Altered Carbon

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 2, 2018
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 696 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 555 out of 696
  2. Mixed: 83 out of 696
  3. Negative: 58 out of 696
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  1. McGillotine
    Feb 3, 2018
    4
    If Altered Carbon intended to capture the look of Blade Runner it succeeded, however if it wished to reach the same heights of neo-noir storytelling it sorely failed. Altered Carbon suffers the same fundamental flaws as seen in most sci-fi television programs of the current tv age, bad writing and sub par acting and while shows such as Black Mirror fight to break this trend, programs suchIf Altered Carbon intended to capture the look of Blade Runner it succeeded, however if it wished to reach the same heights of neo-noir storytelling it sorely failed. Altered Carbon suffers the same fundamental flaws as seen in most sci-fi television programs of the current tv age, bad writing and sub par acting and while shows such as Black Mirror fight to break this trend, programs such as Electric Dreams and now Altered Carbon use their large budgets to make alot of noise while accomplishing very little.

    One of my gripes with this show (to put it gracefully) is the acting which is pretty awful with a few exceptions. Now i'll be honest i don't like Joel Kinnaman as an actor and with 'standout performances' in both Suicide Squad and Robocop many can agree that he is certainly unqualified to be a lead actor, Altered Carbon is no exception to this streak as he delivers once again another 'flat' performance. Kinnaman demonstrates his many abilities as an actor namely his capacity to speak in monotone and be as robotic as possible at all times showing his commitment to once again devalue any project he touches. Next we have Martha Higareda as a Latina cop who is tough as nails and's gets the job done, she is also a carbon copy every TV cop archetype that you've seen many a time in syndicated cop trash such as Chicago PD. The rest of the acting in this show doesn't really improve much and while some cast members including Ato Essandoh and Chris Conner have a chance to shine from time to time the feeling that most scenes were done in as few takes as possible makes production look rushed and unpolished.

    Writing is also notably weak, there is no real sense of character progression through the series and for a large period of time the main plot takes a backseat, to introduce character after character, followed by side plot after side plot, to unnecessarily bloat the plot and drag out a 10 episode season. This is made all the more unbearable with the addition of teen fiction inspired altered names, so instead of calling then rich people we're going to call them 'Meth's' and instead of calling him a professional mercenary we'll call him an 'Envoy' and f*ck it while we're clever we'll call host bodies 'Sleeves' and stored conscientiousness 'Stacks'. On top of all this for good measure Altered Carbon throws in some needless sex and the occasional blood orgy to wake up it audience only to put them back to sleep five minutes later.

    But surely this show has to get something right and visually it does a damn fine job, the only shame being that the only real talent involved in this show is wasted on making the half-wit performances of its lead actors bearable by wowing the audiences with it's physical world building talent. What i do admire is the level of detail put into the effects, whether it be the rain soaked streets, never-ending skyscrapers, the dim of a flicking neon lights or the cyberpunk decor, it is extremely clear that the behind the scenes crew really worked their magic and definitely need to be paid more.

    Altered Carbon is a difficult watch for the more seasoned viewer. However if you're looking to kick back and chill i would not look badly upon you if you did decide to watch Altered Carbon for a show that doesn't require any level of thought or observance to appreciate. However if you are looking for a show that allows you think and explore, you may aswell skip over this one.    … Expand
  2. dangerfar
    Feb 4, 2018
    6
    An exceptional sci-fi novel adapted into a visually engaging but emotionally and mentally stunted television show, I found myself equal parts giddy and disappointed along the way. It shines brightly when it gives life and dimensions to its source material, and stumbles badly when it attempts to inject conventional, archaic, and dumbed down arcs of its own design.

    The source material is    An exceptional sci-fi novel adapted into a visually engaging but emotionally and mentally stunted television show, I found myself equal parts giddy and disappointed along the way. It shines brightly when it gives life and dimensions to its source material, and stumbles badly when it attempts to inject conventional, archaic, and dumbed down arcs of its own design.

    The source material is some of the best sci-fi I've ever read. Thought-provoking, brooding, mysterious, it's an excellent conglomeration of many of my favorite elements in stories of any type. And lucky for the TV series, this is still at the center here. The vision of the city is excellent, the main story and world are fantastic, and though graphic in the extreme it can be a viscerally engaging experience. The casting is a mixed bag, with some (such as Kovacs and Poe) being charismatic and interesting and some (Ortega) being derivative and poorly portrayed which can take you out of the moment in a hurry.

    Where it really goes off the rails is when it tries to alter the story to be more conventional, and presumably appeal to the demographic info Netflix presumably thinks it has collected. This involves needless deviations into the most poorly acted character of the bunch, and dumbing down the writing of the climax to such a degree that it squanders some of the most thought provoking and unique aspects of the source story. Much of the encouragement it cultivates by being made in the first place is diminished by the fact that they're still insistent on dumbing things down and shoehorning things into demographics. Just let the story be what it is.

    Anyway, I both enjoyed and loathed the first season, and am both optimistic and pessimistic about it's future. I liked the 2nd and 3rd books far less than the first, but perhaps this will keep me from being as disappointed when they try and TV-ify the story with poor acting.    … Expand
  3. Trece
    Feb 3, 2018
    6
    The setting is very good, but the story went well until it falls on the Netflix curse to give it an anticlimactic turn at the end.
  4. thinkbach
    Feb 5, 2018
    4
    noir references fall flat in countless scenes lacking depth and subtext; compare any scene with counterpart in the book, which is massively rich; this is lowest common denominator distillation that makes sad use of inspiring source material, in a bloated corporate answer to sci-fi novel's merits; an ultimately cynical derivation that subconsciously espouses the greed-centered prejudices itnoir references fall flat in countless scenes lacking depth and subtext; compare any scene with counterpart in the book, which is massively rich; this is lowest common denominator distillation that makes sad use of inspiring source material, in a bloated corporate answer to sci-fi novel's merits; an ultimately cynical derivation that subconsciously espouses the greed-centered prejudices it purports to critique...… Expand
  5. Ajje2
    Feb 4, 2018
    6
    Beautiful cloning of blade runner scenery, but with disappointing lead performances.

    If all you're after is to absorb some visual eye candy, then watch a couple of episodes as the visual department for this project did an amazing job. The story is at its core a "solve a murder" plot, which may appeal to some, but to others (like me) is a detractor. In this sense the essence of the show    Beautiful cloning of blade runner scenery, but with disappointing lead performances.

    If all you're after is to absorb some visual eye candy, then watch a couple of episodes as the visual department for this project did an amazing job.
    The story is at its core a "solve a murder" plot, which may appeal to some, but to others (like me) is a detractor. In this sense the essence of the show is like any other murder mystery we've seen a thousand times.

    What disappointed me way more than the rehashed plot, was in the character department.
    The show centers on two characters. The main protagonist being a jaded former military special forces guy called Takeshi Kovacs, whose purpose for being on the show is solving the murder plot.
    The other lead is a very tiny, unbelievable and incredibly angry young female cop who goes around swearing in spanish and provides over acted emotional fits most every time she's on screen. We get to know her as Kristin Ortega.
    Unfortunately the two leads have zero chemistry when on screen together, and both lack the acting chops to carry scenes alone when not together. The guy has the expressive range of a twig. The woman comes across as if this is her first acting attempt on stage; a complete claw-your-eyes-out cringefest.

    On a positive note with regard to acting is that there are some very good secondary performances by great actors.
    * James Purefoy (Marc Anthony from Rome) is great as ever, as the character who employs Takeshi to solve the murder.
    * Chris Connor, whom I've never seen before, delivered a splendid performance as a "proprietor" of a hotel where much of the show takes place.

    Other notable performances that help save the show from the complete acting train wreck that would have resulted with only the two leads, include fairly good performances by Kristin Lehman, Hiro Kanagawa and Byron Mann (Kovacs, the first couple of minutes of the first episode).

    Personally I think the show would have benefitted a lot if it had kept Byron Mann as the lead Kovacs, instead of switching to Joel Kinnaman.

    The story makes many references to the japanese background of Kovacs, and to the "bad-ass" nature of Kovacs as an elite warrior, both which Mann carries much much better and more convincingly than Kinneman, something that the viewer experiences already the first couple of minutes into the first episode.
    As for Ortega (the annoying, miniscule "cop", swearing in spanish all the time, and hardly able to speak eligible english), that character could have been dropped entirely, and the show would simply have been much less painful to watch by that act alone, since she imo. is the first character I've seen in any show to be a complete net negative for the product as a whole.

    All in all, this show is 9 parts visual and 1 part substance.

    Netflix is the perfect medium for this show, since it allows skip-forward when the show grinds to a halt, or when you simply tire of Kinneman / Ortega presence on the screen.    … Expand
  6. coolunme
    Feb 19, 2018
    6
    There are many flaws yet lots of fun to be had. If you can get past the initial sense that you're watching a twisted revision of Blade Runner with Dolph Lundgren as Harrison Ford.
  7. ishadow
    Feb 25, 2018
    4
    Show itself isn't that bad. It's quite average, but I'm just furious how they changed everything compared to book.

    Although they used almost every element of the original story, they altered them in a very bad way. Netflix show aims to be a blockbuster. Shallow characters, bad story with forced epic moments and high intensity action. Book had better pacing. It had slow moments when    Show itself isn't that bad. It's quite average, but I'm just furious how they changed everything compared to book.

    Although they used almost every element of the original story, they altered them in a very bad way. Netflix show aims to be a blockbuster. Shallow characters, bad story with forced epic moments and high intensity action.

    Book had better pacing. It had slow moments when author take it's time to explain world and technology. Core stacks were almost indestructible, while in Netflix show they could be broken in a bare (but enhanced) hand. Real death was very rare in books, but it's common in show.

    Book plot was cleaver and very thorough. In show there are many plot holes and poor writing, which is just insane with source material of such quality.

    Can't tell much without spoilers, but if you read book, you will have many moments like making Joker a killer of Bruce Wayne parents in Batman movie from 1989.

    All I can recommend is to read the book, you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  8. eagleeyeviking
    Feb 12, 2018
    6
    The second half of “Altered Carbon” is far better than the first, as a convoluted, sprawling, and (very) digressive plot gives way to satisfying twists, thought-provoking philosophical scenarios, and terrific action.
  9. Tannhauser
    Feb 15, 2018
    4
    Read the book recently, disappointed with the cast and the unnecessary changes. Miriam Bancroft is supposed to have the body of a 17 year old, why they chose to cast a 50-something for that role is beyond me. The actress who portrays Kristin Ortega commands no authority whatsoever, completely unbelievable as a police lieutenant. She's also really tiny - seriously, this doesn't work. TheRead the book recently, disappointed with the cast and the unnecessary changes. Miriam Bancroft is supposed to have the body of a 17 year old, why they chose to cast a 50-something for that role is beyond me. The actress who portrays Kristin Ortega commands no authority whatsoever, completely unbelievable as a police lieutenant. She's also really tiny - seriously, this doesn't work. The main character in his stoic way is actually the one where they got it right, so props to them for that.

    The story and the setting don't really make a lot of sense, however that is also the major shortcoming of the book. It's just not a plausible scenario. However, it would have been nice to see the novel visualized in an authentic manner. Oh well, at least the visuals are fine.

    Edit: Special callout for the torture scene. They changed it completely to make it "politically correct", I suppose. Having bearded muslim men raping and torturing a woman on a world named Sharya (as in the book!) probably seemed too close to reality nowadays. Screw that PC ****    … Expand
  10. Brentmeister
    Feb 4, 2018
    4
    Within the 1st half of the premiere episode it is painfully evident that they made awful choices in is casting the series. The lead is a wooden, lumbering bore. I was hoping this would be another strong sci fi hit for Netflix. It is a visual masterpiece by every account. But if you blow your wad on special effects and not focus on the fact that the cast with a few exceptions is anWithin the 1st half of the premiere episode it is painfully evident that they made awful choices in is casting the series. The lead is a wooden, lumbering bore. I was hoping this would be another strong sci fi hit for Netflix. It is a visual masterpiece by every account. But if you blow your wad on special effects and not focus on the fact that the cast with a few exceptions is an absolute turd fest it renders the whole experience unbearable.… Expand
  11. SquaredRen
    Feb 3, 2018
    4
    I get what inspired Netflix on doing a series with this style, movies like Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner. They did manage to capture the settings and tones from those movies but Oh my God this plot it's designed to make me fall asleep. The main character dullness doesn't keep the series moving or interesting, at least for me. It's a sleep fest and I can't deal with it.
  12. sarakyel
    Feb 2, 2018
    4
    The novel titled Altered Carbon told the intricate story of a tricky investigation case with high social and moral stakes set in a transhuman world where obsolete concepts such as racism or sexual identity became a pure nonsense. But by stripping-down the original plot of its most interesting aspects - such as the struggle of antitheist protagonists against the ignorance of religiousThe novel titled Altered Carbon told the intricate story of a tricky investigation case with high social and moral stakes set in a transhuman world where obsolete concepts such as racism or sexual identity became a pure nonsense. But by stripping-down the original plot of its most interesting aspects - such as the struggle of antitheist protagonists against the ignorance of religious minds, or the political game played behind the colonization of remote worlds - the TV show turned this unique fiction into a cheap cyberpunk rip-off of Blade Runner in which poor good people of color fight against the hegemony of evil white rich people. Guess what happens when you decide to take its substance away from a great material in the hope of making it more appealing to a broad audience? You just end up with an beautiful but empty sleeve. Congratz Netflix for turning raw gold into fine lead.… Expand
  13. Spiralus
    Feb 13, 2018
    6
    There is a lot to love in this show and it gave me great hope that people are ready to make great fresh science fiction again.
    My hope started to fade when I began to understand that they were going for a "noir detective" genre vibe instead of a fresh, unique perspective. My hopes faded further when I began seeing samurai swords in the background behind Asian people 350 years in the    There is a lot to love in this show and it gave me great hope that people are ready to make great fresh science fiction again.
    My hope started to fade when I began to understand that they were going for a "noir detective" genre vibe instead of a fresh, unique perspective. My hopes faded further when I began seeing samurai swords in the background behind Asian people 350 years in the future. Beautiful women are great and sex can be an important story element, things here got inappropriately sexual though (inappropriate to the setting/story). A few of the episodes became "porny" and juvenile.
    I stopped watching when (mild spoiler alert?) a naked Asian ninja woman tried to murder the female lead with a sword, ninja style, using several clones. A few moments before the scene I was wondering why anyone would design a room the way the clone facility was designed. As the fight scene progressed it became apparent that the room was designed that way so that naked ninja chicks could break through glass walls and jump dramatically down to ground level, landing in that way ninjas land, complete with the slow head raise. Totally moronic. Maybe I'm being nit picky. Maybe I've become accustomed to better, smarter story telling. For creators who care: there are smart people who like sci-fi out here waiting.
    Also - As a general rule for everyone - 90s style martial arts is a no-go if you aren't running a comedy show. Simple as that. There are people who will disagree with this, but please analyse the numbers if you don't believe me. Once you feature choreographed looking fighting, everyone of average or above intelligence is taken out of the drama completely. So, ya, I hope someone who funds this crap reads that. . .    … Expand
  14. mace8704
    Feb 4, 2018
    4
    First off, I haven't read the novel so if you're hoping for a review that compares how closely the film adaptation mirrors the book, this isn't it. Altered Carbon starts out with a really strong premise and great world building. In the future, humanity has engineered a way to upload their consciousness into 'stacks,' which is essentially as chip that sits at the base of the skull. AsFirst off, I haven't read the novel so if you're hoping for a review that compares how closely the film adaptation mirrors the book, this isn't it. Altered Carbon starts out with a really strong premise and great world building. In the future, humanity has engineered a way to upload their consciousness into 'stacks,' which is essentially as chip that sits at the base of the skull. As long as a stack isn't damaged, it can be uploaded into different bodies called 'sleeves.' When Altered Carbon explores the impact of how the introduction of 'stacks' and 'sleeves' drastically change the course of humanity and the subsequent class conflict, it's great.

    Sadly as the narrative progresses, it drifts farther and farther away from the ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding stacks and sleeves. Essentially, it transitions into a non-chronological, murder mystery in a neo noir setting spanning centuries with a societal revolution as backstory. The longer the series goes on...The more it focuses on a group of revolutionaries from the past, or the murder mystery, and removes itself farther and farther away from its strong foundation.

    Cinematography wise, it's a mixed bag. There are some cool shots in this series, which are clearly heavily inspired by Blade Runner. However, certain effects such as a bright light repeatedly rotating around two characters speaking is abused more than JJ Abhrams lens flare in his Star Trek reboot.

    Action wise, it's a hyperviolent mix of guns very inspired by their 21st century counterparts, and Japanese inspired martial arts. So if you're the type of guy that reflexively rolls their eyes when a someone with a katana charges a group of men armed to the teeth with rifles, this series may require a visit to your optometrist.

    Lastly a fair warning to the parents who stumble across this review, Altered Carbon has a lot of nudity. Think of a body part, this series shows it on multiple occasions. If that's not a problem for you, great....enjoy the show. If it is, you've been warned.    … Expand
  15. Abidos20
    Feb 4, 2018
    5
    Altered Carbon is an empty shell. It puts us into its setting without explaining how any of that works , where the laws are blurred , and for a reason. So the twist can work without the viewer asking questions , cause they don't know how that universe works. It keeps adding "rules" to further one plot , never to be reused. I loved the idea and the setting they tried to convey , but theAltered Carbon is an empty shell. It puts us into its setting without explaining how any of that works , where the laws are blurred , and for a reason. So the twist can work without the viewer asking questions , cause they don't know how that universe works. It keeps adding "rules" to further one plot , never to be reused. I loved the idea and the setting they tried to convey , but the setting in which it takes place is barren , all we know its a degenerate , high tech future where death has a lesser meaning that on our universe. As for the idea , it threw so many plot twists with little to no character development apart from some flashbacks. There is no internal conflict in Kovacs soul , as there is but one way this would end , which we knew from the second he found his sisters sleeves. Him killing her. So many plot twists , just to lead to the conclusion we all knew since you introduced her character.

    All in all , id love a second season of this show in this setting , but with less shabby writing and no exposition , where the setting is something that aids the plot , not just a transient plane that alters itself to further it.    … Expand
  16. Herrnewbenmeist
    Feb 8, 2018
    6
    Death no longer matters in a far-future sci-fi where you are backed up on a hard carbon disc lodged in the top of your spinal cord. But, while you are backed up digitally, new flesh is still expensive. Only the richest of the rich can afford back-up bodies in case they die. They rule the world as immortals, controlling almost all the wealth and industry on this planet and across humanity'sDeath no longer matters in a far-future sci-fi where you are backed up on a hard carbon disc lodged in the top of your spinal cord. But, while you are backed up digitally, new flesh is still expensive. Only the richest of the rich can afford back-up bodies in case they die. They rule the world as immortals, controlling almost all the wealth and industry on this planet and across humanity's far-flung colonies. There were those who opposed this concentration of power. Takeshi Kovacs is a such resistance fighter whose backup is activated. He learns his faction failed and he was serving a prison sentence for acts of terrorism. While he is freed from imprisonment, he is now the property of a wealthy immortal who has a job for him. He needs to solve the magnate's own murder. Solve the crime, earn true freedom and a pile of cash to boot. Fail, and he goes back to prison.

    I read the books but was actually happy to see some of the changes that were made initially. An AI character that served as kind of a magical do-it-all handwave in the book was given a great personality and some endearing flourishes. Also, the Día de Muertos episode had an awesome actor take on a very unexpected role.

    Then the changes took a turn and instead of fleshing out missed opportunities and adding fun details to what was an excellent freshman novel they went for a major overhaul. Significant elements were changed thematically and in terms of plot and not for the better. I think they tried to make it more personal for the protagonist. That wasn't necessary; he already had plenty of motivation. Also, toward the very end they added a character they intended to be badass. However, her late and very sudden addition to the action in the climax came across as more of a deus ex machina and less of a justice/empowerment angle. It was poorly done.

    The show is well shot. I thought the acting was good overall. There were a couple of weaker performances. But I really liked the lead and a couple of the character actors along the way. Whoever did set, prop, and costume design deserves extra credit. There was some occasional cheap CGI (hotel gun turrets?) that took away from the overall luster, but those were vastly outweighed by some gorgeous views of the cyberpunk city.

    I can't recommend the series because I think it falls apart at the end. However, I won't say it's awful. If you have an interest in the genre and nothing better to take in, give it a try and see if your mileage varies.    … Expand
  17. donelson
    Feb 25, 2018
    5
    Starts with an overpacked but imaginative pilot, then 2nd episode shows great promise with the mystery and secondary characters. By the third episode it's flagging, and it looks like budget was withdrawn or writing teams changed after that. Alternating good vs. dull episodes. Some brilliance paired with Long tedious scenes with no purpose, poor direction, weak acting, cliched dialogue.Starts with an overpacked but imaginative pilot, then 2nd episode shows great promise with the mystery and secondary characters. By the third episode it's flagging, and it looks like budget was withdrawn or writing teams changed after that. Alternating good vs. dull episodes. Some brilliance paired with Long tedious scenes with no purpose, poor direction, weak acting, cliched dialogue. What a mess. Too bad this wasn't done right. Many good ideas, but bad casting, uneven confused writing, action sets are a mix of brilliance and cheap cliché. Terrible direction throughout. Worth watching and skimming the dull episodes. A lesson in How To Ruin a Great Book… Expand
  18. TVBug
    Feb 18, 2018
    4
    Excellent premise. But so far, it's just another action movie. The characters are poorly developed and are just cliches.
  19. djryang
    Mar 1, 2018
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Like many people I was anticipating this show. I have read the first novel, and did not have any unrealistic expectations about being faithful to the source material. As long as the general concepts and ideas remain I would be open minded to the necessary changes that may be needed in order to film. So that is one of the things about the show that they did do OK with in term of keeping the real themes and concepts intact. With that being said The Expanse does a much better job at using the source material without too much compromise.

    The overall look of the show is very nice and almost feature film like. Special effects are great. Eye candy all the time. I did find however that the blade runner looking sets with rain a grime almost an annoying cliche at this point in time, and a blatant rip off. Also the lighting was overkill and some of the flashing lights and strobe to be just distracting.

    Casting I think is the biggest flaw. Ortega is way too short and looks absolutely silly on camera next to Takeshi. Her performances are cringe worthy terrible acting. Swearing in Spanish? Ortega’s mother character is completely unnecessary and stupid. While I didn’t mind Kinnaman as Kovach he wasn’t great either, and at times so wooden it’s almost comical. All in all too many minor characters that you could care less about, and not enough character building of the main players. The motivation for a lot of things isn’t clear and dialog sometimes muddy.

    Perhaps because we had a good adaptation of Ghost in the Shell and an absolute masterpiece in Blade Runner 2049 it really makes it difficult for me to like Altered Carbon. The Expanse and Black Mirror are still the best Sci Fi shows on TV at the moment.    … Expand
  20. Jes1310
    Feb 28, 2018
    5
    wow I am amazed to see the user score, which I thought would be a lot lower, more like a 5 or 6. I had very high hopes for this, but it just doesnt live up to my expectations nor the hype.
    There are so plotlines, that they never follow up on. Acting is below average, same can be said for the effects. Compared to last years epic masterpiece, that was Bladerunner 2049, this just seems to be    wow I am amazed to see the user score, which I thought would be a lot lower, more like a 5 or 6. I had very high hopes for this, but it just doesnt live up to my expectations nor the hype.
    There are so plotlines, that they never follow up on. Acting is below average, same can be said for the effects. Compared to last years epic masterpiece, that was Bladerunner 2049, this just seems to be a mediocre copy. Also AC uses all cliches of every scifi story/movie ever made. And whats with all the nudity, seems like the writers have seen to much GoT, the naked bodies doesnt add anything to the setting or anything else.    … Expand
  21. neilson
    Feb 7, 2018
    6
    Definitely entertaining and fun to imagine this world, but the narrative can be pretty lazy, predictable and sometimes not coherent. Characters' actions and motivations are not always consistent and it leads to a break in engagement with the show. Worth watching if you don't have anything better to watch.
  22. megabear
    Feb 6, 2018
    6
    Visually stunning series crippled by poor acting by female detective and few others, as well as the show's inability to translate deeper aspects of the book into the show. I guess one could say that the show inserts visual cues to the readers of novel that they may have struggled to imagine.
  23. HaloFever
    Apr 16, 2018
    5
    The world of Altered Carbon is a mish-mash of last century's sci-fi tropes and makes little sense. The core problem are the "stacks" that grant unlimited life, unless the stack itself is destroyed. There is little explanation of why everyone has stacks despite religious beliefs against them, whether people are truly alive or just software, and why people don't just live in un-killableThe world of Altered Carbon is a mish-mash of last century's sci-fi tropes and makes little sense. The core problem are the "stacks" that grant unlimited life, unless the stack itself is destroyed. There is little explanation of why everyone has stacks despite religious beliefs against them, whether people are truly alive or just software, and why people don't just live in un-killable robot bodies instead. The show could go about answering these questions except the only one with any answers is a near mute mumbling jerk of a protagonist who bumbles his way through most of the plot like a hard boiled 1930s private detective.

    The homage to Blade Runner is obvious. The Times Square like city, flying police cars, gloom, and noodle shops look almost identical. This makes Altered Carbon a retro-futuristic world based on past ideas of what the future could be. Everything in the world is simply terrible. I can't imagine anyone in the Altered Carbon world is happy. None of the episodes show us any reason why anyone would let the status quo exists for 250 years.

    Similarly, the application of the law to the super rich "Meths" makes little sense. It doesn't help that I have no idea why they are named after methamphetamine. Also not helping is the inconsistent application of the law on these super rich Meths. We have super rich folks in our 21st century world and none of them can buy a pardon for a known terrorist. Why don't they simply buy pardons for each other or themselves?

    In this setting we have a somewhat complicated story of a man caught in a web of deceit. Confusing matters more, the show is intent on bombarding our eyes with naked bodies, corpses, and naked corpses. The show is almost an advertisement for network standards. Why move the plot when you can show a man cutting off another man's legs? The show has a per episode quota for awful things that must be met no matter how nonsensical they may be. Torture porn comes to mind. I know there is an audience for this kind of imagery in and of itself, but I do not understand why.

    All-in-all the show is like a 10 hour pilot episode for a series was never picked up. The show nicely wraps up its season long story arc as a defense to non-renewal. If Netflix does make a season 2, they should consider why they are doing this. Is this a high concept sci-fi show or a venue for all the things you cannot see on network television? I would like Netflix to aspire to higher things.    … Expand
  24. marc5477
    Apr 1, 2018
    6
    Its an ok show. Slightly above average, but the writing and story development is very high school level. Actually I was a better writer in high school so I would say its average even for a high school. Some lines are painful to hear, akin to power rangers kind of stuff. They add a lot of gore, shock value, and nudity to distract from plot development as well. I dont mind any of it but IIts an ok show. Slightly above average, but the writing and story development is very high school level. Actually I was a better writer in high school so I would say its average even for a high school. Some lines are painful to hear, akin to power rangers kind of stuff. They add a lot of gore, shock value, and nudity to distract from plot development as well. I dont mind any of it but I would say that 9/10 times, it added nothing to the show and actually did not fit into the story.

    All this is too bad because the visual direction of the futuristic world is actually nicely done. In fact, the director, whoever it is, should get their own show and be allowed to hire their own writers. Acting is all over the place. Sometimes its acceptable but at times its amateur hour. The Dolph Lundgren wannabe is just not very good despite playing a stoic character. Granted Dolf was not so good early in his career either. Perhaps this guy will get better too but I saw no improvement over the 1st season. The cop is pretty dry as well. If not for her nude scenes I wouldnt even remember her hair color. Then again it could all be due to the poor writing and dialog. Still, the setting is interesting (minus the flashbacks) and the mystery played out decently enough. They just need to refine the writing a bit and this could easily be a great show.    … Expand
  25. Ascospore
    Mar 18, 2018
    5
    If you prefer your science fiction hard-boiled, not cheese-balled, then give it a miss.
  26. N_ck-cz
    Mar 1, 2020
    6
    If you've read a book (like me), save time. Skydance made many changes in the story, adding a lot of cliches, empty dialogues, and cut out violent scenes and some important scenes, that they proppably dont understod it. But much of the story has remained and Joel Kinnaman is saving the result. If you don't know the book, be sure to try. Its still a good series (first one). If you are aIf you've read a book (like me), save time. Skydance made many changes in the story, adding a lot of cliches, empty dialogues, and cut out violent scenes and some important scenes, that they proppably dont understod it. But much of the story has remained and Joel Kinnaman is saving the result. If you don't know the book, be sure to try. Its still a good series (first one). If you are a book, you will most likely not like the result.… Expand
  27. BioTofu
    May 17, 2018
    6
    the direction was a bit all over the place with the colors and lighting early on in the season. the world building was cool and i wish to see more of that (but i know thats expensive). the combat abilities of the characters were noticeably inconsistent. didnt like the actress and look of the main characters love interest (shes hot but i didnt find her acting very good here for thethe direction was a bit all over the place with the colors and lighting early on in the season. the world building was cool and i wish to see more of that (but i know thats expensive). the combat abilities of the characters were noticeably inconsistent. didnt like the actress and look of the main characters love interest (shes hot but i didnt find her acting very good here for the character)... some cool memorable scenes like the cop vs clone scene but could be executed better. overall enjoyable and i am looking forward to the future seasons.… Expand
  28. JulianIncen
    May 5, 2019
    5
    I had a hard time getting into the world of 'Altered Carbon'. It's slow and just when it seems to take off, it needs a transition episode to get to the real action.
  29. night4
    Jun 13, 2018
    5
    It's ok. The acting is good, the effects are good, the fights are good. The story is mediocre.

    The biggest problem is that the "murder mystery" is completely forgotten by a few episodes in. In fact, it's just one long flashback after another, until entire episodes are flashbacks. I have flashback whiplash at this point. And it becomes so convoluted it's not even funny. I don't    It's ok. The acting is good, the effects are good, the fights are good. The story is mediocre.

    The biggest problem is that the "murder mystery" is completely forgotten by a few episodes in. In fact, it's just one long flashback after another, until entire episodes are flashbacks. I have flashback whiplash at this point.

    And it becomes so convoluted it's not even funny.

    I don't think I'll be watching another season.    … Expand
  30. MasteroMustache
    Mar 13, 2019
    4
    What a mess. The acting is inconsistent, with some actors passable, others good to great, and some truly horrendous. The plot and writing are cringe-worthy. I can't count how many times I turned to my wife during our viewing of the series and stared blankly at a plot point that just occurred or at a line that an actor muttered. With respect to the story, character motivations, and sci fiWhat a mess. The acting is inconsistent, with some actors passable, others good to great, and some truly horrendous. The plot and writing are cringe-worthy. I can't count how many times I turned to my wife during our viewing of the series and stared blankly at a plot point that just occurred or at a line that an actor muttered. With respect to the story, character motivations, and sci fi elements, everything is just so far over the top that nothing feels organic or anything approaching real. I wanted to stop after the 5th or 6th episode but glumly finished the series just to see if it improved. It decidedly did not.… Expand
  31. JonsGone
    May 9, 2019
    5
    Staggeringly boring.
    Painfully drawn out with sigh-inducing flashbacks.
    The whole thing could have been a movie but it just HAD to be a series.
    The promising investigation plot takes a backseat on Kovacs's brooding train.
    Only two "good" characters in the entire cast, Poe and the asian nutjob.
    Forecast calls for rain. Rain all the time. Rain everywhere.
    Do not bother.
  32. shinbo
    Jul 3, 2018
    6
    Amazing visuals, great world design which makes me want to read the novel to explore the world further. Mix of Blade Runner, Shadowrun universes with a touch of Matrix. Gratuitous nudity, violence and gore, almost as if the producers stole a side glance at HBO and thought "Viewers are really into nipples and human flaying".

    The series is unfortunately let down by cheesy writing and    Amazing visuals, great world design which makes me want to read the novel to explore the world further. Mix of Blade Runner, Shadowrun universes with a touch of Matrix. Gratuitous nudity, violence and gore, almost as if the producers stole a side glance at HBO and thought "Viewers are really into nipples and human flaying".

    The series is unfortunately let down by cheesy writing and characters. It's not even campy cheese, it's try-hard one-dimensional cheese. Some of the dialogue is corny and delivered with the finesse of a daytime soap opera. Poe the AI hotel is by far the most relateable and interesting character, who unfortunately is featured sparsely. Imagine if GoT made Tyrion Lannister a minor side character.

    It's probably worth a watch, if only to feast on the visual design of the world.    … Expand
  33. AWESOM-0
    Feb 29, 2020
    5
    Yeah this one misses the mark. Looks great but it loses what makes the novel so good. I can accept adaptions making changes but not when it loses it soul (metaphorically speaking).

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
30
#30 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. The Detroit News
    Reviewed by: Adam Graham
    Mar 1, 2018
    50
    Big issues of body, mind, identity and technology shuffle around the Altered Carbon universe, but the show often drags its feet in order to fill its individual episodes’ running times.
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  2. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Feb 5, 2018
    80
    For a series that makes a lot of basic storytelling stumbles and often seems to feature characters who can only speak in exposition, Altered Carbon’s first season is surprisingly gripping, especially in its superior back half. This is probably the best first season of a Netflix drama since The Crown’s first year dropped in late 2016.
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  3. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Feb 5, 2018
    50
    Altered Carbon is so busy trying to wow viewers by constantly one-upping the imagery and the intensity that it barely pauses to consider its story. The writing is also distinctly clunky: a hodgepodge of vacant platitudes and canned spirituality.
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