioned viewers. Stripped of its half-hearted proselytizing this is just another hammy doomsday drama, and not a particularly competent one.

The Most Important TV Series You Could Watch This Year

[azmark1887 · 10/10 · 18 March 2023]

If you think this television series is not based on the latest science, if you think it's fear mongering, and if you believe it's too dark and skeptical, then you are not informed. Take this opportunity to learn and be informed. Review the latest COP so-called acomplishments for yourself. Has anything really changed during the past 10 years? What makes you think anything will change this decade? This is the future that the corporate CEOs and the national leaders are pushing humankind to very quickly. You may not like the message, but don't complain about the messager. The complex web of storylines is entralling. The cast is marvelous, and the music is intense. This is a series should not be missed. It should be the television event of the year.

Contrived and preachy

[wainegallagher · 1/10 · 17 March 2023]

Absolutely not a climate denier, but this show is not going to change any hearts and minds. Too many storylines competing for our attention and too many characters being introduced at once. It would be better if they maybe followed one or two characters per episode and brought their stories together at the end of the series.

The acting is hammy and the writing is lazy. The villains are over-the-top villainous. And the heroes are the preachy kind of people you'd avoid at social events. Dialogues are contrived and words are invented: "desalinization" when "desalination" already exists.

I tried, but I won't be back.

A Splendid TV-Show Idea!

[vuileharry · 8/10 · 16 May 2023]

Man. This truth IS somewhat inconvenient isn't it..?

I don't think it should be a surprise to anyone that this show gets such a medium overall score like 6... at least at the time I write this. Especially in the times we live now, I have been checking this on many politically loaded shows, like movies or episodes that take a swing at Donald Trump for instance: the score is almost ALWAYS around 5-6... anyone with an IQ around or above 85 should be able to guess why that is.

I was really fascinated watching this, even though no, certainly not everything about it was perfect. Because I just thought it is a great idea, to use our current wonderful movie techniques in an attempt to kind of visualize the mess we might be in for those who have a hard time imagining.... Of course you will NEVER convince the hardcore denyers, they will certainly keep denying this even when their very own children are already literally on fire! And I meant that LITERALLY, not at all being cute or colorful here, believe me they will. I mean, they even deny it NOW, when clearly half of the world is already on fire or flooding every year and temperature records are constantly being broken everywhere at a ridiculous pace... let's be real.

Some reviewers here have complained about some of the CEO-like characters being too stereotypically evil. Yes... but then again let's not be overly naïve here people: most of those big company leaders ARE pretty darn evil. They really don't care about you or me, or our children, or the future, or other people in poor countries already suffering big time... they ONLY care about their current wealth and status and increasing those whenever possible. So yeah, those people are indeed slightly cartoonized but come on, really not that much guys. And it IS a tv-show after all.

So yeah, I feel this one NEEDED to be made and watched.

Not up to expectations

[AlienRobotZombieOverlord · 4/10 · 13 May 2023]

While I embrace an environmental activism agenda, I have to say that the writing for this show is very "on the nose" - to the point that it is distracting. I like to see speculative fiction done well, with more subtlety and character depth.

Here, it's clear that some characters are simply evil, cliched money grubbers to their core, while others are helpless victims of that greed and environmental negligence - which doesn't make for interesting storytelling. That's a shame, because there are some amazing actors here, and they do their best with the material - they just don't have much to work with.

That said, some of the sci-fi elements are good, and it's interesting seeing how they tackle both the growing environmental problems and the advance of technology in other ways. So overall it's ok, it's just disappointing because it could have been much better.

An inconvenient truth

[susanadreav · 10/10 · 29 March 2023]

Looks like a lot of climate deniers watched this and decided to give it a low rating because they don't like the truth pushed so far up in their face.

The show has an all-star cast, there's some dark comedy, a lot of irony, well acted roles, connection with different people / points of view, and the glaring fact that everything that's happening in the show is starting to happen right now in real life, and will probably be what's to come. It's a good warning which no one will heed, because no one cares.

Aside from the very obvious warning, this is a good show, with a good story line (several story lines), that's been very well done. They spared no expense.