Review: Loving The Flaws Of Humanity In THE ONE
Dystopian worlds can come in many shapes and forms. Specifically, the sub-genre of “science gone wrong” is terribly prevalent in the dystopian genre. With shows like Black Mirror, 3%, West World, and even sometimes the Twilight Zone, shows have explored a wide variety of scientific discoveries that have altered the world for better and worse. The One follows a very similar pattern in the setup and execution of “science gone wrong.” Even though the show starts out feeling very cliché and familiar, the drama and depth of the effects of these scientific discoveries are well fleshed out and explored in fresh, new ways throughout the series.
As I just mentioned, the beginning of this show plays out just like any Black Mirror episode. It felt uninspired and extremely familiar in the way it was handling science and its general effect on people. But the characters and their personal stories/connections made this show enjoyable and gripping. The acting for most of the characters was also surprisingly good, save a few people in a few places. This show focuses more on the dramatic and creepy nature of humans than straight science fiction after the first few episodes, but it is better when making these changes in direction.
The other main thing to address here is the general presentation and quality of the filmmaking. The pacing in The One is impressive. Even though the show is a bit longer than five hours in total, it zoomed by with loads of strong conversations, smart drama, and interesting surprises making it feel like half of the time. There were a few plot points that could have used a lot more screen time, especially in establishing the characters at the beginning. Lastly, there was one plot point that surprised me and got me excited, but it seemed to stop dead in its tracks for relatively no reason and was oddly never addressed again. This is one of the more “binge-able” shows I’ve seen recently, get ready to start it on Friday and finish it by Sunday.
The One may have some obviously familiar beginnings, but the characters and their choices help the show to stand out as an interesting application of polarizing technology. The acting and character/plot developments stand and the most impressive parts, making it is hard to stop watching. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, drama, and riveting television, this show will give you a good fix.
