Extant (2014 series)
Summary
Molly Woods, an astronaut with ISEA (International Space Exploration Agency) is assigned a 13-month solo mission aboard space station Seraphim. She returns home to her husband John, a robotics engineer who created their son Ethan, a prototype android called a "humanich". When Molly discovers that she has mysteriously become pregnant during a 13-month solo space mission despite months of isolation and years of infertility, she begins a search for answers.
Details
- Release Date: 2014-2015
- Country/Language: US, English
- Genres/Technical: Science Fiction, Drama
- Runtime: (generally formatted for a 1-hour commercial television slot)
- Starring: Halle Berry, Pierce Gagnon, Grace Gummer
- Creator: Mickey Fisher
- Producer/Production Co: Stephen Spielberg, 22 Plates, Amblin Television, CBS Television Studios
- View Trailer: (link), (link)
- TVTropes: (link)
- IMDB Page: (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: TV-14 (Violence, mild Profanity and Adult Content)
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- SS___ (Two Tentacles: Barely Lovecraftian)
This show's space-born intelligent alien fungi capable of reproducing through human hosts and preparing a sinister invasion of Earth wouldn't be too far out of place among many of Lovecraft's creations.
The basic premise might make a nice "Cthulhu Icarus" scenario, or work well with "Delta Green", or make an interesting addition to a campaign based on the "Quatermass" franchise.
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- Y.Whateley - "A sort of throwback to 1950s alien invasion stories, but with a cyberpunk near-future setting. That might normally be a winning combination for me, but, to my surprise, I wasn't crazy about this show: I found the first season almost engaging, but felt it really didn't work for me by its second season. The first season, at least, did seem to work on a vaguely Lovecraftian level: the story was in many ways similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Village of the Damned by way of Quatermass, with alien fungi impregnating an astronaut as the first step in unleashing their formless, mind-controlling psychic hybrid children onto the Earth. Alas, if the first season could be compared to Village of the Damned, then the second season could be compared to the sequel Children of the Damned, with both the second season and the similar sequel failing to engage me as completely as the originals for similar reasons - namely, in that the second season and sequel lost some of the creepiness and weirdness of what came before, while suffering from being slightly preachy and talky. Of course, your mileage may vary...."
Synopsis
Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
Molly Woods, an astronaut with ISEA (International Space Exploration Agency) is assigned a 13-month solo mission aboard space station Seraphim. She returns home to her husband John, a robotics engineer who created their son Ethan, a prototype android called a "humanich". When Molly discovers that she has mysteriously become pregnant during a 13-month solo space mission despite months of isolation and years of infertility, she begins a search for answers.
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
Associated Mythos Elements
- TO DO
- setting: Cthulhu Icarus
- setting: Delta Green (near future)
- film: compare to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Village of the Damned, and The Quatermass Xperiment
- race: hybrid "Offspring", space-fungi posing as human children
- race: "humanich" androids
- race: unnamed intelligent space-fungi
- organization: ISEA (International Space Exploration Agency) (compare to/substitute British Experimental Rocket Group)
