I am NOT a fan of science fiction, which Altered Carbon is, but I thoroughly enjoyed season one. The main actor was fantastic, the concept was interesting, the images were beautifully done and were a feast for your imagination combining both futuristic concepts while still incorporating retro ideas and images, and the script was such that you were rooting for the protagonist. I loved the idea of the Raven hotel with its Poe A.I. host. Having the A.I./human hate to friendship allowed for some nice growth over the season. Some of the rich vs poor social commentary was interesting and not as trite or black and white as you would expect. This had a everyone roots for the underdog vibe from the get go. I liked that they didn't insult the audience by explaining everything from the onset, it gave your mind things to puzzle out, which kept you engaged.
Watch season one, you will not be sorry...even if you are not a sci-fi fan. My 7/10 rating is for season one only...you can stop watching at the end of season one and you will have a nice complete story. (I really wish I had stopped here.)
Season Two-
If I were rating season two I would give it one star, but only because you can't give negative ratings on IMDb. This was one of the worst things I have seen in the last couple of years and it was particularly disappointing because season one was so good. It really left a bitter taste in your mouth and has tainted to a certain degree how I feel about Altered Carbon all together. The show runners made some horrible choices of actors for season two, I think they were more concerned about checking boxes than actually delivering good content to their audience...which is a shame because they could have probably checked some of those same boxes by making some different choices and delivered a solid good quality show. Instead there was horrible and horribly delivered lines/dialogue by some pretty terrible actors...and clearly not as much energy was put in to plot/story development. The story was not engaging or entertaining...it was a snooze-fest. It also lacked new and interesting images...it didn't even keep the interesting images from season one (which shouldn't have cost them any more money to re-use!). The only thing that I liked from season one that they kept was our hotel Raven...but our poor Poe A.I. Is messed up. The only small glimmer of hope and microscopic light was found in our newly introduced archeologist A.I., but they managed to sour that before the end of season two as well.
Please, please do not watch season two. Friends don't let friends watch season two!
Add a Review
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cgvsluis19 November 2020
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Supermanfan-1326 December 2023Season 1 of Altered Carbon is among the greatest Sci-Fi shows ever created so of course Season 2 wasn't going to be as good but it's still not nearly as bad as some of these reviews are saying. It's just that Season 1 was so incredible that when people compare S2 to it they are of course going to be a little disappointed. If season 1 never happened I think more people would like season 2 but because that first season is so amazing people automatically compare them. Don't. Everything about this show is great...the acting, writing, production, cinematography, etc. Are all as good as it gets. It's really too bad they only did two seasons because it's one of the better sci-fi shows I've ever seen.
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Rob133128 September 2022I can't say enough how much I absolutely loved Altered Carbon, especially Season 1! I loved Season one so much I just binged it for the second time recently. I know a lot of people didn't like Season 2 but I didn't think it eas that bad. It's just not close to Season 1. Joel Kinnamon and Martha Higareda were both excellent in that first season. They also had a fantastic supporting cast filled with good actors like James Purefoy, Chris Conner, Will Yun Lee, etc. This is a must watch for any sci-fi fan but even if you're not a big sci-fi fan this show is still worth checking out. Bottom line...is Season 2 as good as 1? Of course not, it would've been nearly impossible, but it's still a decent show worth watching!
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lucyoborn5 November 2023A futuristic world of stolen bodies (sleeves) and wins to be made right.
There are many threads to this complex tale, but enjoyable even when I lost the plot (due to ADHD not poor production).
The main characters are a cop with a fiery persona and a newly awakened criminal of epic proportions.
The attention to detail in mortice and world building were fantastic and well thought out.
Fantastic multilingual characters, religion vs science vs justice, fast paced action, humour, mystery and nudity. All the facets you need for dystopia.
The second season didn't rock my boat, but after season one was anything going to stand up? Probably not. Will I watch season three? Absolutely. -
i_dont_even24 June 2022First season is great fun. Actors do a great job selling characters, action is fun, atmosphere and aesthetics are top notch.
Second season... Exists. Mackie didn't even bother acting. -
twinsstyle28 December 2023Arguable one of the greatest shows of all time and so little recognition. I wish I understood how shows like this don't gain the views the so deserve. This show takes you places and feel so much more than a production of sets and VFX. The ENTIRE cast delivered, in my opinion, awardable performances. In life we see and experience things that sometimes just manage to harness the "right stuff" and makes your interaction with it a wildly satisfying interaction of emotions and thoughts. I am not quite sure how Season 2 commanded a less rating than Season 1, they were both great, but Season 1 mastered the art of delivering a story and universe in an instant to the viewer. I hope everyone involved in making this production come to life continues to bring magic to Hollywood.
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bsm-0985227 February 2020First season is very good probably 10/10 after 15 mins you cant stop watching until the end , but the second season is 1/10 after 15 mins you want to stop and forget about it...
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A_Different_Drummer26 July 2020S01 is one of the few series that I had to watch twice. Wow. S02 they tried to improve on perfection and made a heck of a mess.
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hacks-5663527 February 2020The change in main actor was a big fail. But it's more than that... it's like I am watching a different show, one with a lower production quality all around... I guess the action choreographs are still up there at least, but the lighting, the sets, the acting, some kind of filter or something on the camera, feels like a downgrade... the scenes feel empty and hollow, the dialog lacking... really makes me wonder if so much of the appeal of season one was the main actors... Damn too bad. I was really looking forward to this one. I thought I would be ok with the change in lead... guess I must not be..
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TheBlackTulip24 August 2023WTFH?? I mean it can't have been the lead's salary as I'm sure season's 2 actor, after the "Avenger's" and the other many roles, demands as much, if not more than season's 1 unforgettable run, throughout. So, what happened? Production design, cast, cinematography all seems to be at about the same level, except it's not isn't? Went from iconic to exhausting, and it's definitely not the lead, as he was just in the remake of that awesome 90's PS1 game, in which he was both funny and charming, and was able to carry the series' first season mostly by himself. So, the writing seems to be the most obvious suspect, and most likely guilty party. Also, it seems a gradual decline, as with every episode, it seems and feels to get worse and worse. What a trite conclusion to a story that began with such promise, specially amongst such ordinary, clone-like, series and films, in a whole sea of copycats and unoriginal content. Hopefully one day it'll be resuscitated by the right team.
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hadzsocial20 September 2021They did the series a disservice by miscasting Kovacs in season 2. Anthony Mackie is a great actor in his own right but failed to capture and continue Joel Kinnaman's and Will Yun Lee's take on Takeshi Kovacs. Takeshi is a serious Japanese guy and that didn't translate.
This could have been Anthony's opportunity to show his acting range. All I could think about was his Falcon character in the Marvel movies.
I'm so sad they cancelled the series, I really loved the idea of the immortality of consciousness. -
malana-lars29 February 2020Season 1 is one of my favorite SciFi-Shows of all time!
The story is intelligent, full of twists, witty, brutal where it's appropriate and overall highly enjoyable. It explores the effect of the stack technology on society and personal life from so many different angles: Many consciousnesses in one body, one consciousness in many different bodies, one consciousness in many cloned bodies, copying consciousnesses... On top of that we get a "Sherlock Homes" detective case, a shakespearean family drama and tackle the question what it can mean if humans live forever and become like greek gods.
The production quality is awesome, the characters are believable and well thought out, the dialogs fit the characters, soundtrack is great, camerawork also, so is the editing. Nothing feels cheap about it. And then Season 2 comes around...
And is none of that. Characters are flat, the story is predictable and boring. Scenes are often so dark that you don't see anything. Camerawork is sloppy, editing feels rushed. Even the soundtrack is not that good.
What a disappointment! -
Bill198028 February 2020Season 1 was excellent. While it had its flaws, the story was interesting and the world was immersive. Season 2 is just boring. There's no real coherent story of any interest and the visuals, while decent, are nothing compared to season 1. It's as if most things are shot in different small rooms or outside with a color tinted lens. I found myself falling asleep, having to force myself to rewatch scenes so I knew what was happening...all while not really caring about the story at all. The writing in season 2 is just awful. I love sci-fi and hope this is picked up for a 3rd season, but only if they do it right. If they're going to just string together another boring, incoherent story, they might as well not bother continuing the series.
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wolfghostninja3 March 2020Pretty much everyone who watched Altered Carbon Season 1 should note that the new season fails to meet the high standards set.
The new lead lacks charisma, and is notably unfunny, while the previous season reveled in dark humour the new lead lacks the ability for the dry humour I have come to associate with Takeshi Kovac.
The "meths" are poorly represented, and the social class aspect of the show has vanished as a result. The plot is terribly convoluted and the dialogue relies on exposition too much.
Gone are the grand philosophical themes and the series completely abandons the "noir" dimension that justified the shows existence.
What a mess. Will not get a 4th season. -
gogoschka-16 February 2018I haven't read the novel upon which this show is based, so I can't comment on whether or not this is a faithful adaptation; I am, however, a huge fan of the sci-fi subgenre commonly known as "cyberpunk" (in case you're not familiar with the term, think of films/stories set in an urban, dystopian high-tech future like 'Blade Runner', 'Akira', 'Ghost In The Shell', 'Strange Days' or 'The Matrix' and you get the idea), and as such I can absolutely testify to the fact that 'Altered Carbon' is one impressive looking example of that particular brand of science fiction.
What stands out right from the start is the worldbuilding. Many of the characters have complicated backstories that are crucial to the plot, and the rich history of their world is equally important, but what this series does remarkably well is show rather than tell. Instead of relying on lengthy monologues for exposition which have a tendency to weigh a story down and make the narrative lose momentum, we get the clues we need via flashbacks or just by seeing and learning about this world through the eyes of the protagonists. And what a world it is: the production values are insane, especially considering this is a TV show. There is so much eye candy for a sci-fi nerd like me; nearly every shot is packed with such an abundance of visual information that I had to hit pause several times to take it all in.
But the world of 'Altered Carbon' isn't just "decorated" with visual effects and future tech to make it look cool (though it DOES look very cool); everything we see has a function and is there for a reason. It feels real and has that "lived-in" look that even big-budget Hollywood productions rarely get right. What I should probably also mention is that this is a hard R-rated show (if this were a feature film, it would actually perhaps be closer to a NC-17 than an R) which doesn't hold back in terms of sex and violence. Also, if you're not familiar with the genre or used to a more straight forward narrative where everything is explained to you, 'Altered Carbon' may initially feel a bit confusing or even overwhelming, because you're being thrown head first into a strange new world where you - like the protagonist - have to process an overload of information in order to get a sense of orientation. Stick with it though, and things will start to become clearer.
As for the plot itself, I won't give anything away here; it's enough to know that it starts with the protagonist being brought back from "retirement" to solve a murder mystery. But unlike the grand daddy of all cyberpunk films, 'Blade Runner', this has less of a brooding, "noir" vibe to it; instead it's an action-heavy, at times pulpy but very densely plotted story with lots of colorful characters and so much going on that it doesn't drag for a second.
To sum it all up: for sci-fi and cyberpunk fans this show is a must; for all other carbon-based life-forms, well, it may not be an "altering" experience, and it certainly isn't perfect, but if you don't give up after the first couple of episodes you could be in for a nice surprise. 8 stars out of 10 from me.
Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/
Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/
Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/
Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: imdb.com/list/ls054808375/ -
compugor30 August 2023Distinguishing between the seasons and panning season 2 seems disingenuously political because cinematically they are one and the same, and the continuity is excellent. Quell's character develops brilliantly and the extent of Raeleen's wickedness is revealed even after her death. Governor Danica was an excellent addition in the same pattern as Ortega (comparably delightful sleeves). Carrera/Jaeger really made you hate him but made you respect his formidability. I didn't particularly like Trepp and her woke domestic situation but an unappreciative view of that doesn't affect the acting which was excellent all around. Anthony Mackie who was absolutely perfect for the role of the resleeved Tak did a great job and quickly removed any pining for Joel Kinnaman. The storyline was superbly developed, with the sad saga of Harlan's world coming out, presenting human depravity in line with the shocking theme of the show. Bringing back the former pack characters in the circle was a nice touch as was adding Dig/Annabelle, bringing Lizzie back virtually and spinning Tak prime back up from before the defeat of the uprising were examples of the brilliant writing, as was keeping Poe even though his glitches were annoying. The special effects, combat action and sets remained exquisite throughout. Surely additional seasons are highly desirable, at least by those of us not hating on season 2.
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drael6413 February 2018This is a great show. The acting isn't incredible, but its competent. The writing isn't Shakespeare but its emotionally compelling enough. The plotting isn't quite westworld - but the plotting is compelling woven.
It's sexy, noir, atmospheric, cyberpunk, a little disturbing. The characters are enjoyable.
I gave it an 8, because its a great show, that you will happily binge watch and tell your friends about, and it even has a philosophical point. I might have given a 9 if the dialogue and acting where a little better - but this is holding the show to a high standard - it beats the heck out of star trek discovery and a large chunk of everything on TV.
Props to production team, the writers, great stuff. -
junk-mail-me-here7 August 2022Season 1 of this is one of the very best science fiction TV series ever. Honestly, season 1 is the spiritual successor to Blade Runner 1984. Its absolutely amazing. Vastly better than the Bladerunner 2049 garbage sequel.
I had massively high hopes for Altered Carbon as a series based on season 1. Unfortunately season 2 was utter crap by comparison. I like Anthony Mackie as Falcon, but he is terrible as Kovacs and the writing of season 2 is garbage.
But still, season 1 by itself is AMAZING and anyone who hasn't watched it should stop what they are doing and immediately watch it. Its fantastic. Just stop after season 1 ends (unfortunately).
Altered Carbon season 1 is the r3eason I kept my Netflix subscription. If they could come out with something this good just once every year I'd keep it. But they haven't since this. I sadly hope they will make a season 3 and it will be more like season 1 but I'm probably delusional at this point (sadly). If they made a new series of this that was even remotely as good as season 1 I'd love it and stay. Hell, frankly, I'd pay $250 to have a UHD copy of Altered Carbon Season 1 permanently. But sadly my hope is nearly dead in Netflix and I'm very close to cancelling after having been a member for ~20 years. -
Tweekums19 August 2020This cyberpunk series is set in a distant future where technology enables a person's consciousness to be stored on a spinal implant, known as a 'stack'. These stacks can be moved from one body, known as a 'sleeve, to another. Unless the stack is destroyed a person won't die and the very rich can make backups which effectively render them immortal.
When Bancrofts, one of these mega rich individuals, is found dead it is assumed he killed himself but his backup was made hours prior so he has no idea what happened; he is convinced he wouldn't shoot himself though. To solve the case he employs Takeshi Kovacs, a convicted killer whose stack had been in storage for over two hundred years. He is initially not keen to take the case but events lead him to begin an investigation. This will lead him, and those around him, into danger as he learns more about the society he finds himself in and certain details of his own past.
A second season, set thirty years later, sees Kovacs back on Harlan's World, the planet he grew up on, investigating another series of murders and searching for a woman he once knew.
I really enjoyed this series, especially its superior first season, it has a fine noirish feel, reminiscent of 'Blade Runner'. There was a fine sense of danger; just because people are harder to kill doesn't mean things are less scary... quite often things get intense as characters suffer. While I can see why people prefer the first season I don't think the second was all that bad. Both seasons look fantastic; I suspect it must have cost more than many big budget Hollywood movies to design. The cast is impressive; most notably Joel Kinnaman, as Kovaks in season one; Martha Higareda as Lt Ortega and Chris Conner, as an artificial intelligence named Poe. Anthony Mackie is solid as second season Kovaks even if the plot dictated change of actor took a little getting used to. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to sci-fi fans; I hope we get more seasons in future. -
grantss22 April 2018(Review updated after Season 2).
Takeshi Kovacs wakes up after 250 years in hibernation. He is now in a different body, a fact made possible by modern technology. Humans are able to upload their profile into a device embedded in their bodies, a "stack". This allows humans to be immortal, as long as their stack is not damaged: if their body, or "sleeve", dies they can transfer themselves into a new sleeve and continue existing. The recently-murdered Laurens Bancroft, one of the wealthiest people in the world, now hires Kovacs to find out who murdered him.
Season 1 wasn't brilliant, but was entertaining nevertheless. It started off in very intriguing fashion - the stack technology, Kovacs's past, Bancroft's murder, the cop who keeps following Kovacs. However, character engagement was limited, largely due to Kovacs, played by Joel Kinnaman (of Robocop infamy), being an incoherent meathead and the show leaning more towards action than intelligent plot development.
This is particularly so in the middle section - Episodes 5 and 6. I was ready to give up on the show until a good twist in Season 7 breathed new life into it. From then on it was generally a pretty slick, action-filled ride with some good twists and turns. The stack idea is novel, and fairly confronting once you think about it, and the writers do well to not let technological inconsistencies creep into the plot.
On the downside, the backstories were overly elaborate, which did set the momentum back a bit.
Season 2 wasn't necessary - Season 1 ended with enough closure - yet it was made anyway. It adds nothing interesting to the story and just demonstrates how heavily the series relies on the novelty of the stack-and-sleeve concept. Once the novelty of that wears off, this series is a conventional, style-over-substance action drama. And the novelty wore off around Season 1 Episode 5...
Season 1:7/10. Season 2: 5/10. -
primetimeshiga19 November 2023By far the best series Netflix had come up with. Absolutely incredible visuals. The story line is deep and grabs you. It's violent and erotic and there are so many levels that makes this show worth watching. If you liked "The Matrix" then you will love this show. First season is the best but the second season is still incredible. The acting is solid and you have to watch each episode or you will miss out on vital keys to the story line. I said it before it is ultra violent and there are some very difficult scenes to watch. You can tell they spent a lot on this and that's why there was no 3rd season. Trust me. Give this show a shot.
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ss_micheal28 February 2020I dropped my rating from a 9 for season 1 to a 6 for season 2. The story is quite weak compared to season 1 and the acting is notably worse. The fight scenes are boarderline amature at best. The only redeeming character is Poe, he's great.
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Stefan_Glasgow31 October 2022I'm reviewing Season One. Season Two might as well be dead to me.
I'm a long-life, lifelong sci-fi fan. This (S01) is one of the best Sci-Fi shows I've ever seen.
Once you get your head around the premise behind the show (the swapable bodies thing), it's what they DO with it that makes this show so awesome. The ambience, the tech, the concepts, the quality of the acting, the beautiful sets and visuals they're all first class.
Then you get to the plotting, scheming and mystery solving which add a dimension of cool and clever to the pretty visuals.
The portrayal of the many important characters, their personalities, aspirations and motivations, not just Kinnnaman as Kovacs, sets the calibre of the show so high it's almost a bar which other sci-fi shows should aspire to reach.
It's a true masterpiece of science fiction.
The second season takes a nosedive in the opposite directions.
It's abysmal.
It would seem that neither the Director, Producer, script writer nor any of the actors in the second season saw any reason to make the second season have any tangible connection to the first.
How can they NOT understand the concept that if you effectively transplant the mind of a man into another body he's going to be the exact same person... in another body ???! He doesn't undergo a body language and personality transformation into someone completely not him. Within seconds.
I don't know whether to blame terrible directing, terrible scriptwriting or terrible acting or a combination thereof, but the second season is just awful. Somebody made a horrendous mistake with the second season.
The first season was so superb it deserves somebody COMPETENT re-doing the second season so we can all forget that the Mackie abomination version even exists and maybe even move on to further seasons. -
gethecool3 February 2018This series is one of the best I have ever watched. I hope Netflix will make more episodes and TV series like that. The actors are acting beautifully, there was no (actor)character I didn't like. Some of them even playing multiple roles in a very convincing way. There is a lot of nudity in this series, but if you can see violence I don't think that nudity should matter. But it definitely not for children. The TV-series brings up a lot of ethics and moral about humanity, in the end, I don't think we are very far from this future.
If the cast and the staff reading this I want to thank you for this series and also to Netflix. -
feyd_27 February 2020Season 1 is very good 8/10. With some problems but great ideas and acting. I just started to watch season 2 and already think about turning it off. Was it supposed to he a joke? Falcon looking for Falconer. Bad joke.
Ok. I did watch the whole second season. You can just make it a drinking game like Armageddon and drink with every stupid idea. Every 5 minutes of second season will kill you...