Altered Carbon (2018 – 2020)

## **Altered Carbon (2018) Review: A Flawed Masterpiece - 8/10** *Altered Carbon* is a series defined by one of the most stunning dichotomies in modern television: a first season of near-perfect, visionary science fiction, and a second season that squanders almost everything that made it great. The combined experience is a frustrating but ultimately rewarding journey, held aloft by the sheer, untouchable brilliance of its initial chapter. ### Season 1: A Solid 10/10 - A Mind Explosion The first season is a landmark achievement. It is a dense, neo-noir cyberpunk epic that plunges you into a world where consciousness is digitized, stored in "stacks," and transferred between bodies ("sleeves"). The concepts were revolutionary: the existential horror of sleeving a child's consciousness into an elderly body due to bureaucratic priority, the eternal privilege of the Meths (the immortal rich) who back themselves up to orbiting satellites, and the grim penal system of storing criminal minds in virtual hellscapes. This was not just high-concept window dressing. **The show was a mind explosion like nothing I had ever watched before** because every idea was grounded in profound character work. Through Takeshi Kovacs' investigation, we explored the complex psyches of characters grappling with lost identities, borrowed trauma, and the fundamental question of what makes a "self" when the body is just clothing. The inner monologues, the visual storytelling, and the **perfect casting**—particularly Joel Kinnaman's world-weary physicality and James Purefoy's decadent menace—created a gritty, philosophically rich, and utterly captivating world. It was a 10/10: ambitious, smart, stylish, and emotionally resonant. ### Season 2: A Disappointing 5/10 - The Great Diminishing The anticipation for Season 2 was immense, which made the letdown so severe. Re-casting Kovacs with Anthony Mackie, while logical in-universe, lost the specific, hard-boiled chemistry of the first season. The dense, multi-layered detective plot was replaced by a simpler, more conventional quest narrative. The profound philosophical questions were traded for shallower action beats, and the stunning, rain-soaked neo-noir aesthetic gave way to a more generic sci-fi look. The complex web of character motivations unraveled into something far less compelling. It was a dramatic reduction in scope, intelligence, and visceral impact. ### The Final Verdict **8/10 - A Testament to Unmatched Heights** The overall score is an average that doesn't tell the full story. It is a rating fiercely defended by the towering achievement of Season 1, a season so meticulously crafted, so intellectually stimulating, and so visually audacious that it compensates for the profound misfire that followed. *Altered Carbon* is essential viewing for its first season alone—a groundbreaking piece of sci-fi storytelling. Just consider the journey complete when the credits roll on Season 1's finale, and view Season 2 as a largely separate, underwhelming footnote to a true masterpiece.

The only series I have watched a minimum of three times per year since it first aired. This is partly because there are only two seasons, but mostly because I enjoy cyberpunk, sci-fi, the little details I pick up each time I watch, stories that tackle the human condition, and the overall idea behind the plot. This will be by no means an in-depth review, even after years of watching it and its release, but if you are into any of my previously mentioned reasons for rewatching this so many times, you will enjoy the majority of season one. And if you're a hopeless romantic, you'll also enjoy most of season two. You may see comments/reviews around the web of people hating Season 2 due to inconsistencies in the main character's behaviour. But after watching this series several times, I can say without a doubt that the character's personality was set up to become a hopeless romantic even from Season 1. Even one of the theme songs is hopelessly romantic. And finally, there is a time jump of 30 years between Seasons 1 and 2 - a person's character/mannerisms/moral code/etc. can change in 30 years, especially when they have been failing for 30 years. It took me several rewatches to see it, but now that I do, I've upgraded my review from a 9 to a 10. This is perfect. I've enjoyed this so much that I'm now reading the books, which have very different stories and timelines, and I love both equally at the moment.

Decent TV show fight choreography. An interesting story. A sh*tty execution. I mean, people are spread on more than one planet, they can move experiences from one body to another and all you get is curved screens, tablets, and minor variations to Google's Material Design? I'd have appreciated to cut the fighting part off the show, and spend the money for a decent futuristic design. Or maybe that's why one guy is Kubrick and these ones are the guys with a canceled NetFlix show. And, of course, the only sexual desires can be heterosexual. Women, on the other hand don't seem to be anything more refined than a simple accessory, unless they work for the Big Brother and they are protecting the safety of those who are the system. As for the bad guys: Russians. You know, the minimal White courtesy of not sending you a brown person. I would have also appreciated less Marxism, but it is a British writer and over there they don't conceive the World otherwise. In the end, the main problem is the ending. It is very badly done. Each evil character is going to reveal and explain the plans like in the more ridiculed Hollywood movies. And the political agenda becomes obvious the only motivation for the series. I'd say skip the last two episodes, but that would mean to also lose the point of watching the rest of the series.