TV Review: Humans Series 3, Episode 1

All hail the return of nuanced, intelligent sci-fi – series 3 of Humans starts on Channel 4

“Lemonade not included”

I’m not entirely sure why Gemma Chan and Emily Berrington haven’t become hugely famous due to the world-class performances that both have been delivering for two series of Humans, the third of which has just started on Channel 4. As Synths possessed of consciousness, they manage the not-inconsiderable task of translating the world of sci-fi improbability into something deeply, deeply affecting, and this latest series shows no sign of that changing.

Following on from the events of Series 1 and Series 2, this third season takes us a year further into the future. With the consciousness code uploaded to all synths worldwide, the ensuing chaos led to ferocious reprisals from the human population which has left the synths decimated, ghettoised, shut off from the society they longed to join. And its the chill of recognition here that makes Humans works. You can call this near-future or dystopian but the anger and prejudice against the ‘other’ is as current-day as they come.

The creation of communities where ‘they’ are not welcome, the acting-out through violent killings and lynchings, governments struggling to keep up with a fast-changing world. And giving it the necessary complexity to really engage, representing a multiplicity of views on both sides – each of the above could relate to either humans or synths. I’m still in awe of the synth acting from all concerned, and Chan and Berrington deserve more plaudits than I can offer her. Looking forward to seeing where this series takes us.

Photograph: Kudos/Wild Mercury/Channel 

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