HBO's The Nevers (Spoiler Free Review)

 

HBO has a history of making TV shows that are considerably bigger in scale of storyline and never reined in to feature mature content than other properties on TV these days. The Nevers does not stray far from this expectation as the all new hybrid of a fantasy and sci-fi epic created by Joss Whedon which manages to introduce a well known English setting that stars a large ensemble cast, intertwining multiple character arcs and motivations all at once in a proper six hour first part.  

Part One (of course there's another one) introduces Victorian aged superhumans for the last 6 weeks and manages to captivate a lot of familiar themes from many things I am sure most of us have watched in the last decade, especially amongst the likes of Marvel movies. However, The Nevers - although overstuffed - definitely allows interest to be explored through the deeper parts of this clearly complicated and ambitious idea of a show - a way clearly paved the moment the last episode aired it's first 20 minutes. 

Yes, Joss Whedon has been branded a bad person or so we've been told recently through his many allegations of threatening careers while finishing and rewriting the Justice League film that came out in 2017. But reputations aside, Whedon still had the capability to comprehend such world building antics in this show that clearly mirrors the themes of his other hits such as Firefly and Buffy The Vampire Slayer that also feature large ensemble casts whom became largely known for their portrayals, a future I can definitely see in these talented actors. 

From actual built production sets to intricate costumes, this show is detailed from top to bottom which makes us, epic fantasy fans, all the more ecstatic towards a series like this (but if you didn't like The Nevers, I guess it's fine as well). If you ever come across the making of each episode, the way it was shown at the end of every episode when I was watching it, you also learn the many difficulties the studio had to go through to make a girl look larger than everyone else or have a fight scene where one character can walk on water, showing that the visuals for this series was considerably hard to create but end result ended up looking realistic all the same. 

The six episodes was filled with twist and turns that I am pretty sure not many people saw coming, a quality I look for in a show lately due to TV's common predictably amongst fantasy/sci-fi shows. The parallels with the X-Men are uncanny (no pun intended) but still manages to keep its originality in check with its obviously complex characters. Another great thing about this was how the writers were not afraid to kill off characters, especially main ones - a theme not explicitly used since the Game of Thrones days but doing such a feat needs a necessary reason to change the motivations of the characters, a thought that did not spend much time within the writers of CW's The 100's final season. 

Although there are a number of critics who are bombing the show, The Nevers is honestly so great on its own without being bogged down by a cinematic universe or Whedon haters. Nerds like me will be very happy with the outcome of this 6 hour long journey the moment you press play on the first episode until the final scene where I am pretty sure audiences will want to rip their hair out. But don't worry, the journey ain't over yet with Part 2 already in the midst of being made.