Extant

:

Season 1
  • Network: CBS
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 9, 2014
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 161 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 96 out of 161
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 161
  3. Negative: 34 out of 161
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User Reviews

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  1. EludiumQ36
    Jul 11, 2014
    3
    The premiere has a nice sheen of tech gloss on it, but I've got real plausibility problems with what they're doing. First, Molly Woods is a highly regarded, trained astronaut and yet she lets an obvious alien form, stereotypically viewable as a former lover, approach and touch her. Second, everyone with any tech chops knows that either (a) she would not even have the option to deleteThe premiere has a nice sheen of tech gloss on it, but I've got real plausibility problems with what they're doing. First, Molly Woods is a highly regarded, trained astronaut and yet she lets an obvious alien form, stereotypically viewable as a former lover, approach and touch her. Second, everyone with any tech chops knows that either (a) she would not even have the option to delete camera footage, or (b) that such a deletion was logged as an intentional act; for heaven's sake, the delete command asked for confirmation! So this is just sloppy screenwriting and cannot be forgiven because it poisons anything that derives from it. Third, Harmon comes back from the dead(?!) and cryptically warns her not to trust anyone. Jeez, is this script straight from The X-Files or what?! I wanted to like this series, I really did, but these plot gaffes betray its former potential since they're not taking the critical element of plausibility seriously.… Expand
  2. Kyle_Fitta9
    Jul 29, 2014
    3
    Extant tries to act like its something its not, using well-known actors to camouflage its hollow and perplexing narrative. And despite it trying to come off as if its innovative, the whole show feels very hackneyed .
  3. JCrow
    Jul 31, 2014
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The premier got my attention. I love Sci-Fi, Halle Berry is starring in it, it must have something to it. Cool robot kid (rise of the machines kinda thing may happen), Aliens? that look like dead friends/relatives impregnating or otherwise probing people ( could be fun to watch ). But alas, all those good possibilities gone by episode 3 due to mediocre acting and same old-same old scripting. The acting is self explanatory as for the scripting it this that gets me. An astronaut comes back from space after a solo mission and it turns out shes preggers, but lets not tell anyone and she gets her government employed doctor to cover for her! Lets let the alien baby be a surprise for everybody. Also, I watch the tapes and now see that there was nobody there and I have some abnormality in my brain but I'm going to keep this a secret from the people that can help me because I'm curious to see where this goes. Hmmm...How about a little more realistic script where we see these people freak out. Almost everyone I know can't keep even the littlest secret yet most shows use this tired piece of you know what to....I don't know why they keep using it, its stupid. Anyway, enough of my ranting, the show lost me and I don't expect it to go very far. To bad.… Expand
  4. IQ150
    Aug 8, 2014
    3
    Too slow and as a consequence boring. I've now stopped watching as I only see one end to this, which is that the show will be canceled sooner rather than later. With this type of story, there's never gonna be a satisfying conclusion either way, so no reason to waste time on it.
  5. MovieTVLover
    Aug 21, 2014
    2
    REALLY!

    To predictable to obvious. Acting not top notch. Its going to take more than Halle to make this interesting to me. An unpredictable story line is a good start.
  6. rich_pl
    Apr 1, 2015
    1
    Wooden presentation, dull monologues, illogical character decisions and just enough plot inconstancy to get on the wrong side of my suspension of disbelief. I cannot think of a single positive reason why I've bothered wasting my time with this series, I keep expecting something exciting or gripping to occur and each episode leaves me wishing I'd spent the time pickling eggs, or anything...Wooden presentation, dull monologues, illogical character decisions and just enough plot inconstancy to get on the wrong side of my suspension of disbelief. I cannot think of a single positive reason why I've bothered wasting my time with this series, I keep expecting something exciting or gripping to occur and each episode leaves me wishing I'd spent the time pickling eggs, or anything... anything but having to watch this.… Expand
  7. ragereview
    Aug 22, 2014
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This started as a potentially exciting new series. Sci-Fi, mystery, thriller - good ingredients for a TV show. However, it suffers from a unbelievably slow plot line, terrible dialogue and the direction of the show feels lost.

    There are many obvious plot holes which are never explained leaving the viewer wondering what's going on and deeply frustrated. The biggest one is why is her house not bugged?

    The main character Molly unfortunately, is either being utterly naive or incredibly stupid for an astronaut to not realise what's going on around her and for some reason has giant balls of bravery when it comes to confronting armed people with machine guns and grenades with no more than her assertive voice protecting her.

    The other main focus of the show is Molly's A.I. son, Ethan. Again, the intrigue is there but he's just very creepy and it feels like a retold story of 'Skynet' from the Terminator series.

    The writers need to add some energy and rhythm to the series if it has a chance of surviving.    … Expand
  8. doced
    Jul 30, 2014
    1
    Obvious fans, or fawns, of Halle Berry find much to like in this cliche-ridden, exciting as a wake, totally predictable, caricature populated show, that suggests those fans were focused on the undeniably pleasant to look at Berry, but oblivious to the tired plot, embarrassingly wooden acting, except by the Humanix, and hackneyed scripts. I like to look at Berry, too, but couldn't bear toObvious fans, or fawns, of Halle Berry find much to like in this cliche-ridden, exciting as a wake, totally predictable, caricature populated show, that suggests those fans were focused on the undeniably pleasant to look at Berry, but oblivious to the tired plot, embarrassingly wooden acting, except by the Humanix, and hackneyed scripts. I like to look at Berry, too, but couldn't bear to watch/listen to her deliver her adolescent lines with as much emotion as a still life. The supporting actors don't provide much of that, either. All in all, I managed to make it through one and one-half shows before deleting them and cancelling the series. It might improve, certainly, but in the meantime, time will be better spent reading.… Expand
  9. James_Pope
    Jul 9, 2014
    3
    Extant's pilot show feels tired and uneven, like the director couldn't quite figure out what tone the series should have. Rather than a narrowly focused, tight narrative, Halle Berry's mostly tolerable performance bounces around the loose confines of a show that doesn't seem to know what it's supposed to be.

    It's not all the bad direction. Extant's plot lumbers around knocking over the    Extant's pilot show feels tired and uneven, like the director couldn't quite figure out what tone the series should have. Rather than a narrowly focused, tight narrative, Halle Berry's mostly tolerable performance bounces around the loose confines of a show that doesn't seem to know what it's supposed to be.

    It's not all the bad direction. Extant's plot lumbers around knocking over the furniture rather than finessing anything. Extant obviously wants to build on shows like Under the Dome or Helix, but instead its pilot feels like it's trying to stuff all the plot points for the whole first season into an hour. Indeed, the most nuanced performance in the whole hour comes from Helix regular Hiroyuki Sanada, essentially recapping his better performance in Helix for the benefit of people who don't watch Syfy.

    I'm not going to give up on the show immediately, but Extant doesn't feel like it has a lot to offer that hasn't been done before, better.    … Expand
  10. Bingo99
    Sep 5, 2014
    0
    Awful...really a horror movie and not a science fiction movie. Entirely too drawn out... Should have been a 4 hr miniseries at most. They clearly stretched and stretched to make this 13 hrs.
  11. John718
    Sep 15, 2015
    0
    So many drastic and straight out cold changes have made Extant Season 2 a totally different show...not necessary bad, but to those people (like me) that loved the first season would feel totally cheated because of its initial narrative, a family struggle between the decisions taken in letting themselves be part of the marvels that technology have brought to their lives (Ethan) vs. theSo many drastic and straight out cold changes have made Extant Season 2 a totally different show...not necessary bad, but to those people (like me) that loved the first season would feel totally cheated because of its initial narrative, a family struggle between the decisions taken in letting themselves be part of the marvels that technology have brought to their lives (Ethan) vs. the consequences of dealing with the unknown.

    That family part has been scratched off completely, and the show can no longer deliver on that promise. If the producers needed to shake things up they should have ended Extant with a 2 hour Series Finale and spinned off under a different name taking place years later.

    This is not the first time we see a CBS TV show takes drastic changes for the worse season after season....Just look at what happened to Under the Dome.    … Expand
  12. Luxangel7
    Oct 4, 2014
    0
    SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BORING. It's so boring I only wrote enough to fill the minimum quota for an equally boring review. Omfg this show is such shi t
  13. katezoe
    Sep 19, 2014
    1
    What a bad show. Halle Berry who I think is a good actress was sleep walking through this role. The writing was bad Hollywood at its worst. Boring series and we were happy to see it end. I certainly will not watch this if there is a second season.
  14. Ravens1294
    Sep 18, 2014
    3
    After a promising start, the show started to decline rapidly. It had an interesting and good concept for a TV show, but they failed to deliver on it. Throughout the whole season, it seems like most episodes are carbon copies of one another. It's the same thing over and over again. It took long to accelerate the show as the middle was a complete waste. The final 2 episodes wereAfter a promising start, the show started to decline rapidly. It had an interesting and good concept for a TV show, but they failed to deliver on it. Throughout the whole season, it seems like most episodes are carbon copies of one another. It's the same thing over and over again. It took long to accelerate the show as the middle was a complete waste. The final 2 episodes were significantly improved, but it was already too late. The show would have been better with fewer episodes. Writing has been decent and at times; sloppy. They just did not know what to do with the 3 story lines. Getting into the story lines, I really didn't care for Ethan. The kid who plays him does a good job though. Halle Berry does a good job with her character, but the rest is just average. They had really good production values and the music was pretty good. The alien reveal was lame and it took way too long to finally see it. At the end of the season, the show was just okay. Nothing special and I don't think it deserves a season 2.… Expand
  15. FutureMuggles
    Sep 14, 2014
    1
    Awful show - mainly due to a complete lack of a credible screenplay. Some of the actors are just bad while others (notably Berry) struggle to play the roles and scripts they've been given. And the further we go the more jumps we have to make to get over the holes, not in the plot, but in the unnatural way the characters interact and respond. I give it 1 point for production it's a diamondAwful show - mainly due to a complete lack of a credible screenplay. Some of the actors are just bad while others (notably Berry) struggle to play the roles and scripts they've been given. And the further we go the more jumps we have to make to get over the holes, not in the plot, but in the unnatural way the characters interact and respond. I give it 1 point for production it's a diamond in a cowpat.… Expand
  16. Bogwraith
    Sep 18, 2014
    0
    I am pained by how bad this designed-by-committee utterly visionless trash is. I am angered that I gave it a chance and kept watching hoping it might get better... and it got worse! I am enraged that many good series have been canceled, and this is what they give us instead.

    And did I not see a movie (or two) with this same premise except better executed?
  17. nitefox1337
    Nov 6, 2015
    1
    This show is so bad that you'd think it's Stephen King and not Spielberg who produced it. Also, how did Halle Berry got an Oscar??? The acting performance of Halle Berry in this show is proof that Oscars are all fixed and politics.
  18. bigeyes
    Apr 25, 2015
    0
    I love sci fi and this premise seemed worth a shot. But rather than plough through the whole first season (each individual episode description sounded somewhat thin and underwhelming), I decided to cut to the chase and just watch the last few episodes of Season 1, figuring the plotlines would be tightening, drama would be intensifying, and I could always go back and watch the buildup if itI love sci fi and this premise seemed worth a shot. But rather than plough through the whole first season (each individual episode description sounded somewhat thin and underwhelming), I decided to cut to the chase and just watch the last few episodes of Season 1, figuring the plotlines would be tightening, drama would be intensifying, and I could always go back and watch the buildup if it was that good. So glad I peeked at the end, so to speak, rather than sitting through several hours of this stuff. Slow pacing, hackneyed writing, and amateurish construction. Every time something even mildly suspenseful happens, the next scene invariably cuts to a couple of characters casually jaw-boning about it and any investment in what happens next completely deflates. You can see plot twists, such as they are, a mile away. Truly good sci fi, sadly, is not extant here.… Expand
  19. ohkayh
    Jan 17, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first season started off great ! I really think you got a feel for all of the characters some of whom I fell in love with! The plot might not have developed quickly but I enjoyed each episode, and I wanted to know what came next. There were a few twists and turns I found odd and inconsistent. Why was Sparks so intent on seeing Katie again when he sent her up there to pretty much die? I never did understand his deal with Mr Yasumoto. He didn't seem like a man overly concerned with death, which leaves me to wonder if he was in it for the profit. Either way, anyone who would willingly put their own child in danger, doesn't strike me as the kind of man who would obsess over their loss. I try to like Molly as a character, but I find her a bit self-obsessed. I also find her selfish. Strong, yes....stubborn yes.......compassionate...most of the time, but still a fundamentally flawed character because her quests always seem to be at the expense of other people. I absolutely will never understand season 2 either. John who was the loyal loving husband decided to play away, very conveniently this just happened to coincide with the time when he was 'killed off' so he couldn't even make it right. Admittedly I'm only part way through season 2 but its already giving me pause for thought. What happened to him? His character seemed to switch to loyal loving father and husband, to someone who was angry distant and disheartened. Granted his wife seemed to live a life that barely ran parallel with his, but to me they took away one of the things I loved most about John. He loved her. He really loved her. And he really loved Ethan. He found in him something he could channel all of his love into. To end his character on such a lousy note seems wrong. Surely in reality people aren't perfect. They make mistakes. Things happen. But for him to have such a radical change in personality and then to have him just snuffed out before it was even explained seems lazy! Same goes for the flip with Julie although admittedly it wasn't expected. She had been butting heads with John for some time over work, it was clear their paths weren't the same. Its also clear she wanted her feelings to go somewhere and even clearer that they never would and the storyline seemed to stay true to this despite the affair. Its also true I can understand how something like that would change a person. Life can make you bitter if you let it. I never did quite warm to Julie and/or trust her. The one thing I did believe in was her love for Ethan! So what she did in Season 2 (wiping his memories of Molly) that I understand. I'm glad that Charlie's seems to be true to character and I love how hes become everyones moral compass! I like him! But to go from making an android that was as human as possible, one that could walk side by side with man one day, to building a weapon of war, thats a big leap. Surely it goes against everything they believe in. Again, good people can make poor decisions when pushed into them, but this? Add to that the fact that Molly in Season 2 is once again alone with no friends (after being betrayed by Sam and making up and having her help during season one in season two theres another sloppy way to end a character, by making her key in getting her locked up and put away - how many u turns can one character have - she also deserved to be written out better - her first betrayal although sad you could understand even if you didn't agree with it, she was trying to protect her family. What was her motivation the second time around I wonder and will we ever know) i also don't understand how a woman who wanted to be a mother so bad could just let her sons be taken away and do nothing. In fact she seems to be doing everything BUT looking for the answers regarding them. Does this make sense? She took the death of her hybrid son on face value and she let Ethan be taken away without even so much as a fight, despite that being the only link she now has left to John. All in all of these discrepancies make it hard to get away with Extant. The thing about good storytelling is, you make characters that we all can relate to. For better or worse, those characters have to be believable. Also its very sloppy to start a plotline (like the one with Odin in season 1) without any kind of completion. Ethan blew himself up to save everybody, and nothing more was said about it. Does that mean that Odin just let it drop. Seriously? A terrorist organisation that went to that much trouble to just give up after their first attempt. Also, what happened with all the government officials in season one, switch to Season 2 and they've brought in a whole new cast before you even get used to the original ones. I'm not saying the acting isn't great because it is, or that the plot doesn't have some merit (it does) but I really don't like loose ends. I also don't like good characters going to waste. I'm hoping things turn around, but right now I'm losing interest… Expand
  20. CO2016
    Dec 3, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I found this TV series to have such promise in the initial 10 minutes of the episode playing...then, I began to wonder if all the characters were robots. I was waiting for the...surprise Ethan...we are robots too. Their lack of emotions in the characters, their wooden emotions and the lack of realism from Halle Berry as playing an astronaut are just some of the many criticisms I have. For an astronaut, I really thought her situational awareness to a situation would be a lot higher than how it's being portrayed. But, her love of ridiculous shoes is evident. Why are you wearing such stupid heels when you are supposed to be going a covert mission to track down the baby/creature? Her level of awareness to the threat is also pretty dense.
    This whole show seems to want to pursue this idea of technology and a certain level of intellect that is being created. Yet, they show that they haven't even bothered to bug the home of the astronaut who has been returned home with a life form in her?? Pretty terrible plot idea there ppl. They have such fancy designs of driver-less cars, screens that pop up to take phone calls etc, but, not be able to find two 'wanted astronauts' out in public??
    It's pretty pathetic overall. I hope it doesn't last longer than Season 2.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best TV Season of 2014
29
#29 Most Discussed TV Season of 2014
60
#60 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Jul 9, 2014
    50
    The lead performances are a tad opaque, and the script feels as though it's telling two separate stories that don't immediately seem as though they'll connect in a graceful way.
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  2. The Wrap
    Reviewed by: Tim Kenneally
    Jul 9, 2014
    80
    Despite the kitchen-sink feel to it all, Extant has much going for it. Berry impressively handles the task of playing a woman who's coming to grips with both a interstellar conception and a laboratory-built “son.” And so far the series has done a good job of balancing the gee-whiz gadget fetishism of science fiction with the need for characters that the viewer will care about.
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  3. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Jul 9, 2014
    75
    Extant plays with genres, mixing sci-fi, conspiracy thriller and scenes from a struggling marriage. It also asks some daring questions about the collision of machine and humanity.
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