Ascension

:

Season 1
  • Network: SyFy
  • Series Premiere Date: Dec 15, 2014
User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 128 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 128
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 128
  3. Negative: 21 out of 128
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User Reviews

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  1. jablooey
    Dec 29, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There's something else going on in this show that reviewers haven't been commenting on. The characters are living in a constructed reality that parted ways with reality at the time of Kennedy's assassination. They are living under constant government surveillance. There are characters referenced named Johnson, Nixon, and Warren. The little psychic girl describes a dream about great towers falling from the sky and a woman in pink holding her husband's brains... How is everyone not registering what this show's subtext is about? Has history been successfully buried in the mass consciousness?… Expand
  2. mcrancidrugburn
    Dec 25, 2014
    7
    To me this show is like The Sims, Fallout 3, and Area 51. It's like The Sims because of this manipulative scientist that has inherited this super secret project Ascension from his father. It's like Fallout 3 because of the people living inside the Ascension are like the people trapped in the vaults. The people have their own culture but, it is subtly controlled by the scientist. TheTo me this show is like The Sims, Fallout 3, and Area 51. It's like The Sims because of this manipulative scientist that has inherited this super secret project Ascension from his father. It's like Fallout 3 because of the people living inside the Ascension are like the people trapped in the vaults. The people have their own culture but, it is subtly controlled by the scientist. The people inside the Ascension have no idea what's going because they a have been raised to believe that they are in outer space on search for a new planet to inhabit. They have been taught everything they know from television shows from the fifties and books from the library. It's like they are living in North Korea except they don't have a dictator. There's some soap opera type stuff in the story but it doesn't take away from what it's about.There's some sex scene and nudity I had no problem with it. One of the things I notice is how the scientist has given concrete gender roles to the people inside Ascension. Most of the women are escorts or nurses. The men are soldiers or security. There's no racism though but there aren't any gay characters and the scientist explains why. There is a hierarchy and class divide sort of like "A Brave New World" where you have the people of lesser caste being treated differently. So, it's all so similar to "Snowpiercer" because, this "ship" is divided into many different levels. So, basically it's a giant ant farm with humans at some secret location. The conclusion I got from watching the final episode is that the Ascension project is about space travel but space travel through the use of a person's mind. The Star Child. I like when Syfy does shows like this instead shark tornadoes.… Expand
  3. vikesh2206
    Jan 14, 2015
    7
    Despite some uninteresting characters and a weak mystery, the sophomore season of Syfy's Ascension delivers smart and thrilling sci-fi with a refreshing retro feel.
  4. acontentoak
    Dec 26, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a fun show, that tackles all the things I love in good sci-fi; ethics, morality, and mystery. Regardless of the science, this show is about the idea of what happens when you put people in a bubble and tell them they are doing it to save humanity. This show addresses topics like birth control and population crisis, cultural development over time, the use of sex and love as political tools, and perhaps the most heavily addressed in the show and one of the most relevant issues today is the questionable ethics of sacrificing some for the good of the many.
    Creating good sci-fi to me is all about the depth of the world you create. I love sci-fi that just drops me into an already fully formed world and story, this is a show that totally did that for me. In terms of creating a show with a unique idea and a smart approach, while incorporating some twists and turns, and relevant ethical debates than it was very successful.
    Where Sy-Fy often lacks and indeed within Ascension, is in having high quality production value and acting. Unfortunately Sy-Fy is not quite HBO or AMC and there are some cheesy or poorly produced moments. I watch sci-fi and fantasy obsessively so it is easy for me to overlook these moments to enjoy all the good moments and ideas that I believe the show is full of.

    *SPOILERS*

    I understand the complaints about the ending. It seems so far off from the rest of the show and so far from any logic or idea that the show presented us that, i can see how it would be interpreted as coming from nowhere for no reason. What I can appreciate about it, is that it is incredibly difficult to properly end anything like this. Either everything is wrapped up nicely but thats never believable and is always too cheesy or corny, or everything could end terribly with some sort of dramatic the world is horrible and everyone is doomed but thats never satisfying, or you can end on a total out of the blue cliffhanger. Having three nights to tell this story and give it a perfect ending that gives us the answers we want but also keeps excited up until the end, is an extremely hard task. Particularly when you are playing with science fiction which is pretty open-ended.
    A part of me hopes Sy-Fy will pick it up and we will get some more answers. Obviously this project was never about the ship, it was about the geneticists and whatever scientists that invented the MRI machine and the goal was to genetically experiment in an environment that was so manufactured it would allow you to control all the variables, the ultimate goal in furthering the evolution of the human genome so it could have a greater ability to manipulate the world around us. This one appears to be creating a human that is so magnetically and energetically tied into the world around here that she can release enough energy to create a portal to a specific location which creates a lot of different questions and seems very unlikely.
    But isn't great to have something that ends just leaving you with questions and surprise!? This whole idea inspires so many great conversations. What could you get out of humanity if you stuck a bunch of scientists in one world and got to control who people had children with? If you could control the genetics and all the physical external factors of someone could you change our abilities and senses? would it be right to send hundreds of people into space for a journey knowing that they wouldnt make it but their children would be the ones who had to deal with that choice and end that journey? How much could we learn about society and human growth from just telling people we were doing that while they were actually in a bunker somewhere and we were secretly observing them? and how immoral would that be?

    This show presents a lot of great questions and problems that are completely relevant to our issues today. That is all I want with Sci-Fi.    … Expand
  5. MelancholicAlc
    Jan 26, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Okay, so this is a very good show, and there hasn't been a hard scifi show on TV for a very long time now. All sci fi shows either descend into some Earth based stuff, and don't deserve the name sci fi show, or are too much CGIed to really impress. Look I get that production costs prevents any show to realistically give us zero gravity. Despite Ascensions clever way to deal with this, ya gotta wonder: How was this sold to the crew? Did they really believe artificial gravity was invented? The script never says.
    The story is good, but at times, you wondered where they would go with it all. Would Stokes wander the Earth? Was Gault on Earth or on another planet? the acting was average to excellent. Ellie O'brien as Christa deserves special mention, and the usual suspects Helfer and Bellows.

    Nitpicks:
    Would we ever design such a ship where so much indoor space was wasted, not to mention energy and oxygen? Such a ship would run out of energy before it ever crossed Mars Orbit.
    Only 100 years to Alpha Centauri? Our fastest ship took nine years to PLUTO, at 7.311.000.000 km.
    Alpa Centauri is at 4.3 lightyears or. 41.277.277.135.661 km, which is five thousand times as far. 5.646 times to be exact. With our fastest ship it would take us 50.813 years to reach Alpha Centauri. Put in another way: doing 4.3 lightyears in just 100 years would mean we've managed to make something as heavy as several Titanics go with 4 percent of lightspeed .... with 1960s technology. Your crew would have to be pretty dumb to buy all that.

    One has got to wonder about the    … Expand
  6. testychicken
    Dec 26, 2014
    10
    good god, twists and the ending! F yeah i want more. I know that SyFy likes to do the whole mini series to start shows they're thinking of plugging. this would have been a much better choice than that crappy angel show they made. should have green lit this first. and bring back the interconnected series like eureka, alpha, and warehouse 13. made the shows better and more involved.
  7. The_Rick3721
    Jan 7, 2015
    10
    Awesome show and great characters with a very interesting twist that adds confused me at first but eventually added a large amount of depth and intrigue to the storyline! Really hoping that this becomes a long standing series and there is many more episodes and seasons to look forward to! I've seen some negative reviews with individuals trying to compare this to other sci-fi tv shows orAwesome show and great characters with a very interesting twist that adds confused me at first but eventually added a large amount of depth and intrigue to the storyline! Really hoping that this becomes a long standing series and there is many more episodes and seasons to look forward to! I've seen some negative reviews with individuals trying to compare this to other sci-fi tv shows or even those that watched half of the first episode and decided to write a review. That is childish and irresponsible to those who are seeking input on an interesting television show. I will be honest...I binge watched the entire mini-series. haha Personally enjoyed every minute of it and look forward to a continuance to the series.… Expand
  8. MafiaDonJuan
    Jan 1, 2015
    10
    What a great show! The characters are very well-developed and compelling; the sets and costumes are high quality; and the story was gripping (and full of interesting twists) from start to finish. This is the best science fiction show that I've watched since Battlestar Galactic.

    Most of the negative reviews here seem to be from people who (a) believe that love triangles and a little    What a great show! The characters are very well-developed and compelling; the sets and costumes are high quality; and the story was gripping (and full of interesting twists) from start to finish. This is the best science fiction show that I've watched since Battlestar Galactic.

    Most of the negative reviews here seem to be from people who (a) believe that love triangles and a little nudity make a show trashy, or (b) were expecting a self-contained mini-series and wanted more explained. Yes, there is some kissing and about 10 seconds of nudity per hour, so if this disgusts you, you should probably look elsewhere for entertainment. And if you're expecting everything to be neatly wrapped up at the end, you will likely be disappointed.

    But if you're looking for what is likely the beginning of an interesting, high quality science fiction show, then I'd recommend that you give this a try.    … Expand
  9. kamiyamaninja1
    Dec 18, 2014
    10
    wow what a show... Awesome, fresh and new.. very interesting and full of surprises.. looking forward to more of these shows.. love all the different actors..
  10. Dobby
    Dec 27, 2014
    9
    Ascension is one of the most unique and fascinating shows that I've watched on the SyFy station in a while. As many have pointed out, the show isn't about what it appears to be in the beginning, but based on the conclusion (without giving away any spoilers) we really cannot be certain of that. The show is set in present times and is about a group of 300 individuals (adults and children)Ascension is one of the most unique and fascinating shows that I've watched on the SyFy station in a while. As many have pointed out, the show isn't about what it appears to be in the beginning, but based on the conclusion (without giving away any spoilers) we really cannot be certain of that. The show is set in present times and is about a group of 300 individuals (adults and children) who were chosen in the 1960s to embark on an interplantetary voyage to the nearest planet with sustainable life (called Proxima). The voyage is expected to take 100 years and at the start of the show, it has been 51 year since they have embarked and now the ship has a population of 600 people. Therefore, the children and grandchildren of the original crew members have never seen anything but the inside of a spaceship for their entire life.

    Of course, there is a lot more to the story that I cannot reveal. However, what I loved about the show was the complexity of the plot and the fact that it really gave us a look into what happens to a society when it has been isolated and cut off from the rest of the world for so long. If you are interested in themes such as eugenics, dystopian societies, advanced technology, supernatural phenomena, politics and government conspiracies, then I'd advise you to check out this 3-part TV mini-series. The only downside was that it ended with a lot of unresolved stories because the intention of the producers was to have SyFy pick it up as a recurring series. So therefore, it felt a bit like a prequel (without the sequel!) This bothered some people, but personally, I felt that the show was worth watching, regardless of whether it gets picked up by the network or not. The ending didn't annoy me...it just left me hoping for more!    … Expand
  11. nickjmac
    Jun 25, 2015
    10
    This is a wild show that takes many crazy plot twists to keep the audience intrigued and guessing where the story will go next. I got plenty of pleasant surprises and watched the entire first season in 2 days and will be seriously disgruntled if it doesn't find a new platform to continue on or if syfy doesn't revoke its cancellation. I haven't seen a sci-fi thriller series this fun since fringe.
  12. SchroederRock
    Nov 4, 2015
    9
    I'm noticing that critics are judging Ascension on the pilot episode. First off, who's not doing their job and rating a series based on a singular episode? Second, why I didn't get to this show earlier is beyond me. Ascension is some kind of blend of fantasy and sci-fi. The casting is seemingly spot-on, with each character more intricate than they first appear. The drama unfolds quickly,I'm noticing that critics are judging Ascension on the pilot episode. First off, who's not doing their job and rating a series based on a singular episode? Second, why I didn't get to this show earlier is beyond me. Ascension is some kind of blend of fantasy and sci-fi. The casting is seemingly spot-on, with each character more intricate than they first appear. The drama unfolds quickly, but it seems to be the result of the first season only being 6 episodes. That, for me, was the biggest detractor of Ascension - the tease of an incredible show unfolding before me without only an appetizer to go off of before the (hopeful) main course that could/should be season 2. Time will tell, because Syfy has no plans to continue the show on their network. Someone else will have to pick it up if Ascension is to continue onward.… Expand
  13. eagleeyeviking
    Sep 8, 2016
    7
    Despite an abundance of uninteresting characters and a weak mystery, Syfy's Ascension delivers smart and thrilling sci-fi with a refreshing retro feel.
  14. Boongabongava
    Feb 16, 2015
    10
    This show is absolutely amazing, from the very start it was captivating and showed many new surprises along the way. It is my new favourite show and I cannot come up with a negative comment about it. I am hoping and looking forward to more episodes. Props to the writer, director, astonishing actors, and all others to do with this series, love it!!
  15. avi_2727
    Jun 21, 2015
    10
    Amazing show with twists and turns and the all around concept that could be taken a lot further than it was. Wish it had a season 2. The characters had a lot of interesting turns and would have liked to see them developed a bit further. All around it was one of the best shows I've seen and left me hanging wishing itd continue.
  16. whammami
    Jul 2, 2015
    9
    Very good, but not for the average IQ viewer, this thing is too smart to stay on TV that is why there is no second season. It caters more to a smarter audience which usually exists in the Netfilx viewership. Hopefully Netflix picks it up.

Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Most Discussed TV Season of 2014
44
#44 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Gail Pennington
    Dec 17, 2014
    63
    The characters are well-enough developed in the early going.... As the story deepens, though, it also becomes so complicated that it threatens to squeeze out marginal fans of the genre.
    Read full review
  2. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Dec 15, 2014
    70
    The less revealed about the story the better. Let's just say that if you make it to the end of Monday's introductory chapter, you'll very likely feel compelled to see where else this unusual space/soap opera is heading.
    Read full review
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Dec 15, 2014
    60
    The dialogue only occasionally gets "Star Trek"-ish, and the special effects are nothing special. But it’s not a bad story, it moves well and you don’t have to wait a hundred years for the conclusion.
    Read full review
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