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Humans - Tonight (Sun) @ 9pm on Ch 4

801 replies

Valsoldknickers · 14/06/2015 10:31

OK, after freaking the bejaysus out of me with the weird trailer / advert I am intrigued and looking forward to giving this programme a viewing.

(I will have to record and watch later as I will be watching Messrs Strange and Norrell.)

Anyone else looking forward to it and hoping it lives up to the hype?

OP posts:
MadeMan · 19/07/2015 23:17

"I also noticed today that the clips about robots at the start of the programme are real."

There is a lot of robot technology available these days and not just from Japan and far east.

Aldebaran Robotics website

Merrylegs · 19/07/2015 23:18

Oh so Anita is older than 14? Because she must have been Leo's nanny when he was quite young (she's tying his shoelace for eg in his memory).

Destinysdaughter · 19/07/2015 23:18

I think David was killed by Leo when he found out he was sexually abusing the blonde girl ( can't remember her name)

Italiangreyhound · 19/07/2015 23:20

TwartFaceBeetj the synth cop and Niska are not played by the same person. The synth cop is played by Ruth Bradley www.imdb.com/name/nm1094112/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t17

I've just spotted Tom Goodman-Hill gets billing above Katherine Parkinson and Lucy Carless in the HMDb billing! Not right!

www.imdb.com/title/tt4122068/fullcredits/

Ellle I think the mother's illness was a mental illness which meant she had to be confined away from others, touch of the Mrs Rochester there!

I wonder if guilt got to David because of Niska?

SouthWestmom · 19/07/2015 23:24

Surely their ages are irrelevant?
Max is really irritating but I suspect I'm alone in this
I'm still not able to work out whether they are 'real' feelings - is that the difference between the runaway and everyday synths?

TwartFaceBeetj · 19/07/2015 23:25

Thanks Italian I posted earlier my mistake Smile

LatinForTelly · 19/07/2015 23:33

Their ages might be irrelevant in a sense, Noeuf, as they would presumably be coded to be 'adult' - eg Mia being Leo's nanny. But their ages are relevant in the sense that if Niska is 9 now, how long ago was she teaching the boy Leo? (ie have they bodged the timings?).

On that note, did anyone think the photo of Tom and Laura as kids didn't look like there was a six yr age gap? Confused

Italiangreyhound · 19/07/2015 23:34

Merrylegs yes, he does seem to have a synth brain, which I didn't think was possible... getting way too into this!!! Me I mean! If Mia is 14 and she started looking after Leo when he was about 6 and he 'died' at 9 or whatever he must be only 20 or less (maths whizz!). (The actor who plays him is 29).

Ellie.... re but is more real than we know... I know scary.

MI6Agent · 19/07/2015 23:34

I noticed Leo's memory cut off but there was a memory he was talking about at the time and it didn't match.

Great series

MI6Agent · 19/07/2015 23:37

I think Leo is only early 20's in this

OstentatiousBreastfeeder · 19/07/2015 23:38

I was sure Mia and Leo were romantic... It would have been an interesting dynamic for sure.

Looking forward to next week. Mia will be herself around the family which will be fun to watch, hoping the husband gets to meet her fist and realises what his actions truly were. Could have felt a bit of sympathy for him if he wasn't a through-and-through bellend (after all, 99.9% of all synths are unfeeling and designed as intelligent sex toys, which, right or wrong, is what everyone else is using them for). He didn't know Anita was a person.

The age thing I think is important. Has anyone seen the film Chappie? Basically this normal work droid is programmed with a consciousness, he's turned on and is 'born' and is basically a baby who has to learn and develop like a real child. I wonder if these synths had to do that, or if they were awoken with worldly knowledge already installed?

If not, it would make Niska a victim of child abuse, wouldn't it? Which is what I think she was kind of suggesting with her comment about him not treating her as a child sometimes Sad - I think that will have had something to do with David's death.

pieceofpurplesky · 19/07/2015 23:41

I think the detective could be linked David elster's wife - there were hints tonight ... Maybe she went mad Lady Macbeth style at his plans - maybe he saved her and synthed her! The similarity to niska then becomes more creepy. Although then there are all the hints from Dr Milligan about memory loss and His synth son keeping the memories of

pieceofpurplesky · 19/07/2015 23:42

Of his relationship with his wife.
Loads of hints ..... Milligan has synth brain/thoughts .... Forgotten who he is??? Synth feeds him false memories ...

MadeMan · 19/07/2015 23:45

I really hope it doesn't all end up being a dog's dream or something.

HirplesWithHaggis · 19/07/2015 23:54

I have a feeling that when this series finishes, I'm going to want to rewatch it all the way through again... Just so I can say, "Ah, so that's what was happening there..."

oneowlgirl · 19/07/2015 23:59

Great episode tonight with lots of questions being answered. Will be interesting to see what happens next week!

MadeMan · 20/07/2015 00:01

"I'm going to want to rewatch it all the way through again..."

Yeah I want to watch them back-to-back after the series ends. Smile

Ellle · 20/07/2015 00:08

Interesting theory pieceofpurplesky!
What were the hints that made you think the detective could be linked David elster's wife?

AGnu · 20/07/2015 00:38

I flipping loved that episode! Grin I told DH I'd fold the laundry while watching but hardly got anything done because I was glued to the screen! The Anita/Mia actress was fab with her sudden changes in personality. Totally explains her weird obsession with Sophie, she was built to take care of a young child. I did wonder if Toby's infatuation was reminiscent of Leo's changing relationship with her as he got older but seemingly not.

I adore Max. I find him a little creepy but knowing he's the youngest & therefore less than 9 makes him practically a baby which explains why he's so vulnerable.

I think Detective Synth was Elster's last creation. He made her after having sex with Niska, which I'm wondering if that wasn't the catalyst for Leo's mum getting in the car, & she's the combination of what he's put in all their brains & was supposed to be a new wife for him. A wife that didn't have mental health issues.

The timeline as I see it: Leo's about 20, Mia's 14 & so has been caring for him since he was 6, Fred's probably about 11-12, Niska's 9 & Max is maybe 5? Maybe there's some sort of maturing process that Elster never got to finish with Max before he died.

Speaking of which... Anyone got any theories about what really happened to him? I'm wondering if paedo-bloke wasn't Niska's first victim. My current theory is that he created Detective Synth only for her to not want to be his perfect little wife & she ran away, he freaked out thinking that his secret synths were about to be discovered & sent them away but Niska came back. Or maybe it had something to do with the scientist bloke who he argued with not George, the other one. Maybe they argued over his treatment of Niska, or maybe he was trying to steal Elster's work... Whatever it was he obviously foresaw a time when the synths would need protection, hence Fred's ability to strangle people through doors!

Interesting observation re: George's memories of his wife. If he can't remember things himself then there's no guarantee that the memories Odi is giving him are accurate. I'm somewhat concerned that Detective Synth might look a lot like Mary & be about to give George a heart attack! Perhaps Elster & Mary were known to each other...

I feel like I need to take notes while watching future episodes in case I forget anything!

SabrinnaOfDystopia · 20/07/2015 00:51

Amazing series - I rewatched them all on 4OD last week.

I love the 'what it is to be human' aspect - that they have both men and women having sexual relationships with the synths, because they're attractive and ammenable, and will meet their every whim - and their human partners are flawed, and well, human...but when it comes to the crunch - it's just not quite right for them.

It's like a cross between I Robot and Bladerunner. Sorry - not read the whole thread so someone may have already said that. DH tells me it's based on a Scandinavian series/book.

AGnu · 20/07/2015 01:22

YY, I love that they have both male & female synths being portrayed as sex objects. Much prefer that to reality where they seem to be all about making pretty female robots... Hmm

SabrinnaOfDystopia · 20/07/2015 01:24

YY - Equality in art if not in life!

Gruach · 20/07/2015 01:55

Magnificent episode!

Well done to all the people who guessed Mia's role in Leo's old life.

I was too busy staring at Leo to actually listen to anything they were saying. They should not say anything important when Leo looks into the camera.

And I should learn not to fall into adoration with beautiful, sad, sentient synths - why did they have to do that to Max?

Not sure what to think about Fred. He appears singularly superior; perhaps he'll have some agenda of his own rather than wanting to simply be reunited with his family? Pleased Odi is still "alive". And I'm longing to see how Karen is connected to George.

But will someone please rescue Max?

NoahVale · 20/07/2015 06:51

i dont think the syns react very well to sex.
ie. Jill's synth,
Niska.

Plus I like Odi, he is really well portrayed, as of course is Anita/Mia.

futureme · 20/07/2015 08:02

Was the big stately home style house outside which Laura and her brother tom were playing, the one with the lake... the same one as in leo's flashback. It looked it to me.

I wondered if elster killed himself after realising the implications of sexuakky abusing a child rather than sex with a sex toy...?